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Miss ANNIE STARTED IT

Weeks before Christmas its spirit begins to pervade the Village. Mrs. Nash has selected the Christmas play, the cast, made up entirely from the children, and rehearsals have begun. Every child has told Santa Claus or parents by letter what he wants. Boys at the Colony have already located in the woods the best holly and laurel, trees and evergreens and mistletoe for the decoration of the cottages, schoolrooms and assembly hall. Some unusual supplies are being ordered by the store. "Christmas is coming" is in the air; it is being voiced by the children as you meet them.

The meetings of the "Children's Committee" are longer than usual as letters to Santa Claus and parents reach the office for mailing. It is a great help to Santa Claus to know in advance the heart's desires of his children.

Some years ago the "Committee" was opening the replies from parents. Each member had a stack and was busy reading and noting down the contents, for future use. Suddenly "Miss Annie" stopped them. "Listen to this," she said:

"Dear son: I was glad to get your letter. I wish we could send you the things you ask for but we can't. Not this year, anyhow. Your father is out of work and the baby is sick. Lizzie and Jo can't go to school for they haven't any shoes nor decent clothes. Jim went to the woods the other day to cut some wood, which he ain't fit for and cut hisself with the ax. So you see we ain't able to send you any of the things you want. I wish we could and it hurts not to. Maybe next year we can do better. I'm awful sorry. Be a good boy. Your Mother."

Miss Annie went on. You might have known she would, being Miss Annie. "Isn't that dreadful? Don't you suppose we could make up a box for them? Our children are always getting things. Seems to me it would be rather nice, this once, to send them some of the things they need, in Harry's name. I'd be glad to attend to it." Miss Annie was always that way.

Well, it was done. It has been done ever since. Harry's box started a very tide in the other direction and that tide has brought to the children a new joy in Christmas. They could give as well as get. Today almost as many packages go out from the Village as come into it. Just how it is done is told in the story of the Village Store.

THE PAIDOLOGICAL STAFF

The Training School was feeling its way. So it had always done, still is doing. From the beginning it had elected itself to explore a field which, in reality, was little known. Seguin and other explorers had ventured into it. They had returned with enough evidence to stimulate the interest of a few who were concerned with what someone has called the 'biological mistakes' of the human family. The field was as broad as humanity itself yet, even as late as 1900 A. D., still largely a terra incognita.

For fifteen years The Training School had been gathering samples, a wide variety of them, from this field. Every sample differed in some respects from every other sample. Each had to be assayed separately. Those who were selected to assist in the work had to be trained for it. The assaying was a slow and perplexing process. These human samples could not merely be thrown into the crucible and reduced to their physical elements. Spiritual qualities would not lend themselves to such treatment and there were some who believed that these samples had souls. Those who conceived and built The Training School thought so. They realized that the assaying would be a tedious and difficult process; that patience and skill would be required in coming into a knowledge of their origin and their physical, mental and spiritual possibilities. Much time would be required to study them in all of their human reactions in a favorable environment. It created the environment and began its work, cautiously, painstakingly. It felt its way but it kept going.

It had fore-knowledge that the going would be difficult and that a "staff" would ease and possibly point the way. The journey was begun with one in hand. Other "staffs" were to be needed on the journey and as the needs appeared they were found waiting by the way. Each of them had different qualities. Each had a special use. Each filled a separate need. They possessed one quality in common, however. All were composite in character, made up of varied materials and bound together by a common and unselfish interest to which the generic name, science, might be given. Many of the species of this genus were to assist in the exploration of the field and they were to give their services. Each was to be a veritable "Moses' Rod" bringing forth water from the rock.

The start was made in 1888 with a "Consulting Staff," not too cumbersome, just four members. Its chief function was to protect the health of the expedition. Within three years this staff was strengthened and re-named. It became the "Medical Staff." By 1902 other branches of science were becoming interested and joined the expedition. These were bound together in that year.