The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-04-18

and stiff pinafores that will be- sadly discol-
ored and limp before the day is donei Tots
in patched dresses and little pink toes peeping:
through their shoes, but happy as chipmunks
on an autumn day Pickaninny tots, with
faces as black as Michigan soil, hopping and
skipping with understandable gleel Smutcha
faced totsi Garterless tots, with stockings
hanging down. But all of them deliriousty
happy totsI
It is Easter Monday in Washington, and
the children are on their way to. the White
House grounds to spend the day.
The children of Washington have more
genuinely enjoyable time on Easter Monday
than during all of the Christmas holidays
They look forward to it as the greatest event.
of the year. True, during the Christmas
season they are given any amount of plum
pudding, mince pie, turkey and pink and
yellow candy, but the close of the festivities.
usually finds them in condition of satiatea,
disgust and they secretly wish the thing were.
over.
Easter Monday does not consist in the-
munching of indigestibles. It is simply a.
grand romp on the undulating lawns sur
rounding the mansion of the nations preSi-
dent.
Washington is always beautiful in the.
Easter season The rains of the early spring
have ceased and tree and flower have sud-
denly burst into bloom. The air is filed with
the perfume of the hyacinths that are SO,
plentiful in the parks, and the lilacs, dande-
lions and snow balls insert their rich colors in
the most radiant spring kaleidoscope to be-
seen in the United States. The grounds sur
rounding the White House are beautiful in
design and coloring, and the spectacle OF
thousands of children dancing over them,
bathed in the warm light of the spring sun, is.
one of exquisite picturesqueness The groups
of toddlers extend as far over as the Washing
ton monument, which looks like a gigantic
marble finger pointing into space. Most of
the children are with the parents or nurses,
but it requires the most careful watching to-
keep the young ones from getting lost in the
ever moving crowd The children, most of
whom are provided with little fancy basket
of variously colored eggs, roll them down the,
slopes of the many mounds on the grounds,
and when they are broken they distribute
them among the numerous ragged bootblacks-
and homeless urchins who stand around and
eat an enormous number of eggs without
turning hair.
In this common playground all distinctions
of race, color and previous and present con-
dition are razed to the earth The before
mentioned affluent tots will roll and ronp-
and crack eggs with the contingent from
Toddledom in Swampdoodle lone of Wash
ington's rough spots), and before the day is
over their mothers are talking confdentiaIly
together, comparing the various points Of
their progeny.
The lady of the White House usually min
giles with the children for an hour or so on
Easter Monday Nellie Arthur, the daugh-
ter of the late ex-President Arthur, used to
take part in the egg rolling games herself.
Mrs Cleveland always made it a point to be-
among the children on the White Lot ON,
Easter Monday, and would amuse them and
coddle and coax them with skill that was.
the admiration Of all the newspaper corre-
spondents in Washington.
The spectacle of this most beautiful Of
White House mistresses carrying little
ragged girl on her shoulders, OF taking o
bunch of violets from her dress to. give to a
little boy who asked for them, would make
striking enough pictures to hang on the walls
of the executive mansion. When Gen. Grant
was president he used to stroll out to bench
in the White Lot, where he would sit, putting
at cigar and watching the antics Of the,
children The fun Is kept up without cessa-
tion from early morning until darkness be-
gins to fall, when the children, thoroughly
played out, but with healthy glow In their
cheeks, are marched Off to home and to bed.
1t takes some days for the gardeners Of the.
White House to clear the grounds Of egg
shells
It Is not In the White Lot alone that these
Easter egg rollings take place, but in all of the
larger parks Of the city. Thespacious grounds.
surrounding the Capitol used to be great.
place for the children, but the great marble.
terrace which Is now being completed has
spoiled the hill for egg rolling.
CLARENCE L. CuLLEN