The Washington times., 1916-12-25
DisgruntIed by Extravagant
Demands Of Little Rich
Children.
MRS. CLAUS SAVES THE DAY
Reminds Him of Millions Of
Poor Who Only Ask
TrifIes.

In Mndreds of thousands OF homes
all over the world children were
creeping Into their beds, content To
&c To sleep because OF their faith that
all 'be things they wanted would be
whiting for them In u, morning.
I.unoi eds OF thousands Of older peo-
pie (who had long ago learned that
most things arc not waiting for yui
when YOU wake In the morningl wcro
losing some OF their weary cynicism
In the contemplation OF all these ar.
dent youthful faiths.
n might bc thought that Santa
Claus himself would be bcstirring
himself In HIS headquarters AT the
North Pole and probably just about
starting ON his annual Eift.bearing
expedition. All those uniformed func.
tionarics who are employed hy that
kiru hearted hut tcmperinwnt1l ~
4, L,nilcntan- he Royal Arctic Iilnd!r
Wrapping Association. as wen aA
Local No. of the GIft Sclcctera'
Union and the icicle Rcindrcra' l,acc.
track Club-6ll these WORKERS, u
might be thought. would br simply
hanging around tho door or tho CrSR.
tai lee Palace. where Santa claus ~.
sided. waiting to sec the old gentle.
man start on.
SANTA Gives In Trip.
Wei. they were there. standing on
the sidewalks IN front of the palace,
and the more daring OF them even
sitting on tho steps, swinging their
legs and looking nnSiously at their
wrist watches left over from last
Christmas collection of presents for
young gentlemen. The four famous
rcindccrs. harncHscd to tho still more
famous sleigh, packed. Jammcd. and
oNcrnowing with gifts. waited outside
the. door: long line of motor trucks.
similarly fiIied. waited behind the
sleigh, and n crowd OF curious towns.
people to whom Santa claus de.
parturc was the great event of the year.
stood on the sidewalk. staring up Mt
the brightly lighted house.
They might well wait and wonder,
for Santa Claus was an hour late In
hiH start What was Infinitely worse
and To til" CONSERVATION of Mrs, Santa
Claus, his private secretary and hiS
efficiency manager. N looked AZ N thr
old gentleman would not start ht all
Mrs. Claus, who NJ the initiated know.
T. very delightful but determined
old lady, was standing with tears IN
her eyes behind the great chair wh"r'
Santn claus had flung himself. with
his feet stretched out toward a blny,
ing fre. as though he meant Co stay
thcr. all night. Mrs. Claus had scold.
and she was now trying a few teaTs,
Tired OF Nmas Role.
For santa Claus had suddenly sick.
sncd OF his role. Hc was not going
out this Christmas to weary him,elf
out for nothing. NO" he roarcd,
"iou can plot as much as you like
behind this chair. but nothing viii get
me out OF this house tonight. The
game is not worth the candle"
"But. my dear" said old Mrs. Claus.
"think OF the poor little children"
The old man sat straight up In his
chair. "The poor little children" ho
gssped, Madam. you fool yourself
There are no poor little children any
more. The poor little children-as
you call them-have- brought this
trouble ON their own heads. They are
not content with increasing at such a
rate that l have to add several motor
trucks "A year To get around To every
house, but the more they get the more
they want.
mo, madam. I shall drop out OF his,
tory there viii be "a gap In ciVtliEa'
tion--a few children will cry their
eyes out tomorrow; but they need a
warning"
Mrs. Claus PuExied.
Mrs. Claus looked at the efficiency
manager with puzzled expression.
This was new form OF Feasibility.
Besides" he went ON. "the tre-
erything has almost put me in hole.
There used To be the good old days,
when Tommy Smith would feel himself
a young king II / gave him a drum
and his sister was happy with doll,
and his baby brother with a rubber
ball, but times have changed. Now
every one that is over two years old
demands a mechanical railway, a
speaking doll. IA set of dishes with
yictuals ON 'em, a baseball outfit, a
bicycle and a pedometer. some Hawaii
an Victrolia records and a new pair OF
skates, and sometimes even an auto
mobile. The most disheartening as
pect of the thing Is that the parents
seem to encourage this sort of thing
the children get worse and worse as
they grow older
The old man groaned, 4 footman
rushed in To say that the reindeers
were shivering and when was the eN
pedition to start?
Discouraged With "Kiddies."
Tell them I have decided not to &c
this year" santa said it as IL he were
ashamed 'of himself.
Old Mrs. Claus clapped her hands
together. as she often did when things
had gone too far. Tell them nothing
OF the sort" she said. stay where
YOU are. SANITY, in all the years
have known you have never hearc
YOU act so foolishly Don't you re
member all those letters that yot
went over last week? Are you going
10 forget the little boy whose mother
IL sick and who only asked for her Il
got well;'
The old man rose from his chaiI
r1i looked ghamefacedly around tn,
loom. His secretary handed him 4
I'D man and The efficiency manager