Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-04-17
EASTER MONDAY.
How il is Observed by The Little Folks
a1 HE CafitaE.

at the Capital.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE White
House grounds to-day present strange
and very interesting appearance. Easter
Monday is festival observed by the little
people OF Washington as it is seldom OBJ
served elsewhere. And to-day is being
honored in the full extent of this curious
custom. For quarter of q century it has
been the custom of the children of Wash
ington to gather at the White House
grounds and roll Easter eggs" The GER
emony is a very simple one, but one en-
ioyed immensely by the little ones who
engage in it, and always witnessed with
pleasure by the other ones who attend to
observe the gay sport. Just when or how
the curious custom originated no.
body seems to be able to explain.
Formerly the children of Capitol Hill
used to gather at the Capitol grounds to
observe the day, but a few years ago
| Congress gre stern, and ordered the chill
| dren away. Their artless prattle or shouts
| of glee might disturb the grave law
| makers, so it was stopped. Since thai the
| ceremony is mostly confined to the White
/ House grounds, though a few gay repre-
| sentatives OF aristocTatic Georgetown
1 gather at the observatory grounds, nearer
| to that portion of the city, and spend the
| day. The ceremony is very simple one.
| By II o'clock this morning they began to
| assemble, and at this hour the White
| House grounds are filed with beautifully
| dressed children of all ages, ranging from
| the tiny toddler to the youth of eighteen
and the miss OF fifteen summers. They
| have brought their lunch baskets with
| them and their bright colored Easter
| eggs. On arriving their first duty is to
| seek some OF the warm grassy slopes upon
| the broad grounds, and send their hard
1 eggs rolling down them one after
| another, jumping and humping and
! rolling and tumbling through the grass
/ to the bottom OF the hill together, knock
| ing against each other, caroming like pool
| balls, and forming curious particolered
| picture at the bottom of the hill, while
| their owners at the top, in bright holiday
dress grouped upon the green grass or
/ gamboling under the broad trees just put
| ting forth their spring leaves, are still
more attractive one. When the eggs are
/ rolled down there is a scramble for the
| bottom of the hill, and they are rolled up
I the hill, then down again, then here and
| then there, bounding through the grass
| with their merry, happy owners alter
| them, filling the air of the great White
I House grounds with their shout OF glee.
/ By-and-bv when the crowd thickens and
1 the sport ni rolling begins TO drag, some
| game is proposed, and the eggs are left to
care for themselves for the time. An hour
OF this brings s vigorous appetite, and
now, at this hour, there are groups scat
tered about the spacious grounds, dainty
/ table.cloths are spread on the grass,
upon them are tempting lunches, and the
! hungry children are gathered about,
| doing Justice to the occasion. The eggs
i which were rolling down the grassy hill
| an hour ago viii roll no more But they
have answered double purpose-that for
which nature intended them and that ex-
pected on every Easter by every child.
The lunch over, there Will be more play.
Probably Nellie Arthur and some of her
friends may consent to Join them in then
games. Miss Nellie is not at all spoiled
by being the only daughter OF the only
President OF the greatest country of the
world. Not a bit OF it. she is as gentle
aud abiiging and social in her ways as
though she were the daughter OF Chester
A. Arthur, collector OF the port OF New
York, or OF tlse s. 500 government clerk
who trembles at 4he froNR of 3 superior
and ekes out his seanty living by this OF
that resort, to give his children clothes
and comfortable education. She has 3
curious little " doh house, just at the
east end OF the Executive Mansion, which
she takes great delight in and shows to
her friends with rare pleasure. 1t is to
dsy the great attraction among the chill
dren. The general verdict is that it is
Just too cute for anything" and that il
there is any one thing that would induce
life at the White House it would be to en-.
10y that doll house and the family Of dolls
that inhabit At. Nellie enjoys it greatly
and it is one OF the first places to which
she leads her little visitors when they call