The Washington herald., 1920-12-25

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SANTA INTERVIEWED
FOR SAKE OF KIDDdEs.
Who should arrive in the Nation
al Capital late yesterday but jolly
Saint Nicholas himself. "Ho! Hot
he laughed, mo white Christmas
this year. but I see that all OF you
are making up for It with plenty
of tho real Yuletide spiritI
"of course" the beaming saint
explained. my agents have been
here weeks ahead of me, getting
things ready. but I always come to
give the final touch. feel that
may bo excused for just q little
professional pride.
DO l mind being interviewed"
he explained, why, not in the least
newspaper men, and especially
cub reporters, are my speciality. Oh,
always look out for cubs around
| Christmas and throw scoop in
their way IL 1 possibly can. or
an exclusive release OF the Christ
mas spirit to any single paper. 1t
would be the same as trying to bot
| tie up the very sunshine itself.
"Oh, yes. so far in Washington
/ think that everyone has the Christ
mas spirit, even the Democrats.
Why. I looked into the White House
few minutes ago-no, l didn't
have a press badge, either-and,
| well. IL you had seen what saw
Ill tell you II you'll promise you
| won't quote mono, I guess / had
better not, after all-but l was just
going to say, chat IL you had seen
what l saw. why, you would all
believe in the league OF nations.
1t may. that our Chief Executive
Isn't always loved by every one OF
our l00-odd millions; but just re-
member. you Republicans, and Farm
er-Laborites and Socialists, and also.
you Senators, that, after all a man
cannot be very far away from be-
ing a real true blue American or
he couldn't get into the White House
at all. So tonight when you sit
around your Christmas trees. just
send a little of the Christmas spirit
toward that big white building on
the Avenue.
EVEN THE CAKES
LOOK HAPPY.
''Oh, this is a wonderful season. II
beats the rarest June day, to my
mind. The winds may be chill, the
cir snappy, indoors may be snugger
than out, but there is all the warmth
in the world in the hearts around US.
If you don't believe me. just take a
walk down F street. Don't you see
something different, everywhere,
subtle, indefinable change2 After
walking along a few blocks and
looking at the gay windows. the
eager shoppers, the radiant counte-
nances, the street stands piled high
with mistletoe and holly, don't you
feel subtle change going on inside
until the moment comes when you
almost feel like saying Merry
Christmas" to one of the "cakies'
Look at that woman over there,
see. the thin, bent, wrinkled woman
with the ragged black ! shawl
wrapped about her. You cannot see
within her heart as / do. for 1 am
able to go everywhere. Do you see
the radiant smile on her face? Can
you guess the reason for Il? Hush,
I'll tell you. Her son is coming
home tonight. Yes. Tommie is COM
ing home; Tommie who enlisted at
the outbreak of the war with Ger
many and was sent to Siberia 1t
was many months after the arriis-
tice before she knew what had be-
come of him. He arrived in Califor-
MIA six months ago and worked un-
til he had saved up enough to come
home. And now. for the first time
in three years she is to have some
one dear to eat the turkey that she
used to take such pains to fix when
sister Sue and Father were alive.
II Is many, many years since they
sat at the table. and now there is
only Tommy. She fumbles for a
handkerchief as she glimpses in a
photographers window a picture of
boy who reminds her OF Tommy"
The jolly Saints eyes moistened
a Dit. Come. l almost had you cry
ing, he exclaimed, never mind,
she'll be the happiest mother in
Washington tomorrow, for Tommie
won't fail her-I passed him. way
back in Arkansas yesterday-I still
use my sleigh. you see, it is faster
than any express, even since the
railroads took the trains back from
the government"
JOHN Is ONE
OF SANTA'S PETS,
santa heaved a sigh. But Iwish
that you might come over to the
southeast with me tonight. There
is something over there that would
do your heart good. I'll try to tell
you about it. just as ] expect to see
IL tonight. Listen, and I'll tell you
ABOUT John, one of my dearest
children.
Now John has never had very
much. save what he has gotten for
himself. His father was never able
10 keep job very long. so there
never has been much money in the
little brick house over toward Ana
costa. He Is Is years old now,
going to high school. working his
way by keeping a job after school
and evenings. Johns mother has
been dead ever since he can remem-
Der, and he has only little sister
Ethel. Ethel is 9 and still believes
in me. Right now John doesn't
know where his father is. He has
been gone several months. But
John is doing all he can to take
care of Ethel with the help Of
neighbora
NOW John has wanted a new suit
real bad, and every penny he could
save the last few months he had nut
away for that suit. But Just about
two weeks ago he realised that
Christmas was coming and that
Ethel still believes in Santa Claus.
hYtf r ,tCt hax 49,