Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-04-12

the historic river.
Easter Monday following Sunday at
the close of Lent, the world of Wash
ington, in good weather, throng to the
Presidents grounds. The trees, the
air, the sunshine, take on the glory of
the children's holiday. Fashionable,
''semi-fashionable," las Elizabeth Stu
art Phelps calls some one). and the
poor actually poverty-stricken little
ones, all, in an artistic sense, are as
one. Thousands of children with bas-
kets, boxes, dishes, tin buckets and
paper bags, filed with scarlet, blue,
i yellow and vlolet-dyed eggs, spend the
the day rolling down the beautiful
green hill sides, their pretty balls like
tide of splendor in the sun.
Fathers and mothers come to watch
them. Gayly-turbaned ''mammies, /"
with their pretty carriage loads of
prettier freight, under handsome robes
! and richest wraps, molly group of
white and black, pale yellow and
bronze, sew and Greek" form an
endless procession.
On the tip-top of the highest hill,
they run and scramble for the "first
start" Very tenderly one or more of
the precious eggs are laid out of their
beds of wool or cotton, their nests of
purple or fine linen, or the commoner
ones of excelsior or paper. In true
American, democratic style, down they
go, over the velvet grass of the peoples
lawn.
Swift, swifter, till with screams and
shouts from their owners, they pro-
claim the race finished. Not through
influence nor political favor, nor be-
cause of papa's great wealth, but from
purely nsural, honorable motivesl
Down they go, plump into the little
valley, or the smooth road, or with
pitiful leap into .he cobble-stone
gutter. But this is not the time nor
the place for iealousies, anger, nor en-
vyIngs; there are plenty more eggs in
the basket Jane and Joe, Mary and
Sue, adj brightness strength and pur-
pose. fun and good humor, climb the
small hill for another roll, undaunted.
They have funny game. too, called
'spicking eggs" I've watched them
for hours, laughing till cried. They
"dare" one another Il mean the eggs
clare Harry sends down a beauty.
all gold in the sun. Mary ventures
a pale violet; they start at the same
time from opposite directions; if the
gold is broken by the violet, Harry has
both, and UIce Uersa. Sometimes they
lose n dozen, or win as many.
They spend the day playing games
and resting under the trees until the
afternoon sun gets low in the west.
Poor little dilapidated, tired men and
women, with battered. empty baskets
Scraps of eggshells on their very best
coats and gowns, the sweet red lips OF
the tiniest a little yellow, as il the
eggs were good for lunch; lost pins
and flying collars, but blissful faces,
laughter. the sweetest in all the world,
and cur babies, small and great, turn
homeward.
Abraham Lincoln and '1ittle Tad"
lived III the White House when L first
went to the egg rolling. 1t was a
privilege to see and know them to-
gether, the great, ssd-eyed man and
his idolized, merry little son. One
Easter Monday, Tad was unusually
excited. He rushed in and out the
dining-room at breakfast time, up and
down the stairs to the big kitchen,
until his mother exclaimed: "Tad,
what are you doing? Why don't you
finish your breakfast and let your
Bare headed, breathless and eager,
he ran IN for the last time, shouting:
"See, fatherl See these beautiful eggs
cook has dyed for mel Oh, but they
are beGutiesp In large, fiat, willow
basket, on the whitest cotton, lay the
most gorgeous treasures. Mr.. Lincoln
big, brown hand, and said, with a
hop 1aft 10
ratlons? Uncle Sans chickens will
have to be spry this week, I'm afraid. 1"
"But, father, here's only two dozeni
one for me and one for Tommy. You
know the lame boy; he's spending the
your big arm chair for him to Sit in
under the trees, and you know he can
roll his eggs just as well as any boy. ."
Tad's father had a wonderful smile.
All the world talks about it. He laid
his hand always, when talking, on the
head of his small boy, with mute,
odd caress IN his long fingers, and
life of love in his smile of approval
"Oh, Lawd, dar he cum! dar is
Mass'r Linkum! May de good Lawd
cotch my bref cLar away befo done
stop tellin of his goodness to desc yeer
people, DlCh, WHO,
with crowds of "bredderin" had
already gathered by the little railing
that separated the steps from the pub
lie grounds. They came to see the
pretty children roll eggs, and to catch
glimpses of "Mass'r Liukum," who fol-
lowed Tad for a moment down the
walk "to speak to Tommy and see the
start" Tad tugged at his fathers
sleeve until the big chair was reached,
and blue-eyed, shining eyed, happy
Tom had received a gentle good-morn-
irg, and a cordial hand-shake, ".frOm
father
Tommy's father was killed in battle
one year before. He came from Illinois,
and the poor young wife with this lit
tie lame boy, called to see Mr.. Lincoln;
she was given a position in the Treas
ury Department, and Tad, bright, gen.
erous Tad, became his best friend and
comrade.
According to promise, Mr.. Lincoln
leaned from time to time out of his up
per window, bowling to the crowds of
upturned faces, responding to 1ad's
shouts and cheers, the waving of Tom
my's chrutch IN the air, and the dart
ing, flashing of the gold and scarlet
balls on the mossy hills.
The two boys lunched together in
state. Isaac laid small table on the
south piazza, and carried Tommy up
the stone steps, and, as the sun was
shining a dear benediction over the
happy children, the sweet, warm air
was growing chill with the setting sun
across the strong, bright colors of the
sky. Tad shouted up the stairway:
"Oh, fatherl did you ever see such
jolly Easter Monday? Such loads of
fun, and Tommy just laughed every
minutel and his eggs picked all Of
mine but threer'
How long ago-and both little COM
rades are "risen with Christ" in
Heaven. Both little hearts went home
one Easter month, and their fathers
welcomed them. Easter lilies, tail and
fair, have blossomed for them these