The Washington times., 1915-12-22

from the little side streets off the
water front; from the houses OF tle
poor where the Stork flies in at the
window more often than Santa Claus
Chambers down the chimney. con-
tinues the cry OF the Christmas Dis
consolates.
The cry comes stronger and more
inslsteit as the natal day OF the
Manger Babe approaches. 1t Is like
another call which came to the early
disciples of the Christ out of Mace
donian darkness Come thou over
and help us /"
For the little voices from the tene-
ments and shaeks are urging: MAKE
His birthday a happy one for us!"
Their letters to the patron saint
of Christmas are stiiI pouring into
The Times office with every mail.
The show windows downtown are all
ablaze now o. nights, Their thou
sands of electric lights play upon n
riot of toys. But the toys are sep
arated from the hungry eyes of the
pinche faced urchins who stand and
gaze and desire, by a thick unsym-
pathetic barrier of plate glass, which
invites just as ii repels. And PEI
haps that Is one reason why the let
ters from the disconsolate Riddles
Anything, Anything"
Anything, anything" the little
voices from the letters plead--"Give
us anything Santa Claus. that you
can spare--but, o. don't forget us!'
More of the little intimate details OF
family misfortune-lack of work and
illness. are beginning to creep into the
missives, together with the fear of
penniless mothers-aye. and grand
mothers, too-who are watching the
keen desire in the eyes of their dis
consulate little ones, doomed to a toy
less Christmas, unless Santa Claus,
the Generous and the Powerful. bends
his Imaginary ear to their needs.
All the devices of childhood to catch
the ear of the Christmas patron saint
have been rAsorted to.
Surely" the kiddies seem to have
argued. If Santa Claus won't listen
because Daddy is dead ana Mother Is
poor, there must be some way to make
him come" And so almost every little
note is interlarded with protestations
Of obedience and all the other virtues
which parents from time out OF mind
have impressed upon their full-spirited
offspring. as being a necessary fore
runner to Yuletide remembrance.
A Little FIatterer.
And-if the hattery of childhood could
produce presents. there is at least one
little girl who would not be overlooked
for she has written:
Please bring me doll-baby car
riage, and a. pair of shoes. Santa Claus.
have been very, very good all tho
time. do what my mother tells me.
Please bring me those things. Santa
Clause. Please keep your word. Santa
Claus, 1 love you and am always
talking nice things about you. From a
nice little girl
Many and many arc the requests for
The little girla want raincoats and tie
boys ovcrcoats. Often a letter viii be-
gin with a request for the toys which
mean so much in kiddie life. and .at
as a sort of postscript comes The pR-
'thouc appeal. born of shivcry days in
shabby apparel: ''If You can't bring
eEIsrEyttng santa please bT.n tTIS gI mg
who wants "a white dress to wear to
Sunday school"
Phonetic Spelling the Rule.
But there is lighter side to the
Christmas letters. II the shade of Noah
Webster could just take peek inside
of some OF the scrawiy envelopes, his
photographer soul would probably exc
cute an Indignant hornpipe. Phonetic
spelling is the rule, rather than the eX-
ception. This is fair sample.
"Dears Scnntin: I will write YOU n
few words kindly asskin you to pleais
give me adolf fore Christmas as I
have no farther and my mother Is very
pore and nOtabel to by us any toys. I
hope that you will give ne some and
with meny thanks I will close. Jose
phUn."
Another little girl clipped from a
newspaper a picture OF the tov she
wants most. 1t is little bear mounted
on wheels. And although she has had
faith enough IN the kind-heartedness of
some Santa Claus who is willing to
help her, she Is afraid that through no
fnuIt of his own, her particular st.
Nicholas may not be able TO Nnd her.
Her letter is we'll worth reading:
BOrrows Pennies To Write. %,
"Dear Santa Claus: hope that you
are we'll and will come to see me this,
year. as you did not come to see me
last year. and did not get a thing
for Xmas. please santa claus come to
see me this year. my mamma is aufull
poor and wont have eny money to give
to you. all that mamma has is three
dollars a week. she pays room rent and
byes two bushels of coal and the rest
she has to live on. please tell me II
you will come to sec me. II YOU find
that the door is locked. please knock
and lay the things down nv the side