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Sing Christmas Carols at Hospitals
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MUSICIANS TAKEN THERE BY O.E. MILLS
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Help Cheer City and Homeopathic Patients - Day Observed at Other Institutions

"The Merry Christmas Bells Are Ringing." For many a day to come the patients of the city and homeopathic hospitals will remember with pleasure the lilting melody of the sweet Christmas carols which were given yesterday for their benefit.

For many years, it has been the custom of O.E. Mills on Christmas day and Easter to visit the city and homeopathic hospitals with a party of vocal and instrumental musicians, who, by their selections, have very materially aided to make the day memorable in the lives of those who are unable to be out and enjoy the blessings of the gladdest season of the year.

Mills made his customary visits to the hospitals yesterday, and was accompanied by a quartette, consisting of Miss Stella B. Crane, soprano; Miss Mary E. Williams, alto; Mr. J.R. Meredith, tenor; and Mr. Barlow F. Dean, basso.

The instrumental music was furnished by the Euterpe club, H.F. Odell, first mandolin; W.H. Rice, second mandolin; Walter Laud, violin; I.M. Wakefield, ‘cello, and Frank Dodge, bells.

Carols and recitations were given by Misses Amy Allbright, Agnes Carlson, and Emily Ordway. The violin solos of Miss Eunice Allbright formed a particularly pleasing past of the programme.

Reaching the city hospital at 3 p.m., the party devoted two hours or more to the entertainment of those whose Christmas day must otherwise have been a dreary one. Under the direction of the kindly matron, Lucy L., Drown, the visitors entered each ward, and while the sweet Christmas carols were sung, the Misses Allbright, Carlson and Ordway left freshly cut flowers, booklets and pretty Christmas cards on each cot, and had a pleasant word for each sufferer.

The music and the little gifts brought gladness to all hearts, smiles to many faces and heartiest thanks. It was good to see the smiles on their faces as they realized that they had been remembered, and remembered, too, when they had perhaps been forgotten by others.

In most cases the musicians went into the wards and gave the music so that the patients could enjoy it most, but in some cases this was not practicable, and the songs and carols were rendered at the door while the younger ladies at the party visited each cot and left some little reminder of the day in the hands of the patient, whose heart was made glad.

Now and then the party would come to a ward where a patent was very sick. For a moment the musicians would pause at the door, and then in a low tone would give one the beautiful carols, and then pass on in silence to carry sunshine to the next ward.


The women patients were pleased with the little reminder to the day, and they invariably received them with smiles and a gentle "Thank you" accompanied by a look that spoke volumes.

Here and there, a strong man would be melted to tears by the memories caused by the music, a reminder, perhaps, of other Christmas days, when he was more happy.

To the patients, it was a season of rare enjoyment. Many things had been done by the hospital attendants to make the day as pleasant for them as it could be made. The wards were decorated with Christmas emblems and the attendants were kind and considerate. In many cases, friends called or sent in Christmas gift, but the thing that touched their hearts the most was the visit of Mills, and his party, the musical selections that they gave and the little gifts that were left on each cot.

In some cases a foreigner, unused to our customs, at first would look at the visitors with a cynical stare, then as he heard the melody of the carols, saw the gifts they were placed on his cot, felt the grasp of the hand of a visitor and heard the cordial "Merry Christmas," he would realize that this was the true spirit of the season of gladness, and before the party left the room he would be looking at the visitors with the warmest admiration.