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

kiss at little Ruth and Esther. who are
sweetly sleeping in an adjoining room, and
prepares to make his way through the fire.
place down to the rooms below.
There he unioads his pack. He fills
Esther's little stockings and stuffs with
candy those which the fat legs Of little
Ruth have touched laughing as he does
80 at the big stockings which hang be-
side them, and which the children have
borrowed for the time, for fear their own
may not be large enough. He decorates the
tree with dolls and toys. He strings upon It
glass balls of every hue, and with t,nsel
makes it shine like the silver and golden
bushes of -fairyland. There are presents
by the hundreds for him TO hang upon it's
branches The babies of the White House
have many friends. and the most famous
OF our statesmen send them Christmas
gifts.
Santa Claus SoliIoquy.
At last however the work Is done and
Santa Claus stops for rest. He is tired; the
night is late. and the morning is almost
come He started upon his travels when
the sand man first began to throw his dust
in sleepy children's eyes, and this White
House visit completes his long nights
work He sinks back in the Presidents
big armchair. looks at the tree and talks.
How his words came to me / dare not tell.
1t may have been that the toy phonogra phi
which was intended for Little Ruth. and
which was placed upon the tree, recorded
them. 1t has never worked since then. l
know, and has been sent back as useless to
the store from whence 1t came. I can only
say that every word is true, and that the
big-eyed Brownie who guards the White
House children heard 1t all and will cor
roborate my statements.
Said Santa Claus: There, that's a good
Job done! How the children will hop up
and down and dance about that tree. How
Ruth will scream with joy and Esther clap
her hands. How Papa Grover will grow
young again and Mamma Frances smile
like the White House best when 1t is filed
with children. and hope the day of child
How dreary these rooms were about eight
years ago, and how they frightened when
Mary and Benjamin Mckee and the little
Harrsons came in. We had four good
Christmas days and four great trees. every
branch of which was loaded down with
gifts
Baby McKee's Great Christmas.
At this the Brownie jumped from out the
tree and sat down On the stool at Santa s
feet He asked the old man questions and
Santa Claus went on:
THE first great day for Grandpa Harri-
son-I mean Christmas day, Of course: there
are no great days but Christmas-the fun
began with big tin horn. blown by Mrs.
Dimmick. At this the White House family
came together and Great-Grandpa Dr. Scott
and Grandpa Harrison formed them into
line. Little Ben Mckee and Mary walked
side by side. and in double file the children
and the grownups marched into this room
Inc toys were not put on the tree, but piled
up under 1t. and Mary had dozen coils, a
toy piano and full doll housekeeping out
Mt Ben was most delighted with a toy
steam engine. which really went by steam
and pulled Its way about the room There
Harrison and all the White House servants,
ana Black Jerry. I remember. grinned
all over when he was handed out an
Order for turkey and pair of gloves
old Dr. Scott played with little Ben, and Ben
ana Mary recited German poems as Christ
mas greetings to their grandparents"
The Brownie. who evidently did rot I'M
derstand German, broke in. But wasn't it
rather stiff for Christmas?
Yes, perhaps So" was the reply But
1t suited the President. who Just between
u.s. Is a little bit stiff himself He seldom
wrapped himself about the old mans
heart that the two made me think of old
Abe Lincoln and lively little Tad"
Here the Brownies eyes grew from pen
MES into saucers and his round mouth
opened wide until it became a big round
hole In his fat, round face. as he gasped
out And did you know Tad Lincoln?"
A Story of Tad Lincoln.
Eyes. indeed" said Santa Claus Il
knew him and loved him. He wanted all
other boys to have as good times as him.
self. and I remember how one stormy
Christmas day he brought crowd of hun
cry, ragged newsboys to the White House
kitchens. The cook, a surly. bead-eyed.
thin-lipped bachelor was basting the
Christmas turkey and hot mince pies were
smoking on the range. A savory smell Of
steamlng dainties foated forth and made
the BOYS mouths water But the cook,
with anger in his eye, ragged at young Tad
and told him to take his ragged SQUAD
away. How Tad's eyes flashed. He told the
boys to wait and ran of to his father He