HOSPITAL REVELS

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 8

HOSPITAL REVELS

DOCTOR SANTA GLAUS Shrieks of laughter, cheers, and tha thumping of crutches welcomed Santa Claus, who made his spectacular entrance to Plunket Ward, Dunedin Hospital, yesterday in a baby motor car. : The ward itself was beautifully decorated in orange and blue, while in the centre stood a truly marvellous Christmas tree, whose branches sagged with presents and a thousand candles. Long twisted streamers ran the length of the ward, while the bracket iafiips were cunningly disguised as crocuses. Besides the Plunket Ward patients all the children from Victoria Ward and many cripples were present. Lideed, the walls of the ward were packed tight with beds, while even in the middle aisle scoi’cs of patients looked on. Paper hats were distributed amongst, the patients, and there was much mern-j ment before the advent of Father J Christmas. And when finally there could be heard the roar of an engine in : the corridor and the imperative hooting, of a motor horn didn’t the children sit up, dozens and dozens of them, all crowing with delight, eyes big with wonder. Santa Claus, a jovial, stout old figure] who strongly objected to being ad-j dressed as ‘doctor, charged into the ( ward accompanied by bis snow jnan.-: The latter was sadly addicted to the milk bottle, it seemed. Then began the distribution of the; presents. It was a jolly scene—Santa] Claus with his flowing beard, an enor-; mous Christmas tree, two rows of white! beds in which children leaned forward) eagerly waiting to hear their names] called, and a bright background of! nurses and sisters, looking so merry in their red, blue, and brown capes. No one was forgotten in the fun, even , sedate members of the board being, honoured. New nicknames and old were used last night when sisters and doctors were called on to receive their gifts. Santa Claus was amorous with the greatest of good taste, exacting a kiss from the sisters amidst much laughter.But sisters always have great presence of mind, and some of them met the occasion. , , , , Soon the last present had been given and the last toll_ exacted, and Santa Claus, after listening to a short speech of thanks from the chairman of the board and receiving three hearty cheers from the patients, young and old, set off for the great snow wastes for another year in his new snow car. _ Talking of the presence of mind of the nurses, two entries in the ward log book testify great forethought. The first entry states “ Mistletoe hung above ward door 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, and later the appealing sequel, “ Midnight and no results as yet.”