Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-12-24

New York, Dec. 21.-The younger set
Of the East Side is now busily rehears-
ing for its greatest annual event, which
Is to occur the night after Christmas,
when, standing about brilliantly light
ed evergreen tree, 1t will sing and speak
Of the joys of Christmastide
with which It has slight acquaintance
but. for which it possesses a bOundless
enthusiasm.
| Every afternoon, the clubrooms Of the
Backyard Playground association, which
is planning this gala occasion, are
crowded with shabby little girls, who
speak their pieces and. sing their songs
proudly and dramatically. Little Ennis
her young life, but she can show you
exactly how one should be crooned to
sleep SO that it will not see, and in
seeing destroy the generous intentions
of old st. Nick. Pale little Maria Clio
vanni can throw back her head and speak
SO ennotionaly of Mr.. and Mrs. Claus
that you would imagine they were per-
sonal friends of hers.
Now not quite so dramatic" the
| backyard dramatic coach had to eau
ton her the other day, as the little girl
raised her eyes heavenward, clasped her
hands tightly to her throat in gesture
she had evidently borrowed from Theda
Bara and spoke in shrill rhyme of an
apron she had made for Santa Claus.
'They just love it, said the coach
when the rehearsal was over, and the
last shabby little child had rushed out
to the backyard playground. 1T is the
romance which, appeals to them-the
| chance to pretend for the time being
that they are somebody else, and not
tenement youngsters. / really think they
| enjoy this period of preparation almost
as much as they do the actual celebra-
ton and toys we manage to have for
them.
1.-THE toys are not new. to be sure.
throughout the city. and the city police
| men bring them to us in their patrol
wagons. You see. the parents of these
children cannot afford to buy them toys:
they cannot even buy them enough to
| eat-not always This is one of the
Oldest and most dilapidated tenement
districts Of New York
Yet the. room In which the rehearsal
had just been held was cheerful, neat
and attractive. Sunlight streamed in
its long windows, gas logs burned in an
! arched fireplace, and window-boxes. con-
tanning bright green evergreens added to
the cheerful atmosphere of the room. So
did the cretonne curtains which draped
it's windows and doorways. although the
young lady in charge explained that they
had cost very little. The rest of the
| furnishings were obviously cheap, but
useful-the usual chairs. small table
| with bowl of yellow chrysanthemums
and an old but gallant sofa.
Our object said the secretary of the
association, Miss Lisette Trunk. open
ing white painted door and leading the
way into a similarly furnished club
room. rs to keep the place as simple as
possible and much like the average tene-
ment room. 50 that the people of the
ncighborhood win feel at home here. We
want them to feel that it belongs to
them-this playground center. We do
not want to provide them with the things
/, they have not, but to teach them to make
the best use of the things they have"
These club-rooms are on the first floor
OF one of two houses at 312 East Thirty
first street, which the association has
leased. painted. repaired and plumbed to
great extent with view gradually to