Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-21

doorway A bIue-nosed bonnie is tax.
ing the bunch to the park
IF we make you visit by orders,
says the belle bud, these kids shall
be sage. It's understood"
Chubby Georges makes rumbline
noise.
"BOum,'
He thinks it's the Gothas. Do you
remember how we made you visit In
the cellar. by order?'
Lucie. upstairs. is wizened little
tad of nine, with eyes that want to
smile Do not underestimate Lucie
She has arrived at persuading herself
great thing-that a tin gun and
pasteboard cartridge box and belt are
just what she wants to find in her
shoes for Christmas
(They do not hang up their stock
ings in France. as every doughboy can
tell you. They put out their shoes be-
fore the f1replace.)
The little sisters. four and six. are
getting ready to give fervent thanks
for a brassy trumpet, villainous drum
a tin sword which will scare them and
four tin buckets and shovels to dig in
the park. OF course. there will be
figs, raisins, nuts. But where is the
toy kitchen and dolls teaset complete
which the little ones had secretly de-
sired, and where Lucie's big red book
with 100 pictures, LIE Chevalier Bay
ard?
'Tis the hot air Christmas of Paris.
to prepare which St. Nicholas was
never so tactful. so arranging. so in
formed, so exQuisitely in the note.
Their mamma said:
My cabbages. your little cousins
Hegesippe and Albert. who are ref
ugees. will not have any Christmas if
we do not ask them"
''Of course" said Lou. She saw 1t
coming.
Dan.
Not that, but will it be right to
spring the extra burden on him? So
Lucie faltered the right thing (tact
forces itself cruelty on the tactfuD :
Let him bring things which will
please US all!">
Wherefore gun, drum. trumpet, fage-
let and teddy bear. The letter has
been written. The teddy bear is a po-
tential storm center in a little world
of goodness. He will please them all.
Hot air!
Letters to Santa.
You write letters to the Little
Jesus and tell Him what you want.
There was a boy who countermanded
his order on the d. q. t.
Dear Little Jesus" he wrote, all on
his own. don't send those clothes.
Send candy"
(Candy is sixteen francs per pound.
even in the second-class grocery
stores of Paris. Nine families out of
ten were not able to make jam or
jellies last summer. And half the
families have not had their November
sugar-one and one-half pounds per
month per person.)
1t is the infant. of course. who
sends the children's gifts, ST. Nicholas
being only his ite-whisk cred facto-
tum. practicing an abusive liberty of
judgment
Long ago. in Paris. he discovered
an easy ready reckoner in the look
of your chimney. Almost everybody,
apartments. ten to twenty or more
families in a house. Almost every
room of every fat has its open fire.
place With an individual pottery pipe
straight up to one of the fairly nu-
merous. brick chimneys on the roof.
Theoretically. you can look up and
see the stars. Evidently, st. Nicholas
can look down and see Lucie.
He don't take the time to do it.
Where carved stone monumental
chimneys. great but comparatively
few. proclaim the private mansion Oh
rich flats. St Nicholas knows that he
can go the limit. Dumps down the
w holc odS. NO danger OF CrOWdtnE.
But on roofs with forests of brick
chimneys and rickety pots, repaired,
Joined up. makeshift, additioned, he is
thoughtful not to embarrass parents
or make neighbors jealous. These
are houses packed with many fam.
lilies. whose small-sized rooms must
not be Uttered up with numerous on
large-sized gifts.
This delicacy is sometimes misun-
derstood by children. They know
that st. Nick is invisible because he
lregularly wears magic can.
Should think he wouldw grumbles
Hegesippe. the child refugee, whose
memory loses itself in five bum
Christmases. But Lucie (wizened. pa
thetic. heartbreakingly cheery) stands
up for the old crook: "He can't
bring much when the chimney is
clogged"
The kids mediate before the empty,
chilly fireplace
He won't risk to SINCE his beard.
this time" says Lou. =
No" meditates Niche.
NO" meditates Mad.
STERLING HELLO.