Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-24
1-DOLLY MADISON;
2-HARRIET LANE.

But presidential plans are apt TO ne
thVarted. just as are those OF common
place people: and 1t may be possible that
A midnight train will spirit the httle
family away TO the piney gades OF Lake
wood where the climate Will De soit
enough for Miss Esther to be taken out
20 see King Christmas as he appears 10
other children.
But a White-House Christmas is Mrs
Cleveland's ideal one. She has been max
ing great preparations to have Il OBJ
served i'm an appropriate manner. All the
old traditions are 10 be remembered, ana
such new features 'ded as viii make the
d.v the pleasantest the old walls nave
ever known And why should II not De
so2 This IL the first time In the history
If the country that the Presidsnt mas
ever gathered his own young chllureh
about him for a Christmas ceieDrdtoh
and the first time that a President DabS
has ever got acquainted Win SANTA N'""9
In the White House.
A. christmas time all the servants In
tho White House. and there are more
than fifty OF them. all counted, are gwen
a present Of money. ana 10 TINS MIS-
cleveland will add a sltt or her own
manning and buying. She did TINS the
last time she was in the White HOUSE,
and will do il this year. but even more
olaborately II is said by those VINO
know something OF Mrs Cleveiahu
Christmas expenditures that more Cnin
baIf oe her Christmas money mas gone
,,,,nn a. nresents for servants and Wh'te
JIo,,se helpers. and those who work ior
nor down to the humbleSt seamsreSs'
,rbere is to he a big Christmas-tree on
Monday morning Little Ruth VIII pre-
eide over the distribution Of gittS. Never
thnless ON the night before ChristmaS-
Chr,stmos eve-there will he grahd
bangine ND of stockings for Santa Claus
convenience when he comes down the
blp chimney OF the White House
To-day. being Sunday. VIII De Wy
ouiet and no demonstration VIII pr peSu",
for as everybody knows Mrs' ,.et Si"','
!, , varv strict observer Of the Sapoath'
nnd does NOT allow her little ones TO 90
an,, of tho everyday things or engage III
ay, ~ the plays which mark the other
10 of the week Aside from her pre-
farences in the matter ana her fehbl"u'
to,,af {, is said 10 be- almost a 'SnpeFsu-
- 1itb her that the Sabbath should
he kent very holy. and that II put 10
oyervday uses ii viii BRING HlsiO' 'ulo
IN the family which so violates II, ~ W.
her firm belief in these thlhss ",'oh -
NIrs cleveland name her chliui 7n -,
Dn,ts characters: and It is TINS leeilhs
80 -'t,,ah nromnts her to save all her NhrlSt-
W. dpings until Monday. although 70.
,ioht il the long-esJabHshed hohudy "i
Christmas. ,,rrDy
WHAT THE PRESIDENTS fAA'Hi
WILL EAT A..
The menu for Christmas alhhe' j"
y,tite House Is a fine one but IL u ~
,oore modern than Christmas menus Nv,
ant 10 be. Even the most cere'Aolo1
liners are apt to go back 10 'heh s
,,nthor's time for a Christmas ulhhei,
and Mrs. Cleveland. although accus'o''ieI
to the latest ways of serving dinners an
well-versed in the latest Things IN @ @unlnel
courses. for one day IN tna yssr 'iI'o~ I'VE
aeide ceremony and elaborate service ana
',oos hack 10 the turkey, the pumpkin
,ies and the cranberry sauce OF familiar
As near as can be learned from the half
MANNED menu. to-morrow's bill or iare
will be: ..,-.,. Nth
cracker stuffing, boiled onions, Jeillea
cranberries, mashed turnips, chicken pat
ties green salad. olives. fancy pastry,
ices. plenty Of fruits and nuts, pies OF all
kinds. and coffee.
This. while it is a comfortable menu lor
a private family. is not fancy one lor
the Chief Executive.
one of Mrs Cleveland's pretty Gus
toms-and II was Mrs. Hayes's custom
aiso--is 10 see that enough of the dinner
Is cooked 10 afford a liberal supply Tor
the servants. Servants Hall, in the lower
mart Of the back of the White House, u
snread for a feast on Christmas-Ddy, anu
Is trimmed with howers-some or thenl
taken from the Presidents table after the
family dinner is overland IL mane as
beautiful az for honorsd guests me en-
tire dinner Is served 10 all, ana as
pleasant reminder OF the day as IL WIS
spent under the Cleveland regime, theTe
Is a trifiing dnner souvenir given to each
servant.
II a by such kindly forethought that
the President and his wife get the blind
devotion and the unswerytns loyalty 10
their interests which is at present a re-
markable feature of the White-House
rule.
The presents which the President and
his wife give each other are always very
beautiful. The President, although a
poor Judge OF what is pleasing TO most
women. is an excellent Judge OF his wife's
wishes One Christmas he gave her
beautiful fitting out OF solid silver toilet
things for her dressing-table. And he has
given her tiny watches and quaint writing
tables and tall grandfather's clocks
brought from somewhere at enormous
price-and pictures. choice etchings and
bits In oil by the finest artists In the
world.
What the President will give his wife
this year Is not known. and II wpuid be
defeating the purposes OF Santa Claus TO
try to guess. But IL Is pretty certain
that Mrs. Ciovelands gift from her hes-
band will be picture. a pretty piece OF
furniture, roll Of rare lace. or mag
nificent imported gown~anything but
jswslry. for it Is q weli-known fact that