Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-21
VISIT BELGIANS FIRST,
CHILDREN URGE SANTA
Little Girls Want Skates They
Hoped for Given to Wars
Victims

Hope that Santa Claus hasn't had influenza
and that he will not forget the destitute chill
dren of Belgium and France are prevailing
sentiments in the thousands of Santa Claus
letters which have flooded the postofice this
year.
Aside from this unusual spirit of sym
pathy and generosity on the part of children
eager for Christmas pleasures, the effects of
the recent epidemic and Of the war are
shown in more pathetic ways in the quantity
worded messages to the Children's saint.
There are hints of the suffering in families
where father or both parents and sometimes
entire families had influenza and there are
the unconscious appeals from children lonely
for. "daddIes" or big brothers sn service.
al hope you have not had influenza. dear
Santa" writes little Mary Penny, OF 274t
Latcna street. I'VE all had II, the hole
family, and mother said Santa would come to
our house this Christmas and give me a
present for helping her when she was sick
all me and my sister would like is a pare
of skates and a blackboard. We would like
more but we have no money. There are
too many to get presents for this Christmas
and If you cannot bring us the skates bring
us something nice and don't forget the
belgins. We would do without them IL you
would give the skats to them. 1000 kisses to
you and your ranedeers.'
An equally pathetic message comes from
marry, lLhuTd anu FRANK Bennett, OF llO
carp street.
"Dere Kris Kringle did you have the flu
Me muder and farder and me sister and lila
bruder an me had it. Me muder said you are
not comm to our house cause you don't like
white-heads. but plese come to our house
cause 1t is a lila one. Bring me a water
gun and a train. Me sister wants a doll that
says NOM Me lila brudder can't talk, L
don't know what he wants"
The appeal from Manuel Sciocchetti. 1871
n1Ith tnon Gtrnnt NJ InlIt Is Innh
and my brother is in the United States army.
and can't buy me no Christmas clothing is
quite a contrast to the letter from Catherine
Spearing, of SOS North Thirty-ifth street.
please send me a nice big doll, coach. bed,
house, chair, piano, dishes. table, music,
please send me everything"
While the boys usually ask for warlike
gifts, the appeals from the little girls are
contrastingly feminine and domestic. Can
non, tanks. soldiers and forts are what the
boys want, and the universal appeal from the
girls is for dolls and dishes.
Harry and Minnie Kofink, of 1921 North
Hope street, whose father is dead and
whose mother is employed. reminded Santa
that he did not visit them last year and they
long for something nice this year.
Give some things to every little girl in
the whole world and be sure to give some
to the Belgium children and to the poor"
writes Dorothy Mishler, OF SS7 Brooklyn
street. For herself she asks: "A doll with
long curls like mine and a muff and n little
kewpie doll about five inches long. ] would
like a little pink ribbon about an inch and
u half wide round its stomic."
Nellie Mcbride, of 1922 Seigel street,
writes TO tell Santa that her papa is dead
and the mother Is the only one 10 earn the
living for herself and five children. We
would be very thankful for what we could
get for Christmas. dear Santa" she writes.
On scraps of stained paper and on i'm.
maculate stationery the letters keep COM
Ing addressed. variously to Santa Claus"
Kris Krlngle' or just ITO the North Pole"