Show a V rah fl b 2 OL T AME W wi X MST I 1 FR E 10 N 1 A S L S HE FIRST christmas a way away from home Is usually tilled 2 with sadness and a powerful sense oi of homesickness that 7 j la is the reason why so much attention Is paid to making the newly arrived foreigners cheerful at this season of the year ono one can easily imagine how barren a yuletide Yule tlde without the incidentals and frivol frivolities itie of the season would be to these poor folk who are not only separated from their homes but are in a new country among new faces and strange surroundings roun dings naturally they would miss the merrymaking of the old coun country and the greetings of their lifelong frien friends dd says the philadelphia north american I 1 NG F V H 0 3 AMER 1 TH E JOYE U WT SO N ya Y HAV F M M 0 k E F IC AL AM cowey u but as it Is these thoughts fit across the mind and are lost so much attention is paid to making light the hearts odthe new arrivals that there to Is no time tor for retrospection or sad memories should arhip a ship arri arrive veon on christmas eve the day before or even on christmas itself immediately there begins a round of festivities the happy times are not of one days duration but last clear until now new years day in the first place a tree Is usually erected at the docks and here tho the regular ship visitors with many of the cites social workers and the new arrivals in finding their friends and distributing toys and candles candies to the children if one wants to see life in its various phases and the real christmas spirit exemplified this Is the place to go for foll here many happy holiday reunions take place the greetings between husbands and bivs alvy fathers and children grownup grown up children and their aged parents brothers and sisters and sweethearts each case has its own story and each holds its own interest there Is no false modesty here arid add the knowledge that other eyes are gazing on their greetings never mars the warmth and affection displayed in inthe the tight embraces here too the customs of every country are brought into notice notice some kiss on one cheek and then on the other while others prefer the more familiar method some men kiss kisa one another as fervently as they do the women while others merely clasp the hands bands of their relatives these scenes it is true take place at all times of the year but the coming of christmas seems to bring more joy into anio the meetings there Is a double reason for rejoicing as the families are not only reunited but are spending the holidays together once more in some cases the rejoicing is triple told for many of the christmas lasses come hero here at special pleadings and before the yuletide Yule tlde sun has baa set will have become brides this year there will not be as many christmas brides for the girls living in the war ridden countries will be needed at home to till the soil while their fathers and brothers are oft off to the front besides the ships of tho the american lines are the only vessels reaching this port this means that there will be a marked falling on off in every type of foreigner except those who are able to reach tho the english ports the cases of those who do come I 1 from tho the war stricken countries are even more pathetic than usual they have perhaps lost their homes in the ravages ot of the war and invested their last savings in purchasing their passages or they have lost relatives near and dear in the conflict and have come here to forget their loss and sufferings it is here that the biggest celebration is held and here that the sympathy extended by the charitable workers Is manifested tho the others have been reunited to their friends and are assured of happy holidays but these poor folk are forced to spend the season isolated in the detention house without the cheer their lives would indeed be miserable on oil this day of all days tor for they are not permitted to leave the building the windows of which are barred and wherein their only companions are their fellow immigrants many of whom speak different tongues but the gloom is dispelled and instead happiness reigns supreme throughout the festival time there are two big days christmas itself when a chicken dinner Is served and fruit and candles candies distributed to the foreigners then on the following afternoon a real yuletide Yule tlde party Is hold held in n which representatives of almost every nationality under the sun usually take part last year men women and child children ren from scores of countries were the guests of honor this year the numbers will not be nearly as barp and it Is a question it if there will be more than a score or two of immigrants all of which means that the festivities and jollification will be on a larger scale for with fewer mouths to teed feed and fewer presents to buy it only stands to reason that those in charge can be more liberal the entertainment usually starts early in the afternoon the gong Is sounded and the immigrants escorted by the matrons matrona and attendants are brought to the dining room where they take their regular places at the tables when they are all assembled the tun fun begins notwithstanding the difficulty of enter entertaining those of various nationalities ali ties the performance is always a success for the headliner is a sleight of hand artist this is one thing that interests all at the one time for speech Is unnecessary all kinds of things disappear to the amazement and amusement of the onlookers newspapers and rags are transformed into toys and candles candies tor for the children empty cups are ill tilled led with coffeo coffee in tile the twinkling of an oya eye and lee cream appears on nn an empty saucer just as aa quickly that Is after a cloth has been placed over the saucer nna and the mystic words pronounced to the foreigners tho the magician Is a novelty they never tire of hla his tricks and stunts and greet great the close of his performance with much applause the encore brings the best beat part of the program tor for that has been carefully saved until the las last t A cloth Is stuffed into a high hat and when it la Is withdrawn nags flags of every nation appear rapear clowns clown and pantomime artists perform stunts for the children and these are received with much delight then italian and polish singers as well as aa those of other nationalities render national airs and anthems the himml immigrants immigrant s often oblige by singing tho the various songs of their fat herlands the program ts Is generally arranged BO 00 that all will be pleased it Is true that all cannot join in the one chorus but those of tile the different nationalities join their representative singers in the re 1 trains of their favorite christmas hymns interpreters are always on hand band to give any necessary explanations after the concert refreshments are served and gifts and candy distributed among the grownups grown ups handkerchiefs and dorious other useful presents are given to the women and cigars to the men then comes the real treat the children are gathered around the tree and the gift filled stockings and the noahs arks and other attractive candy boxes are taken from the branches brancher and distributed tri buted among the little ones it is pleasing to watch the joy on the faces of these children as they receive their gifts and all of them join together in examining their stockings and in having a good time in general this scene beene around the christmas I 1 tree would be hard to equal toi foi hero here are to be found italian polish hungarian german russian english scotch and in tact fact the little ones from every part of europe last year there was an interesting group of throe three hindu children who were the pets of the station it if the weather is not too severe the children are usually permitted to play on the root garden at the close of the festivities and there the toys a are re distributed tri buted by the young aids aide who assist tho the workers the children have plenty of room to indulge in the games and they have the time of their lives what is a probably the most int interesting orest feature or of the yuletide Yule tlde parties la is the tact fact that the representatives of every denomination unite with the ma arons and nurses in lightening the hearts and making parry merry the immigrants A real holiday spirit is displayed tor for there Is no distinction of any kind either ct race creed or nationality tiona lity jews and gentiles join in aiding those from every country and in last years contingent there were oven even three stowaways who had been taken from a ship on christmas eve |