The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-12-17
A Card OF Beauty
Is A Joy FOrerer
BY Angela Burton

collecting Christmas cards for the
use of Catholics in the Diocese of
Kansas City although she herself
is a Protestant. She believes that
these beautiful cards should be
sent on a second mission where
they will give pleasure to little
children.
And this dainty little woman,
eighty-three years young, has spent
the past seven years with only the
memory of what beauty there is in
the world. But loss of sight has
only deepened her appreciation of
loveliness, and increased her de-
sire for being of service to others.
People from Canada to Mexico,
who have learned of her distribu-
tion system, send the Christmas
greetings they have received to
her-especially at house-cleaning
time. Most Of these packages of
used Christmas cards are address
ed simply to "Aunt Dot, 5S01 Char
lotte Street, Kansas City, Missouri"
Only a few of the senders know
that her name is Mrs. Dorothy Lea
Emmons.
This jealous collector asks every
one she meets for the greeting
cards they have received. 1t is a
family joke that the packages ar
irving from former house guests
always contain last years cards in
stead of tie usual ''bread and but
ter" gifts.
The verse on each card received
is read to "Aunt Dot" by a mem
Der of her household before 1t
is given to the teaching Sisters. In
her mind she pictures the card as
Roma or Jimmy, who assist in her
care, describes the picture. AS he
sits on stool at her feet, Jimmy
may be heard TO say: This is a lit
tie blue bird sitting on the limb of
tree"
One package of cards provided
considerable interest and amuse-
ment in Aunt Dots home. Through
error, a photograph of an elderly
woman had been included among
the cards. Written on the back of
this picture was: "From your low
ing aunt, 1879" The photograph
of the unknown woman became a
household personality. "Aunty' was
placed on a dresser pending clue
as to her identity.
Members of the family kept ask
ing, when you acknowledge the
receipt Of some of those cards,
why not suggest to them that you
think you have their aunt on your
dresser"
"Aunt Dot" delights in hearing
about the many uses for these
Christmas cards. She visualizes the
Joy of hundreds of children in the
Kansas City diocese who paste Ma
donnas from the cards into their
own little scrap books. She is told
that many teaching Sisters decor
ate school windows with the Wise
Men riding their camels toward a
big star made from the silver paper
of used card. In cutting out pic
lures from the cards, children are
entertained as they learn to take
advantage of material at hand. The
pupils of Guadalupe school love to
use the bright colored papers to
make borders for posters and wall
plaques. Most of the vacation
school youngsters enjoy making
book marks from these salvaged
materials.
"Aunt Dot" takes pardonable
pride in the wide contacts she
maintains through the distribution
of greeting cards. She tells of a
card sent to her from England on
Christmas eve, i945, by q young
American soldier. He wrote that
he had Just been to midnight Mass
and was writing his Christmas
cards. Since he felt very lonely
for his mother who had passed
away that year, his thoughts turn
ed to "Aunt Dot"
And this soldiers mother had
remembered "Aunt Dot" on the
day she entered the hospital for
what proved to be a fatal opera
tion. That very morning she sent
her husband with a package of
cards to the little Protestant wom-
an who solicits holiday greeting
cards for the use Of Catholic chill
dren. 1t was her last act of char
ity.
People who send their cards to
this little lady know that their
| pleasure in receiving Christmas