Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21

ran 10 MIN and cried:
Papa, papa! Isn't that our kitchen, and
can't l bring those poor cold. hungry
boys in here to eat?
President Lincoln stopped. Tad seized
him bv the hand and excitedly went on.
Papa, want those boys to have good
warm dinner. They are cold and almost
starving, and two of them have soldier
papas. And, papa, | want to tell you that
l am going to discharge that cook, If he
don't give us some turkey and mince pies
Say, can't l, papa? And isn't that our
kitchen"
Il remember" Santa Claus went on. his
great round stomach moving convulsively
up and down as he laughed within; Il re-
member how Mr.. Seward smiled and how
Tad's fathers face grew tender as he told
bin to run along and feed the hungry boys.
And Tad did feed them, too! He stuffed
their stomachs full and as they went away
he loaded them with candy and with nuts
from the store which I had thrust into his
Cwn stockings.
Christmas In Arthur's Time.
How mary Christmas mornings I've
spent here" Santa Claus went on. Here 1
came to fill the stockings Of Nellie Arthur,
when her father was the President. She
vas sweet child. too, and it was through
her that thousands of poor children got
their Christmas dinners. She was at the head
of a Christmas club, to which the richest
children of Washington belonged and joined
with her in making presents and IN giving
cinners to the poor. l wonder if there will
rot be such thing this year. Frances
Cleveland, MCllie Villas and Pauline Whit
ney. with other girls, dined two thousand
little children in this way on Christmas
eight years ago.
But that was eight years ago! How time
does fy'' Sad Santa Claus. as he threw his
great fat leg across his knee. Now Frances
Cleveland Is a mother and has children of
her own. Little Pauline Whitney has grown
up and married, and her own good mother
10 \, hoe,
on to that land where life is one long Christ
mas day"
White House Holidays With Grant
and Hayes.
Here Santa Claus dropped off into a doze
His head fell slowly back until it struck the
pack which he had hung upon the chair.
He jerked it forward with start, and as
his eyes flew open they caught those of Mrs.
Hayes, which We're kindly looking down
from out a gold frame on the wall. Old
Santa blew kiss up at the picture and
went on talking to himself.
There is woman who knew what Christ
mas was. She made this house merry every
year that she was in it, and she gladdened
the homes of others. Every Christmas she
bought forty turkeys and gave them. to the
poor. She had her Christmas trees, and the
day was made merry with fun and games
for the children from daylight to dark. 1
liked the Hayes boys too Santa Claus
they did not put on airs. 1t was the same
with those Grant children. Fred and Buck
and little Nellie. What crowd they were
and how they did make this old White
House ring. Gen. Sherman used to come
here Christmas night and Grant and Sher-
man Joined with the children in their games
the grizzly Sherman always watching the
mlstletoe ard claiming kiss from every
pretty girl who CHANGED to come beneath IT.
I always liked Shasman. He loved Christ
mas. His heart was always young He
laughed and cried when he was the nations
hero as easily as he did when first filed
the blue knit socks which he hung up for
me many years ago In his Ohio home"
MY" said the Brownie. what lot you
have seen, Santa. When did you first come
here?"
"Oh," answered Santa Claus, st do not
like to say. 1t makes me feel so old, 1t was
when a red-haired, freckled-faced, blue
eyed man named jefferson was President
now almost one hundred years ago. He had
no little children, but his married daughters
often came to see him and brought their
babies with them. / remember one bright
Christmas day when there were six young
children here. Dolly Madison, whose hus-
band was then in the cabinet, presided at
the Christmas dinner, and the babies who
had less collie then than now, stuffed their
stomachs with cranberry tarts. roast tur-
key, mince pies and molasses candy.
Dolly Madison was also a stanch friend
Of mne," Santa Claus went on. "She gave
so much On Christmas that she was almost
| d
she was the mistress here. for she managed
the White House during the days of JeYer-
son, as well as when her husband was the
President. She was, I think, the prettest
and the kindest mistress that this White
House ever had. Her hair was black as let ::
her eyes cerulean blue. and her cheeks were
as rosy as those of that china shepherdess
which hangs there on the tree for little
Esther She wore gray silk turban, though
She was a Quaker girl, and her parents
dressed in drab.''
George Washington's Most Memorable
Christmas.
How about Madam Washington" said
the Brownie, land little George who never
told lie"
Little George grew big long before this
house was built" was Santa Claus reply
And George and Martha never lived night
within it. Their Christmases, when George
was President. were spent in Philadelphia
New York or at Mount Vernon, and the
presents were all made to the Custis babies,
for General Washington had, you know no
children of his own. 1t was on Christmas
day in 1888 that Washington came home
after the English were defeated and peace
declared. On that day he took off his mill
tary clothes and put on the garb of a private
citizen. The uniform he kept. The coat
and breeches you may see in the National
Museum. and the very stockings are pre-
served among the relics at Mt Vernon I've
and Nellie GUSTS. They We're of silk, and
longer than the average actors tights
Andrew JncksOn's Christmas.
There was another great general who
was President. 1 mean that tall man
there, Andrew Jackson" said the Brownie,
as he pointed to picture on the wall.
Yes replied Santa Claus. 81 knew
him. I pitied him, for he had no children.
Still, he loved children, and when his
adopted son had a baby born to him he was
the happiest man in Washington. He used
to nurse the baby when it had the collie
and he sometimes wheeled it up and down
the east room for hours at time He Fad
a lot of children with him here in the
White House. and he was as much inter-
ested in Christmas as the babies were. He
would sit and srloke clay pipe as he talk
Ill.,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES