Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-24
CABINET CHRISTMAS
THuRstR's PRAYER ANSWERED


lib. do you remca,ber the time that
hi Decker aud shell Pratt and Grove
and you and I slid down the lightnin'
rod that Christmas day 10 escape from
the teaehcrf I wonder 10 Grove re-
calls II yct;-
The speaker was DIR. Clark. one Of
President cieveland's boyhood com
panions whom met In Fayetteville. y.
Y. He Pas addressing one Dir. lib
bits, . neighbor.
I've boys had . lot Of fun together"
he continued. hut folks didn't make
much of Christuass In those days
Grove may have hung up his stocking.
but III wager he didn't find much in
IL. Asa matter of fact his father re-
garded Christmas as the fag end of
popery and he hated pc.pery."
learned from many sources that
Christmas was not much celebrated
those days In Fayetteville. Among
Others found an gcd lawyer of the
name of Chapman now eighty years Of
age.
Il knew Grover" he began. ''very
we'll indeed; used to see him pass In
and out of Mcvicar's store; there il is
right out of the window" said the
gentleman. half rising in his chair and
waving his skinny hand toward the
window. ''shat Is the place where the
barber pole is ont In front: Grover
cicrked there and slept upstairs: Mr..
Tibbits. now the dentist, used 20 sleep
with hin-he knows all about him.
On, you asked about Christmas; well.
we didn't have any In those days; times
were too hard; il we did have any, il
was In the form of q dinner. ] know
all about the people In this village.
When Mrs Cleveland came here. some
years ago. Blanchard--you know him.
of coursea-Dlanchard was introduced
to her rs the teacher of. Grover. i am
Growers old scho,fnaster.' said
Blanchard. rs he shook hands with
Mrs. Cleveland. Just then came up;
taking Mrs Cleveland's hand. said:
And /. Mrs. Cleveland. am the tencher
of the teacher. Mr.. blanchard taught
Grover and taught Blanchard Mrs.
Cleveland looked very much surprised.
and said:
why You are . grandfather
teacherrr
The house In which Grover Clevc-
land hung up isstoclting still stands
In Fayetteville. though considerably
altered. II Is long. old fashioned
frame house with four rooms on tho
ground floor. three upstairs and q
hiyh basement below. where Rev.
Richard Cleveland used TO write his
sermons.
CHRISTMAS IL ALABAMA.
Many of Mr.. Cicveland's cabinet had
merry Christmases when boys. Hilary
A. Herbert. the secretary of the navy,
whose home Is at Montgomery, was
born in Laurensville, S. q. and is now
about forty-sisc years of age He
early moved with hrs fathers family
to Greenville. Entlcr cornty. Alabama.
He is. as cabinet officer. very busy and
very difficult TO meet; but when
limited Tn him that | would like 10
know about his early Christmas, he
gave me all the time wanted.
Never shall forget the positive de-
light. the tenderness and the feeling
with which Mr.. Herbert spoke of his
youthful Christnases down In Ala
bama.
.My father he ssid, owned a large
plantation outside of Greenville, and
1t was here that we used 10 hold our
celebrations The occasion was one
amending round of pleasure. not for a
day. but fora week. All the slaves
we had about thirty slaves in those
days-uscd to join in the merrymals-
ing: and I can truthfully say that
never. before or since, have | seen such
glad times a. experienced at the
slaves dance ut the quarters! Such