Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-15
The Cleveland Babies Will Enjoy a
Christmas Tree.
IT WILL Be 4 home CELEBRATION
Santa Claus in the Homes Of the
Cabinet Officers.
SOME FAMILY RE U MONS

to home cheer, and the most Of 1t given to
the enjoyment the two babies of the house.
hold are sure to find in the surprises in
store for them. Last years program will
undoubtedly be repeated with the addi-
tional pleasure in the knowledge that the
little people are now getting quite inter-
ested In such things as Christmas trees
and other evidences of Juvenile holiday
bliss. The Christmas tree which Is to bios
sem in its shiny beauty on the day before
Christmas will be set up in the library and
adorned with all manner of glittering tin
sci and appropriate fixings. 1t Is probable
that the Presidents children will enter
tain company of their little friends and
playmates on Christmas eve, when they
will be shown the tree and its gorgeous
surroundings The observance of the holi-
day. the family dinner to which few
friends far from their own hearthside may
be invited, has become the custom for
President and Mrs. Cleveland-and will
hold good in their program for the ap-
proac hing holiday.
During their previous residence in the
White House they set the plan which they
have carried out since. Mrs. Cleveland has
the reputation of being prodigal in Christ
mas gifts to her friends, and her presents
are rarely those made by her own hands.
In the old days she used to enjoy ali the
delights of Christmas shopping, ladies
usually do, but for the last two years she
is rarely seen on the streets walking, ard
very seldom indeed in the stores. Not but
what she is continually buying, but the
things are more frequently sent to her for
approval and choice. The Presidents little
daughters will not, therefore, have the ex-
Quisite satisfaction of fiattening their baby
noses against the windows of the toy and
pastry shops choosing what they want as
is the happy privilege of other children.
Children Make the Difference.
In some respects child OF the White
House is not to be envied. but these very
small drawbacks in the way of joys I'M
known will hardly weigh against all the
rest of their advantages. 1t is understood
that President and Mrs Cleveland exchange
gifts at Christmas, and when they first
married the gossips would have been de-
lighted with the exact description of any
of these elegant trifies- But the head of the
nation and his wife are no longer persecut-
ed by this intense and detailed interest in
the happenings OF their domestic life, no
doubt much to their own satisfaction to
that of the always sensible public.
Yet the personality of little children Is
always such pleasing thing that If 1t
We're possible for the world at large to
catch a feeting glimpse OF q real Christmas
celebration in the White House. the inter-
est aroused thereby could not be considered
entirely unwarranted or impertinent. The
fact is that precious little can be found in
the annals OF the White House of any
Christmas celebrations, unless of the times
when sounds of childish enjoyment and
baby prattle were heard there. No Presi-
dent seems to have departed from the popu-
lar notion of making the day essentially a
home festival
The only innovation, therefore, is a
Christmas tree. Baby Mckee of happy
memory had his very first tree there on
December %, 1850. The oldest habitue OF
the house could not remember any having
preceded it for years back, If at all. In
faaRf he of hn Hnr and
children quite changed the whole atmos-
phere OF the house from what it had been
for years.
When Nellie Arthur lived there she was
too big for enjoyment of that sort. The
same could be said of Nellie Grant. who
was beyond the age when pleasure of that
kind was necessary, and Tad Lincoln did
not care for that sort of thing at all. His
idea was 10 have the privilege of romping
through the big rooms with his own boy
friends. and he got all his Christmas out of
that and bis toys.
The Harrison Children.
There was more known to the public of
the childish doings in the mansion during
the Harrison regime than ever before. and
certainly since Gen. Harrison and his
wife were devoted to their grandchildren,
and did not care If the world knew all
about 1t. They practically made their
Christmas one great frolic for the young
sters. Mrs. Harrison was fond of feminine
employments, and especially so of her
paintings. at which many of her happiest
hours were spent She decorated china
with much skill and taste, and her favor
lite remembrance for her friends at the
Christmas tide was specimens of her own
work.
When Mrs. Cleveland lived at the White
House before she was greatly interested in
the Chidren's Christmas Club dinner,
which was then in the height of It's popu-
larity a means of bringing holiday cheer
to fresides where the little folks knew by
practical experience very little about it.
and the spirit CT which has been continued
in The Evening Stars Christmas Club.
Mrs. Cleveland used to attend the dinner
and entertainment. and was NEST well
come guest.
Their home celebration of the festival
and the Uddisturbed enjoyment OF their
childrenS pleasure will be the more at
tractive, IS Immediately after the holt
days the President and his wife will BEGIN
their official entertainments, and for the
season through which these events extend
they must give up the more secluded life
which II Is their privilege to indulge at
other times, and which is currently sup
posed to be more to their taste. During
the winter Mrs Cleveland will entertain
friends from out of town from time to
time, and IL IS also more than probable
that she intends to give some receptions in
the afternoons on the plan of that given
last winter. for which invitations were is
sued. In the official program announced,
there is only one public Saturday after
NOON reception noted. thursday night has
been selected as white House night for
the state dinners and levees and the
length of the season renders II possible to
have only one of these affairs each week
except in ore instance. The season. there
fore. need not be as tiresome to the head
of the nation and his advisers as il was
last winter. when all the dinners and re-
oeptions followed each other quickly.
Cabinet Christmas Trees.
The cabinet families are looking forward
to pleasant reunions OF their own circles
during the holidays. In the houses where
there are children the plan of procedure
Is no trouble at all to map out The crop
of cabinet Christmas trees will be undi-
minished. Some of them in years past have
been beauties. The Christmas of 1885, when
Mrs. Whitney was at the lead of the social
whlrl she gave orders to have the largest
tree which could possibly be set up in her
ball room and at the same time one that
would be as near perfection In shape
and foliage. One might think it easy
task enough, but IL far from IT. The
country around was searched and nothing
meeting the description was found, ex-
cept one in a grove of pines the hill,
now Euclid place, where the old Columbian
University once stood The best tree in the
avenue was bought. and IL cost nearly SO,
=, md oil inf CHI DiDcr Ia,.