Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-16
"ARMY" CARRIES YLLE CHEER
INTO CITYS DARK ALLEYS
Salvation Lassies Find Children of Slums Imbued With Ho
day Spirit. but Pathetically Wisttul about "Santa'
They'll Get Baskets and Toys, Though
by PEGGY LURES

he learned there was to be q Christmas
basket and present for each one.
'And for mother, too?" he asked,
With a great deep breath that was not,
after all, n sigh, he turned and stirred
the beans again. lie was looking at
US as We said goodbye. In his eyes
was the look Of one who had touc,->i
the hem Of the garment of Christmas.
All the children called lovingly to
Major Ward as we hurried on. I wish
I had the space to tell of this wonder.
full woman with the brown eyes who
loves these little ones as her own. For
twelve years she ministered to the
shabbiness Of small lives much like those
in the slums Of New York. and now
for year and half they have watched
streets in Philadelphia. Sweet, refined,
womanly, thirty years in all has she
given of her life to Salvation Army
work-Only because she loves people.
The place we came 10 next may be
listed differently in the street directory
but 1 shall always remember it as the
home OF Gemma and Enrico with whom
the Santa Claus legend remains fierce.
ly intact in spite OF enormous obstacles
to its remaining so. EnricO is seven.
He sat in his union suit of indefinite
wearing with his biz brown eyes blaz-
ing. Next to him on the combined
kitchen and living room table sat
Gemma. nine. She wanted sleepy
doll. He wanted subway train. Santa
Claus would bring it for sure. if they
both asked.
Father N Six Disabled
Gcmma and Enrico's mamma has SIX
abt hai fa A.
shaggy hair, reminded one of the sunnv
skies Of Italy, stuck pick in his hand
three months ago. It's only healing
now. The room was small. stuffy. Ont
Of the window you could see q wagons
width and then your eyes were across
the street. The whole STIFFNESS Of the
scene cried out for the warm, sweet.
smelling earth and the free skies OF
their Italy. Mamma c.. looked at
EnricO's union suit. He must have
stockings from this Santa Claus. she
made out in broken English. Not slb.
way train.
We came next 10 the little Lewis
who did not speak at all but only Looked
on with curious spirituality in his
gray. eyes as his father, who has had
his broken leg on chair for tbres
months, explained there would ba No
Christmas there. There was a bannv
little baby girl Of fifteen months in ,
baby carriage. Her last official act bsJ
been to throw her bottle through ths
window. A little piece of wooden how
had neatly replaced the damage. Here
too, the coal shortage was felt. Re-
sides these two there We're four oibe,
children. There Is one bow. sirtasn
years old, working. He makes mera
pittance. The rent that sinistsr
sword Of Damocles that hangs aiwaSs
over the pOor-is eleven dollars
This is only one of the many G,str,,t.
OF the poor being visited by the SaIv,s
tion Army at this time. More than
700 Christmas baskets will be distrih'
uted to needy families. who will az
to army headquarters from all ov.r nv nIn IN
city on the Saturday before Christmas
Each basket will contain q cbiclsp
coffee, corn or peas. condenser mill,
potatoes, celery, turnips, bread, oninns'
apples, oranges, crackers and ,,t'
Toys will be distributed to 1000 % %nh;i
dren. 'o'V chill
The i'ucaircthch family, the r,o,h.-
Of which was murdered eighteen non.sr ou.er
ago, Is to be taken care Of Tho "Tohtns
dead. '"e oaby, IS
Sickness more than unemn,orn,o
mas mas worked hardship on The poor Ient th;t