Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-02
WHOSE CHRISTMAS
 VAS THE HAPPIEsT?
Answer From The Local sanatorium - "Ours Was.n


 - "ours Was"
 A Waterbury patient writing to The American from the State Tuberculosis Pavilion, Norwich, under date of Dec -29. inquires: Whose was the happiest Christmas in the whole state of Con- necticut in the year of 1917-the rip ping, .rousing, roaring, ruction- raising year 1917? and then he adds:
 Put the question to any sojourner in the State Tuberculosis Pavilion as no head scratching, and not the slight lest doubt or hesitation. The answer like. a shot will be strong and unani- nous:
 Ours was, you bet!"
 That settles the matter does 1t not Joy is no pussy footer. When he is with you you know it. You do not have to scratch your head and won der if you are happy. happier, or happiest. You know And therein lies the c. E. D. and the proof of our proposition. Up at Norwich they know A Mistaken Impression. You are surprised? Of course you are. You have been fed on "take-it- n-the-wing, if-it-ain't- so it. -ought-to and they II fall for !t-anyway," inn pressionistic fap-doodle written by ng-haired, horn-spectacled sob sis ters of the petticoated, and (God save the n1ark!l the long rantalooned va riety. Now you are getting the facts from the pen of a reporter, who learned to love and respect those straight from the- shoulder littla citi- zens under the tutelase of real .edi- tors on an honest to- gracious news paper. and, who every night says a heartfelt prayer to the God of Things As They Are. You are going to hear the truth. and it is going. to please you nightly, Sit tight. We're off. You are now in Norwich, in the | mems ward of the infirmary section locate6. Through the dim, early l morning light you can make out white 1 cots in even rows, in each of which i according to your present 1nisinforma4 1 tion should be stretched the form Of 3 down hearted. joyless, smiieless hut man being. Now s'atch closely and see how near right you are.
 1 Christmas Morning. e: Off in some mysterious recess, 6. nnelIow-toned clock-gong releases the l |. 1 Here it floating into the ward so soothingly:' Bong! bong! bong! bong; 1 It IS 4 o'clock and Christmas morn : ] ing. ] Again from distance, but grad ualy approaching come the sweetly- ! blended tof1s of human voices joined in devotional music; the sweet so |. ! praT1o and haunting alto of female l voices, and the throbbing bass of g rnale.. Nearer and nearer come the carolers until they. stand framed ir the ward floor. each face i1aIoed in l the mellow 'fiickering candle light and on each a glow of moving exalta- ton. e1..1s
 Then through the ward sweeps the 1 heart-searching music of Gloria. in Excelsis Deo,'' Hark the Her add Angels Sing" and other Christ mas, favorites Tho ward is fully
 awake now, and from almost every bed comes a doubtful. but sincere and ambitions, bass voice joining in from time to time in the. songs as | courage will permit. It is a beau 1 tifui moment and one which has never been mentioned by the Sonbel Pencil artists. . As their repertory is finished the singers about face, and move slowly
 
 and the1cc over the whole institn ton, awakening all to Christmas ana 4 happiness.
 I A Day of Joy.
 Nineteen hundred years ago the
 Christ-child came into his inheritance in a lowly manager, his only courtiers the wonderful cattle whose home te
 shared. Since that day, 1t has ever
 been the rule that on the Day of the
 Babe thes lowly places should be hal |. lowed spots. And so it was at Nor
 wich. Gods joy transfigured every heart. and made the joy of each as the I joy of ten.
 i You have seen the start of the day and now let us hasten through to it; close. From the time the singers de- } parted and the lights were turned or in, the ward, showing the wealth of ex- cellent decorations, the day was ons tof. unconhned and concentrated enjoy. Inent. 1 First came, the before breakfast period of laughter and n1irth- and fly ing Merry Christmases and goot wishes. Then came a splendid break , fast and general preparation for the } day-"doliing up" as it were. Ant l then came Santa Claus. Sure enough
 And 8 real Santa Claus. too, who
 handed out presents galore from his
 capacious bag, the while he kept ths
 ward in rcars of laughter at his ap sallies. And after Santa came tflt
 mail from home with it's letters. ant cards, and candy. and fruit and tho hundred and one other delights tha, fond hearts from f'the other world . had poured in. That was the big mo
 n,ent of the day. Heart spoke to heart and the wanderer learned all oEeI again (and oh, how good it seemed
 that "out of sight, out of mind wa! . the cruel thought of lying cynic. A Real Dinner.
 II And then came dinner You knov , the kind of dinner tha. used to mak;
 the boards groan in the good old days , when we all went down to Uncl , Johns for Christmas. Well, the Nor f wich feast was as close to that a. , anyone else but Aunt Nellie hersel could make it. As young Jerry would , put it: '1t was a knockout. Get m, , Steve ?'
 . After dinner came a little rest. I was needed, too. just as yours was , Stufffng is an excellent sedative, what
 And then came the afternoon ant
 evening. with music and visitors t round out a really perfect day. Slee]
 was the only thing that put a periot to the fun, and even then two of tn boys. couldn't resist talking about : in their sleep. All in all it was Som ' Day..
 } So much for Christnas, kind friend 5 Now just minute more to set yol ) wholly right on this matter of tn 3 sanatoriu.n sojourner, his lot, and tn g way he takes 1t.
 :, You have been lead to believe tha over the door of evary sanatoriur
 was the cheering sign: "All hop