Lest We Forget (1909)

• 78%
• 1909
• Family
• Harry Solter

It is Christmas Eve, and an impoverished mother and child are shivering, hungry, in their cheerless home. Too weak to go herself, the mother writes a note, and the little girl goes on with it in the hope of obtaining relief. She is seated on the doorstep of a fine mansion as an auto races up and a finely dressed child of her own age alights; the poor waif just hands her the note, when the mother sees them; she promptly summons the butler, who orders the child away, and they enter the house. Inside the line home, we see a nurse putting the little girl to bed; but she has written her note to Santa Claus, and when she is deep in slumberland fond parents, butler and servants stealthily carry a great array of toys up to the room, her usual Christmas treat. But the poor, ragged child, she has gone home empty-handed and to bed supperless. The broken-hearted mother sees the piteous scrawled note to Kris Kringle, and resolves to do something to cheer the little innocent heart; but her constitution is too weak from want; she reels back from the door and falls to the hard floor. Meanwhile the wealthy child has dreamed that she herself was poor, and she sees herself and mother living in the barren little room; a big, live French doll takes her there, and she and mamma go out begging on the streets; and she is cold and hungry and suddenly awakens. Her cries arouse the household, parents and servants soon fill the room, and she tells them of her dream; and as she tells them of it she remembers the little girl who gave her the note yesterday, which she had put in her coat pocket. Mother takes it out now, reads it and in a jiffy all arc getting up a relief expedition. With a big basket of good cheer, they go to the address given in the note, and the sight that greets their eyes melts their hearts; tenderly they lift the poor young mother from the floor, where she had fallen, and to their fine home they take her and the child. It is Christmas morn, and we see the forlorn souls being gladdened by the blessed Yuletide sunshine that lights up the hearts of men.