The Detroit times., 1914-10-02
WON'T YOU HELP
CHEER KIDDIES,
WAR VICTIMS?
Times Offers Chance to Bring
Yuletide Joy to Little Hearts
in Europe
CHRISTMAS SHIP TO
BE LOADED WITH GIFTS
viii Go To Tots Whose Lives
Are Swallowed by Feaful
BlOOdshed

Il saw a. little child dead by the
road. "a great bullel- Mound in -hei
breast"
That was what traveller wrote to
a friend In New York few days age
In describing his trip through north
er1 France.
Dead by q bullet, and little child
q creature OF sunshine and Joy, an In
nocent one who thought the world hel
friend and who tripped along the
same road few weeks ago pluckine
flowers and tossing their cleaning
petals In the path OF darting butter
flies.
And that be war. That little one
Is sleeping, and the bed of grasses
Will be changed for a casket and hei
brief chapter OF life will be closed al
the earth opens to receive her. The
thunder OF guns, the smoke of battle
and the fow OF the crimson blood are
not even vision OF the past for the
child that lay beside the road In far
away France, babe with bullet
wound In her breast
But stay. while she sleeps there are
other children; q million little ones
who are going to cot and trundle-bed
az the sun sinks To rest In weary
Europe. and they must wake In the
morning--wake to a long day from
which the spirit OF play has been
torn What matter the flowers and
the birds to them. Mother IL weep.
ing. Father II gone. Perhaps he, too,
- sleeping the last long sleep with
MS poor torn body tossed In q trench
and the dew OF plying heaven max
Ing damp the horrid heap on which
he lies.
With the beat Of drum and the sone
of bugle he marched away and Will
meyer come home again. The home IL
still there with mothers frail hands
to hold together its walls, with only
. mothers strength to beat back the
wolf that howls at doors throughout
Europe. And the children, the little
helpless children that cannot under
stand. What OF themy - = :
Over nineteen hundred years arc
another Child lay In a manager, and
above His head angels chanted s'Peace
on earth. good will to men, Because
Of that Child each year has seen the
coming of the Joyous Yuletide. The
love whose seed He planted back
across the centuries bloomed most
perfectly then. and It's expression
came In gifts. the giving OF happiness
TO one another, and most Of all &c
those Of whom the Child said. Suffer
them 70 come unto Me and f0rbif
them not, for iof such 10 the kingdom
/ Of heaven" * AZ ~ As ~
Oh. you in happy America. cant
you hear the cry that echoes even
above the roar OF battle, the sob OF
the little children whose lives must
be darkened by the shadow Of the
Red Dragon. See their little hands
held out TO you. their clear eyes made
dim by tears. They are seeking love
and comfort and they need each ray
Of sunshine we can send.
The Christmas shipl The vessel
that II to bear away from our shores
u great load of toys and gifts. What
q ship and what 4 mission. Won't
ycu help weigh Il down? A few pen
mics, dime, dollar. Toss them into
the cauldron whore the fires OF hu.
manity are burning, and let the al
chemy of life and love bring forth its
gold Close your eyes. picture the
home. See. II n dawn Of Christmas
day N wartorn Europe The snow.
covered fields are fluted here end
there by the green arbors, Httle white
mounds OF purity. Nesting beneath
the trees n q little home, peasants
cottage, its roof OF thatch and its win.
|dows small Inside are shadows, FOR
the sun has not vel, poked It's rosy
rays through the panes. From the
rafters hang the herbs and the dried
vegetables, and In the great fireplace
embers shoulder. Suddenly there a
rustic OF clothing. Bebe and Tack are
|awHie. The door swings softly epen
Two little white-clad figures steal
through the gray Of the room.
Mamma said last night that there
would be no gifts." says Bebe, 'bui
the Christ child would not forget"
'Tt must be So" says lack
Close they 60 to the fireplace. They
stop. A cold chill steals over the 1T
tie hearts. There II naught there bu,
ashes. II Il true. Santa Claus hal
forgotten. Above them the nag Of
their country hangs over the rustet
sword, all that came back from the
battlefield where father" went They
stumble back to bed. blinded by tears
Can this be? Loosen your purse
strings. citizens Of Detroit, and Mich
|igan. Give Of your plenty TO the
Christmas ship. The Times will SCI
that the money n sent on It's way
and you may be very sure that ever
penny will be used TO give OF Joy al
never before. lust send your contri
buttons In to the Christmas Ship edi
| tor and he win forward II TO New
York. where the ship n to load. Al
America il helping. Let us help. too
New york city owes sss.occ'ooo I.