KinSource - Tale of the Week - Day Of Good Cheer

KinSource

Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, December 25, 1891

DAY OF GOOD CHEER.

Indications of One of the Northwest's Merriest Christmas Days.

St. Paul's Needy Will Not Be Forgotten at Relief Hall Center.

Newsies and Shiners to Have a Jolly Time at Their Resort.

The Boat Load of Gifts for Little Waifs at the New Bethel.

"Christmas comes but once a year," says the old song, and it is a precious good thing that it doesn't come any oftener, for if it did the race would speedily become an aggregation of wild-eyed maniacs, knee-sprung from standing in jammed streets cars, and care-worn and wrinkled from waiting for change. Nobody ever believes that Christmas is coming till about the 23d of December. Of course, one knows in a general sort of a way that the calendar says so, but one never realizes how near it is. As a result, Christmas Eve is a whirling phantasmagoria of shoppers - a surging maelstrom, in which float nearly all the people one knows.

Yesterday was a very busy day. Express wagons, with mysteriously delightful looking boxes, went hurrying up and down the street. The postman had all the packages he could drag along. Serious looking men walked along with toy carts and tin soldiers peeping from wrappings or thrust into some capacious pocket. Gray-haired women were loaded with bundles and budgets till one wondered how they walked. Old men and young men of every age and condition were to be seen shopping. The small boy, hesitating between a copy of "Robinson Crusoe" and a box of tools as a present for mama; the debutante, half determined on a dainty willow rocker for papa, the small girl, the medium sized girl and those specimens of humanity who will one day be men and women, but are just now appallingly expressionless and pudgy babies, filled the shops. The poetic-minded young man bought flowers for the women; he knew the old-enough-to-know-better young man purchased jewelry and handerkerchiefs for his "lady friends." Everybody who had a cent bought something, and all the hurrying, jostling, bundle-laden crowd was as jolly as a flock of sandboys. It was Christmas, and they all felt the "good will toward men" the season engenders.

AT RELIEF HALL.

Preparations to Gladden Homes of the Needy.

Up at the Relief building on Ninth street it was a busy day, too. All day long there was a steady stream of applicants for aid. It wasn't a cold day, yet here and there a poor little toe, showing through a hole in the wretched shoe, looked blue and cold, and chapped mittenless hands received the help the Relief society could give. The addresses of needy families had been furnished by the secretary, M. L. Hutchins and B. Hall, to benevolent people, and many a turkey and bundle of warm clothing found its way into a comfortless home last night. Still there were many needy people at the door of the building, and the resources of the society were exhausted too soon. Please remember, dear public, when you read your GLOBE at breakfast this morning, and grumble because the steak is not well cooked, that among the crowd of poor at the hall yesterday there were many who have not eaten meat for weeks. Women whose husbands have deserted them, leaving them the task of supporting little children; women too weak to work; women with invalid husbands; men unable to find work; men recovering from long illnesses. All these and more apply for relief, but there are many of the proud poor who even with their direst extremity will not apply for help. Sometimes a neighbor reports the case to the relief society, and sometimes - well, even in our city there are pitiably many deaths from neglect and starvation.

FOR THE NEWSIES.

They and the Shiners Will Enjoy an Xmas Treat.

All day at the Newsboys' home Miss Johnstone, with a corps of assistants, hung evergreens and pictures and made ready for this evening's celebration. At 7:30 the boys will have a Christmas entertainment with carols and recitations and songs and an address by Miss Mary Cramsie. There will be a gorgeous Christmas tree, and Santa Claus himself will distribute presents to the boys. The newsboys know "all about the murder in West St. Paul," or "all about the fire in St. Louis," but they don't know all about this Santa Claus nor what he is to bring. The entertainment has been provided by dollar subscriptions from more than 200 people, and will be uncommonly jolly. The newsboys will keep open house on New Year's day from morning till night. That same organization is worthy of Christmas consideration, too, by the way, for it does a great deal for the boys, and helps them to do more for themselves. They are by no means the poorest boys in the city, but some of them need a little more civilization, to put it mildly. They are bright and clever occasionally; in fact, too bright, and no sham or pretense deceives them. They will enjoy themselves, and - but then I promised I wouldn't tell what Santa Claus is going to bring them, and I won't.

GIFTS IN A BOAT.

Children Will Be Surprised on the Bethel.

Down on the Bethel the children of the Sunday school, eighty strong, will be received by the jolly saint of the season from 3 to 5, and will be entertained in true holiday style. Some of them are friendless and homeless, but on Christmas Day they too will have their share of festivities. There will be feasting and gaiety all over the city. From the time at gray dawning when the children come rushing down stairs to examine the wonders in those bunchy, lumpy stockings, till the last tired head seeks its pillow at night, the last car rolls homeward, and the watchman's whistle rings through deserted streets, everybody will remember that Christmas comes but once a year, and while it is here there is no place for care, nor selfishness, nor worry, nor work, for if we can't be jolly at Christmas tide we'll never be jolly.

ONE RAY OF LIGHT.

To Gladden the Prisoners in Jail and Workhouse.

The flotsam and jetsam of humanity which drift around on the sea of life, and are finally thrown ashore to find anchorage in the prisons and jails of the great cities, will, as far as St. Paul's portion is concerned, be made happy on the universal day of rejoicing. It is sad to contemplate that society demands the incarceration of men and women who, in their childhood, only saw bright visions of the future. At the county jail, which is so admirably managed by Sheriff Bean, and at the city workhouse, which reflects great credit upon Major Fitzgerald, those who have transgressed the laws, some through vice and others through misfortune, will today enjoy case and comfort, as far as circumstances will permit.

At the workhouse there are at present 116 men and five women, and they will have no cause to complain of the treatment they will today receive. Before 8 breakfast consisting of tea, coffee, bread and butter, and oatmeal and milk will be served, and at 8 service will be held in the main hall. After service the prisoners will be at liberty to read books and magazines until dinner, which will be served at midday. Turkeys, roast beef, vegetables, mince pies and pudding will be the chief items of the bill of fare, and a supply of fruit will be given to each prisoner. In the afternoon the officials will entertain their wards with music and song, and at 6 in the evening a hearty supper will be partaken of.

At the jail there are not many prisoners, but Sheriff Bean will give them a good turkey dinner and plenty of fruit, pies and tea, coffee and milk. Members of the Y. M. C. A. will hold service morning and evening for the benefit of the prisoners, and entertain them with music and song.