The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-01-05
tuesday Evening, January s. 1869
sUNsHTEE IN THE WHITE HOUSE,

SUNSHINE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
The massive marble building whIcs IS a
the opposite end Of the main thoroughiar'
ofWashington, from the capitol, was ablaz(
with light and musical with the ripping res
onsnce of childish shouts and laughter on
Monday evening of last week. 1t is q grim
ediGce there is nothing sympathetic about
il with sunshine and brightness. There was
never child born in it, and it is the period
icel home Of men none Of whom have relax
ed their minds to the cordial warmth OF real
enjoyment Until Monday night its stately
apartments had never been baptized by the
unzonod and graceful fun Of children The
present incumbent, by the duties OF his Of
fee and By the structures of those politically
ipinjcal to him has encountered but little OF
the amenities Of domestic existence since
his soiourn in the White House, and he de-
serves credit for giving the establishment
thorough warming and introducing novel
~ into White House receptions. Washing.
ton mothers and the wives Of dignitaries
resident at the national capital we're all
agog to procure tickets, and their maternal
instinct prompted them to unusual efforts,
in obtaining the opportunity for their chill
drcn to figure amid the flower bed multitude
in the East Room. The troublsto be feared
in the issuing invitations, was that the
apartments Of the executive mansion would
be over crowded The following invitation
was accordingly sent by the presidents chill
dren to three hundred masters and misses
Of Washington, care being exercised to be
thoroughly democratic, the children Of OBJ.
scure parents being included with those
belonging to the dignitsries Of the nation {:
"The children Of the presidents family request
Master-And Mis- company on Tuesday
evening, the 29th inst,at o'clock ?. IL. Dane
iEg. K. :. Y. p"
It was tho 29th Of Dec, the occasion Of
the presidents Goth birthday, and the recep,
ton was indicative Of e better heart than
ultra radicals are willing 70 accredt him
with. 1t was illustrative Of an instinct for
eign TO bad men. His daughters, Mrs. Pat.
tersou and Mrs. Slower, and the presidents
wife, who seldom appears at any reception,
we're present and received the children cor.
daily and entered heartily into their enjoy.
ment. Redowas, polkas, waltzes, the High
land fling, were undertaken and carried
through BY the children with zest and fairy
gracefunes', and the fragrance Of flowers,
the floods OF light, the gariegatei dresses Of
the children, in groups here and there, seem
ing like boquets Of flowers gave the spacious
appointments an unwonted bri.Haucy. The
incense Of unaloyed childish pleasure min
gled with rich waves of orchestral music
and purged the White House Of all worldll
ness and diSsipated all tho starchy statelines
Of ordinary receptions. Children Of all age
were present, from lisping, toddIing infanc
TO approaching adolescence,
The refreshment table was arranged ia tn
State Dining Hall, the centre richly orna
mented with a plateau, Burmounted wit
massive vases Of flowers, while cverythiu
that taste could suggest adorned the tAblo
At the intermission President johnson lie
the way TO the dining hall, oscorting no les
than half dozen beautiful little misses, a
claiming his preference. And then followe
al the juveniles in o some what hasty maj
ner but, Of course, children could not hel
being little impatient at the thought G
what had been provided for their enjoy
ment.
At the close of the party, they all cam
boldly up to the chief magistrate, shook hi
frankly by the hand, thanked him for tn
entertainment and assured him they had Ell
joyed themselves.
At eleven o'clock the executive man sio
was deserted by its joyous viGitants and on
Of the happiest occasions Of Andrew John
sons administration was over.
And when this administration shall hav
passed away, and all its acts become histol
zeal, perhaps the little children who partic
pated in the festivities Of Monday night wi
remember President johnson, and how h
passed his sixtieth birthday in the old Exec
utive Mansion at Washington.
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