IN THE INSTITUTIONS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14547, 26 December 1912, Page 8

IN THE INSTITUTIONS.

Christmas Day proved a B 1nd«m» time to the inmates of the various charitable and other institutions m and around Christchurch. and at each place a Christmas "spread," including good "plum duff," marked iv material fashion tho festive event. \ very pleasant Christmas was spent bvth" inmates of Nazareth House, and di the usual customs were observed includinc tho Christmas tree. Mass vas Suctcd .ut midnight on Christmas Eve, and yesterday the usual Christmas services were ncia. "t the Jubilee Home, Woplston, each inmate was made the recipient of a small Rift, and yesterday m or-mnp-the choir from St. John's Church, Woolston, came along and sang carols. At To Oranga Home, Burwood, a Christmas service was conducted in the afternoon by the Rev. C. A. Tobin, of Burwood. In the evening the inmates received a glad surprise in the shape of a big Christmas treo in the schoolI room, a patriarchal Santa Claus presenting a present to each girl. Una v.-as an innovation that was much ap-. i of the Christchurch Re-j ! ceiving Homo received a Christmas stocking filled with welcome presents. In tho morning tho children attended service at St. John's Church, Latimer sciuare. .. , The day was also right royally honoured in'the Salvation Army institutions. At tho Maternity Home toys wore given to the children, at the Rescue Home the inmates received presents^ • and at the Prison Gate ruission largo 1 numbers sat down to dinner and to tea. Tho Array expresses its deepest thanks to thoso who contributed the assistance which made this possible. At the Children's Convalescent Cot- ' tago, New Brighton, Christmas was observed with all the details dear to the youthful mind. Tho children in residence at tho cottage were fully aware that Santa Claus was due, and it u> assumed that that benefactor of children of all countries was just able to 1 get off the premises before the youngsters were "up and eagerly searching their stockings, which they found filled with appropriate gifts. Bo keen wore tho children to find out what Santa Claus had brought them that they were stirring shortly after four 1 o'clock in the morning. The many gifts supplied by the well-wishers of 1 the institution were greatly appreciated by the little ones. In addition .to the Christmas stocking gifts, there ' was a well-laden Christmas tree and a ' plentiful supply of sweets. The children, were also treated to an excellent Christmas dinner. In tho afternoon 1 some were taken for a drive and others woro taken for a paddle m the sea. In \ tho evening, in the dining room, which , was specially decorated for the occasion, thoie- was an entertainment, at [ which tho children gave songs and recitations, and the gifts on tho Christ--1 n-as tree were distributed. Altogether • tho children, thanks to the efforts of ' tho matron (Mrs E. Farmer) and her staff, spent a niosfc pleasurable time. At tho Tuarangi Old Men's Home 1 yesterday, Mr and Mrs F. H. Knight gave the inmates a very happy time, and made tbeni feel that it was Christmas. Various tradesmen and others Had been very liberal with donations of various kinds, ami at the breakfast table Mrs Kr - ght was enabled to present each inmate with three separate packages containing suitable presents. At dinner-time tho inmates sat down to a most sumptuous repast, and one fit for a king. The Rev. J. R. Burgin conducted a special service at tho Homo in the afternoon, and in tho evening some visitors from Christchurch gave a sacred concert. Each inmate during the day was presented with a new piper, a special stick of tobacco, and a box of matches, and also an extra shilling in money. IN THE HOSPITAL. To thoso who have had anything at ' all to do with hospitals, it is known that tho greatest part of tho life of a ■ nurse is devoted to careful and kindly thought for tho comfort and happiness of others. It is a commonplace that ' tho nurse knows tho need, and oven the idiosyncracy, of tho patient before ho '■ knows it himself; and she knows that - the hardest part of his long day is the apparently interminable hours of twi- ' light, When the shadows lengthen I slowly until they are lost in -the dust; • and the dim lamps servo only to intensify the blackness of the silent ward. This is tho time chosen by the singers I amongst the nurses in the Christchurch Hospital for their crusade with the glad . tidings of salvation and earths kmdh- , est philosophy. They gathered at tho , end of the long corridor at eight o clock on Christmas Eve, and marshalled two and two, ono with a candle, one with ; a book. Then they moved forward slowly, singing tho old hymns. Upstairs to the old ward they wont first, and to thoso who stayed behind the sound of their voices came more faintly until their candles lighted up the windows and the words came through the open snaces, to bo lost in the noise of the town! Then down again, and to tho first ward off the corridor. It was a pageant which patients will remembrr , Ion" after their ills have been cured. ' Christmas Day itself opened very early indeed, and nowhere earlier than in tho Children's Ward. Only a little after four o'clock the first tiny hand reached out 'for tho gifts it was sure would be there. Already they had had n Christmas tree given by "Three Lovers of Children," a visit from the Father Christmas of Strange and Co., and sundry other treats. And in the far corner "stood yet another treo, heavy with gifts. VTii" whole big centre table was covered with glorious masses of Dorothy Perkins and other pink flowers, contrasting well with tho clean, cool blue of the tiled walls. Ward 7 had its keynotes in the purple of -fleurs-de-lys and tho yellow of broom. No. 8 had chosen Iceland pics and other yellow flowers, backed by tho dark leaves of the copper beech. The gentler shades had been chosen for "\\ ard 6. Fur stronger was 1 the colour scheme in tho next, for tho sister of No. 5 had chosen tho rich, I barbaric red and yellow flowers, and they had given attention to detail, even > tho lamps oeing red shaded. No. 4 had ■ fallen back upon tho nover-failinc i Dorothy Perkins. > I It was the same everywhere. The . mnids had decked their Christmas tablo L with yellow flowers. But of it all the r most artistic was the nurses' table i where ninety would sit down. Tho l room bore threo big cakes, one from a f friend, ono from the medical staff, and s one. bigger than the others, from the k Christchurch constables. But what the ) nurses were most eager should be seen i was the huge box of chocolates sent- by an old patient, who hod not forgotten , I them.