New Britain herald., 1917-01-11
CHRISTMAS FROM
 CHARITY VIEWPOINT
December Report of Organization
 Deals With Holiday

At the monthly meeting of the di- rectors of the New Britain Charity
 Organization held last evening Miss Osborn's report dealt largely with the Christmas spirit. Since the Saturday before Christmas until the day end ing with Russian Christmas approxi- mately TOO children have visited the rooms on West Main street to see the beautiful Christmas tree and to hear about Santa Claus. Dur ing the month there were 321 appli- cations for services and outside of the Christmas giving forty-two families received aid which called for the ex- penditure of $139.5S. Miss Osborn s complete report follows:
 To the directors of the New Britain
 Charity Organization:
 Do you believe in Santa Claus? If xyou don't happen to we know plenty offpeople who do. No one who might have been in our place these past few weeks could fail to recognize the kindly, genial, Santa Claus spirit. And we have had approximately 700 small visitors, nearly all of whom know Santa Claus well and can tell you all about him if you are hay on any particular point.
 lou see we have been keeping open { house since the Saturday before 3Christmas, and day after day, ending With Russian Christmas, we have doz- ems and scores of happy faced chil- dren coming to visit our Christmas tree and exchange greetings with us. So many grim, hard things have to be talked over in our office day after day, that it has been a delight to 7entertain a lot of cheerful youngsters Christmas Visitors Number 700.
 hAOur Christmas tree was just as at- tractive as we could make it. One triend gave Us the tree, another do- mated the electrically lighted little AfEures, another paid for new bulbs ethers popped the corn which we Nnned to the tips of the branches, others furnished the ornaments and s9ll other individuals and clubs filled eevera1 hundred bags and stockings sWlth Christmas candies and gave us oranges by the dozen, credit at the store for such purchases, or gifts to bestoW for Santa Claus We were very popular hostesses indeed, al- though souvenir orange or candy was given on first visits, according to the ch1ldren's own ruling. Repeaters did not count. For holiday entertain Ing our offices are not adequate It was impossible to count all our visit ors excepting by groups, although we know each child. Our rough figures total about TOO
 We had planned story telling and attractions of that sort for various days, but neither space nor inclina- ton warranted this The tree was the center of attraction. All the Christmas tree information we gradu- ally gave forth was passed on to newcomers with astounding accuracy. from the meaning of the star at the top down to the particular merits of our style of tree holder One game the children evolved consisted in naming off while blind-folded, all the or1aments they could remember. some describing twenty or thirty. There is always something mystic and fascinating about frightened ever green tree in a darkened room. and yet even we, who are quite natter or fact and entirely acquainted with circumstances, were touched over and over again by the children's craving for beauty. There is nothing more rare and sweet than a little child,s smile and to watch these youngsters quite at home and completely off their guard, examining every orna- ment, was joy. The only way to feahy enjoy tree is to handle and squeeze everything on it. Of course