The "Care for Mother and Child" Party

On the afternoon of the twenty-second of last February, the Bristol Hotel filled with hundreds of guests, ladies and gentlemen, at the tea party to which the "Care for Mother and Child" Society had invited them.

The spacious hall rang and teemed with great personalities, official and civil, at their head the First Lady of Lebanon, who had placed the party under her patronage. The members of the "Care" society moved about among the guests with their radiant smiles, seeing to their comfort and spreading cheer and good fellowship — foremost among them the honorary president, Mrs. Shafiqa Diab, and the acting president, Mrs. Ni'mat Qaranful. And there was a fine gesture which everyone met with satisfaction and applause, when Mrs. Chamoun pinned upon the breast of Mrs. Ni'mat Qaranful the Order of Honor in the rank of Officer, in recognition of the great efforts the "Care" society expends on behalf of the needy and the sick.

I said that the society's efforts are great, and this is what the secretary, Mrs. Riyad Hajjal, noted in a graceful speech at the opening of the party. There followed the children's fancy-dress parade; twenty-four girls and boys took part in the competition and drew all eyes to themselves, and long were the cheers and the applause for the maidens in the first budding of youth, strutting in the dress of Lebanese princesses, Turkish slave-girls, cowboys, Hawaiians, nurses — and "Abu Khalil," the Lebanese mountain peasant!

Enthusiasm reached its height when the drawing of the lottery began. Dozens of precious prizes lay heaped upon a long table, and the drawing and its announcement proceeded with superb organization. The First Lady of Lebanon opened the donations with 500 liras, followed by the wife of the Ambassador of Iraq with 499 liras!!...

After that the donations followed one another with great generosity.

Among what helped the party succeed and reach its peak in high proceeds was the volunteering of Mr. Shafiq Jadayel to supervise the proceedings of the party and to announce every gesture from his microphone, which doubled the responsiveness of those present and kindled a fire of enthusiasm in the atmosphere.

The Woman's Voice congratulates the "Care" society on its successful annual party, and shakes the hand of its energetic president, Mrs. Ni'mat Qaranful, congratulating her on the great decoration that so befits her. There is no doubt that the thousands of children who look with hopeful eyes to this humane society will see the dreams of their hearts come true — may God fulfill all hopes.