Mary (who has gone to the table and now brings a cooky and an apple for the Stranger Child) Here, little boy, here's a fresh cooky and a red-cheeked apple. You must be so hungry-let me get you a cup of milk, too. (Runs out at inner door.)

Mother (putting the Stranger Child in her chair, after taking off his torn shoes) Sit here, little boy, while I go find some warm stockings for you. Yours are wet and torn, and I am sure a pair of Charlie's will just fit you. (She goes out at inner door as Charles comes in with the coat.)

Charles Now, Boy, just let me put this coat on you. It may be a little large for you, but it is new and warm. I have just worn it two times there, doesn't that feel good? (As Charles is putting the coat on the Stranger Child, the Mother returns with a pair of stockings, and mittens fastened together with a long cord. She puts the mittens about the Stranger Child's neck, and then she and Charles dress his feet. He looks on silently as they kneel before him, their heads bent in service for him, and stretches out his hands over them, as if in blessing.)

Mary (returning with a cup of milk, which the Stranger Child drinks) Here is a glass of warm milk, little boy. It will make you feel so comfortable. Drink it all. (She watches him as he drinks slowly.)

Charles (drawing his Mother aside. Will you do something nice for me, Mother?

Mother Yes, if I can.

Charlles Give him one of the presents you have for me for to-morrow -- give him the very nicest one of all. Will you, Mother?

Mother That is a happy thought, Charlie. I'll go get. one for him, and the very best one, as you ask. (Exits inner door.)

Charles (clapping his hands with delight.) How much better he looks already! Doesn't he, Mary? Come, Sister, come Boy, let's play a game. Mary, what do you choose?

Mary Hide and go seek. I'll be it, and you two boys run and hide. Ready! (She covers her eyes and hides her head in the seat of the rocker, commencing to count aloud.)

(Charles hides the Stranger Child behind the chair where Mary is blinding and then tiptoes off and crawls under the table and is hidden by the long cloth. When Charles is hidden the Stranger Child tiptoes to the outer door, with his cooky and apple and mittens and all, and goes softly out, closing the door behind him.)

Mary (Finishing her counting as door closes.) Ninetynine, one hundred. One two three, look out for me, every body! I'm coming! (Runs about and soon finds Charles, who tries to get in free. After the merry scramble, they took about for the Stranger Child. At first Charles looks elsewhere than at the chair, while secretly beckoning the Stranger Child to run in free. He soon slips around the chair as if to help him run in.)

Charles Why, he's gone! Mary Gone? Where?

Charles I hid him behind this chair, so he could have a good chance to run in free, but he is not here now. Mother (Entering, with a package in her hand) Well, are you all having a merry game of

L

Mother It was He! He came as a poor Stranger Child, to test our love for Him!

(TABLEAU The Mother kneels, holding the bundle of evergreens in her arms. Charlies kneels one side of her and Mary at the other, each with hands clasped devoutly. The Mother sings the solo parts of The Guiding Candle, as given, the children joining in the chorus parts. She sings slowly and impressively, and the children give the responses in a soft, reverent tone.)

(Curtain while pianist softly repeats the music.)

AST December we had this project in problem form: "How second graders can help old Santa." The teacher's aim was to get the children to ask for one or two things they actually wanted and would enjoy rather than to want everything they saw and not be contented after getting the numerous things for which they asked. Furthremore, there was the desire to create the true Christmas spirit in the children. The children's aim was to learn how to be a helper of old Santa.

This preparation took place. The children brought all the pictures of old Santa they could find. Then, at the language hour, we described Santa's appearance:

At the art hour we used a hektographed pattern and cut a Santa out of our drawing paper, colored his suit and cap red and pasted cotton on for fur trimmings and for whiskers. At the reading hours we read "Where the Bittersweet Grows" (The Outdoor Book by Zoe Meyer) and "The Christmas Bird" (Baldwin and Bender Second Reader).

At the number work hour we estimated how many feet long our blackboard was and then measured to see how nearly correct we were. We then estimated how many Santa Claus's it would make to take a border on our front board if we left a space of six inches between each Santa. We tested this estimation. We had eighteen Santas in our border, so reviewed some first grade work and gained new knowledge in this way:

How many things does it take to make a dozen?
How many dozen Santas are there on the board?
How many Santas over one dozen?

If twelve is one dozen, what do we call six?

Let us count the Santas in groups of six. How many groups of six are in our border? Then how many sixes are. in eighteen?

Let us now count the Santas in groups of three. How many groups of three in our border? Then how many threes in eighteen?

Let us count the Santas in groups of two. How many groups of two in our border? Then how many twos are there in eighteen?

At the spelling hour we learned to spell Christmas and Santa Claus and at the writing hour we wrote these carefully, noting capitalization.

At the nature hour we studied snow crystals.

At the geography and history hour we visited Holland and saw St. Nicholas and compared him in dress and looks to our Santa.

The next day's work took us closer to our problem. At the language hour we talked about Santa's work: a What he does.

At the music hour we learned "Jolly Santa Claus" (First Year Book, Hollis Dann).

At the art hour we cut, free hand, toys found in Santa's pack.

At the reading hours we read "Baby's First Christmas" (Baldwin and Bender Second Reader) and "Brother Rabbit's Christmas" (The Outdoor Book).

At the number work hour we found what each child in our B Class wanted, the cost of each article and the total cost of each child's wants. We then added the totals of each child's wants and found the grand total representing the wants of the ten children of our B Class. This proved very interesting to the children and caused them to be more thoughtful. One child said, "I did not know the things I wanted would cost so much. I'll take the doll off of my list, because I have six dolls now."

At the spelling hour we learned to spell the names of five toys and at the writing hour we wrote the names of these toys.

At the geography and history hour we visited the Holland shops, especially those where toys, animals, birds, fishes, alphabets, etc., could be bought in candy and cakes. The third day our problem was presented.

At the language hour we talked of Santa's task and the spirit of Christmas and then the problem was stated. The children decided upon several ways of helping:

1 By cutting down their wants.

2

3

By finding a poor or sick child to whom to give a gift. By sending a post-card to some of our brave soldiers.

6 By remembering Gods humblest creatures - the birds and animals.. Here, I told them how the people of Scandinavia remembered the birds at Christmas time.

At the music hour we learned "Why Do Bells for Christmas Ring?"

At the art hour we made some Christmas cards, bookmarks and candy boxes.

At the reading hour we read "A Christmas Tree," from "Bunny Rabbit's Diary" by Blaisdell and "The Birds" Christmas Tree," from "The Outdoor Book."

At the number hour we found how much it would take: 1 To mail the card we made to some soldier.

3

To fill the candy box for some sick child. We then figured the total cost of little gifts sent and talked of the pleasure we had in giving them.

At the spelling hour we spelled "Santa Claus, '"helpers," "giving' and "happy." At the writing hour we wrote these words.

At the geography and history hour we learned about the birth of our Saviour and His great gift to the whole world. Thus ended a very interesting study, the outcome of which proved all that anyone could wish.

The Spirit of Christmas in

School

Bertha W. Wright

While our little ones cannot grasp the idea in its fullness, let us try to teach them that our soldiers are giving their lives to bring about the peace and good-will which the Christ child came to bring.

work.

The best argument in favor of Christmas entertainments is the happiness they bring to the children, some of whom have little of the Christmas spirit in their homes. These entertainments make an annual occasion for parents to visit school. They like their children to perform in public and think the school entertainment good training.

There is danger that this training may make the children self conscious and develop a desire to show off. There is the greater danger of, too much nervous excitement. I know two little girls who were sick for more than a week as the result of taking prominent parts in an entertainment.

We do not choose the children who most need training. To save ourselves work and with an unconscious desire

to advertise, we choose children who are already overtaxed with other entertainments, for the leading parts. We know their mothers will make costumes and teach parts. A prominent writer on child study once said, "Children were intoxicated from Church entertainments as men from whiskey." It is cruel to ask children who are practising for church entertainments to take a part on a school program.

In my experience, the kind of Christmas Entertainments that were the most worth while were those that were the outgrowth of the regular work and in keeping with the real spirit of Christmas.

In preparation for Christmas, for several weeks we spent our opening exercises in learning Christmas poems and in telling Christmas stories, some of which we dramatized. There were stories of fun and frolics in other lands and stories of the time and place where Christ was born. The story of the first Christmas was left for the last and told in the beautiful language of the Bible. The children were ready and listened in true spirit of reverence and devotion. There were Christmas reading lessons from our books and on the blackboard that we illustrated with paper cuttings, clay modeling and drawing.

Special Christmas music was taught at the regular music periods. Art and manual periods were used to make decorations and gifts for those we loved best.

A large box covered with white paper held gifts we brought to help carry the spirit of Christmas into the homes of the poor.

On the afternoon before Christmas, we gave a program of the children's selections from the lessons of the past few weeks: Many of the mothers came and enjoyed every minute, entering into the spirit of all we did. They even joined our games and taught us some of the games they used to play.

There has never been a time when it was more necessary to avoid overtaxing children and save our own strength for better things than now. It is a most fitting time to teach lessons in temperance in eating and the care of these good bodies that God gave us.

Marguerite Kastrup

Grade

|HRISTMAS always brings added expense of materials. One first grade has met this difficulty very successfully.

A box was placed on the teacher's desk and each child was told to bring the pennies he had earned and place

in the box.

For language lesson the children discussed ways and means of earning money. The money is used to purchase materials to be used in the making of father's and mother's gifts. The children love to do it and the great Christmas idea of real giving is taught most forcefully. Christmas Literature

CALENDAR Cut gray paper 4" by 10". Fold in center. Mount a photograph of the children taken by the teacher with small kodak. Mount small calendar pad on the outside.

CALENDAR Cut green or gray paper 4" by 7". Make a wash on paper 3" by 4', painting the upper half blue, leaving lower half white for winter landscape. Cut small green trees and paste on landscape. Mount the wash and mount the calendar below. Tie with tinsel cord.

SHAVING PAD Cut white tissue paper in lengths 4" by 6". Make cover of colored paper, gray or green, size 10" by 14". Fold in center and place tissue paper inside. Fasten with cord. Decorate the cover with Christmas seals, holly or small evergreen trees.

MATCH SAFE Cut mantle box in two pieces. Cover these with colored paper, attach these to cardboard. Decorate with simple washes made by children.

BUTTON BAGS Make bags of linen crash. Work the border in simple line designs.

BOOKLETS Cut red paper in pieces 8' by 10". On the leaves mount these pictures: "The Chimes,"" Holy Family," "Good Shepherd," "Angel Heads." Write a sentence concerning each and mount below picture.

BLOTTERS Fasten with ribbon at each end a piece of blotting paper 2" by 6" and a piece of colored paper of same length. Decorate top with seals or original cuttings by children.

CORD BOX Cut strips of cardboard 2" by 8". Wrap as for napkin ring. Cut top and bottom circles to fit the cylinder. Bore" hole in center of each side. Wrap the disks with raffia; blanket-stitch edges of cylinder and disks. Sew parts together with a stitch sewed through this decoration stitch. The opening in the bottom may be filled with a spider web made by putting in spokes and weaving the open full.

NAPKIN RING Cut strips of cardboard 1" by 7". Cut slit on upper edge about 1" from end toward center at

about an angle of 30°. Cut a similar slit on lower edge at other end of strip, slanting in same direction as the first. The napkin ring may be locked by this means and will require no sewing. Wrap over the strip while flat, beginning near the center. Lock the ring and finish wrapping. To splice, fold the end back at right angles to direction of wrapping and cover with succeeding strands of raffia. Decorate with blanket stitch around edge. Lace like a drum or weave a colored band around center with colored raffia.

DOLL HATS Braid three large strands of raffia, sew together with fine strands and form into desired shape. Make bands or other trimming of colored raffia for decoration.

CHRISTMAS TAGS Cut strips of colored paper 2" by 3" Measure 1" from upper left hand corner and same from lower left hand corner. Cut off these corners. Decorate with original cuttings or write greetings. Tie with cord at one end. Use for marking gifts.

SACHET CASE Construct a 6" square. Measure 1" each way from the corners. Connect points on opposite sides of square with light lines. Place point at center of each side of inner square. Set compass at 1" radius and describe arcs from these points as centers, connecting center of each side of 6" square with corner of inner square. This quarter circle is drawn to right only. Cut out model. Score upon the light lines and fold. Model is used for sachet case.

BOOK MARK Cut strips of gray or green paper 11⁄2" by 6". Place strip of Christmas ribbon (narrow, holly ribbon) at each end with Christmas seals.

PIN TRAY Construct a 5" square. Place point 1" in from each corner. Connect points on opposite sides of square with dotted lines. Make solid the lines forming the corner squares. Cut out these corner squares. Measure in "from corner of each side and locate point for holes to be punched for tying model score on dotted lines, fold and tie corners.

SHOPPING LISTS Cut gray paper in strips 4" by 10". Fold in the center. Place sheets of manila paper (which has been cut in strips 31" by 9' and folded) inside the

cover and fasten with small pencil and cord. Decorate cover with original cuttings or washs.

SHOOL KNITTING Articles that can be made from spool knitting: balls, muff and fur for doll, reins for playing. horse, doll sweater and cap.

A Jolly Jumping Jack for Christmas

M. B. G.

Primary children always enjoy making Christmas gifts. It is well to begin the work in November.

To make the Jumping Jack shown in the picture, first trace the outlines on tissue or rice paper, then place the penciled side next to the cardboard of which the Jumping Jack is to be made and trace the outline with a sharp, hard pencil.

Cut out the sections. There should be one of A, the head and body; two of B, the forearm; two of C, the upper arm; two of D, the upper leg; two of E, the lower leg and foot.

Color with crayons or water colors. Punch small holes as indicated by the circles. Then fasten together with the smallest size of round-headed brass paper-fasteners.

H shows the back view with strings which work the arms and legs. Four pieces of firm, fine string are required. One in top of cap serves as a holder. One piece is tied in a hard knot in the extra holes of one upper arm, then goes across to opposite upper arm; leaving it very loose, it is here fastened. A third string is tied across from the extra holes in the upper sections of the leg. If these two cross strings. are not very loose between holes the legs will not move. The fourth string is fastened with a hard knot to the middle of the arm cord, then brought down and fastened to the middle of the cord which joins the legs. The end of the fourth cord hangs down to be used for pulling.

Ox

A

BACK

STRING