Evening star., 1897-04-19
EASTE R M O N DAY
Thousands Of Children Enjoy the
Pleasant Day.
GATHERED NEAR WHITE HOUSE
Egg Rolling Down the Grassy
Slopes.
THE PRESIDENT WATCHED

Several thousand young hearts beat
faster this morning when the rays of a
bright April sun peered between the cur
tafns of countless nurseries from the Navy
Yard to Tenleytown. for it meant the con-
summation of childish hopes for a clear
and favoring Easter Monday.
Easter Monday?
why, Easter Monday is an event in the
lives of the little ones of Washington, a
day that Is better than every other day
'cepting Christmas and the Fourth of July.
Egg rolling! Don't you know what fun it
is to roll eggs in the White House grounds
when the sky is blue the air balmy and the
turf warm and smooth? If you don't then
it's evident you are a native of some other
city and have not become familiar with all
the traditions of Washington.
And such an Easter Monday as it has
been, to be sure 1t has been several years
since the children have seen such another
and in that time almost a new generation
OF egg-rollers has grown up. But the little
ones for whom this was the first occasion
OF the sort did not need to be told what to
do when they reached the Mecca of their
dreams today. They knew by instinct how
to roll eggs down grassy slope and how to
invent the most amusing games to be play
ed with eggs, games that were never in
vented before and will probably never be
played again, but they were full of infinite
possibilities for infantile enjoyment today
The news that the White House grounds
would be thrown open to the children to-
day brought joy to rich and poor alike, and
when to this was added the splendid news
that the Marine Band would be there in
all its glory of red coats to play for their
amusement the joy of the little ones knew
no bounds. The band did not appear until
about o'clock this afternoon. but some
thing like 4,O00,0O0 children did not wait
e. a. l~,.<, l.. fk4
o o'clock this morning laden with little
wicker baskets full of vari-eolored eggs
and baskets full of lunch. Perhaps there
were not quite 4.OOO,0OO children in the
visitor to the scene 1t really did seem as
though smaller number than that could
not possibly have as much fun as those
same children were having.
There were all sorts and conditions of
children there, though most of them were
small and all were bent on having good
time. There were children In silks and
laces with French nurses to take care of
there were other little children whose gar
ments were thin at the elbows and whose
shoes were out at the toes. They could
carry their eggs in one hand, and their
pictures. but they had no elegant nurse to
interfere with their pleasure. They could
soil their frocks or their little knicker
bockers to their hearts content. Usually
d
faced woman who looked as though she en-
joyed the outing quite much as the
children She entered heartily into the
spirit of the day and sometimes a far-away
look would cross her face. as If she re-
membered the :ime when she too thought
there was no joy in life to compare with
rolling eggs through thick soft grass. Often
one could see little groups of mothers or
older sisters sitting together, chatting
pleasantly. but with watchful eyes out to
see that the youngsters did not stray too
far away or get into mischief.
Good Nature.
1t was a good-natured crowd. OF course
there were policemen standing about, but
where was there ever a small boy or girl
who ever stood in the slightest fear of a
bluecoat on Easter Monday? The children
knew that the policemen were only there to
see that big people didn't interfere with
lstle 1nat peoples 5 enjoyment And If they got
iost, why, the policemen were here
TO tell them not to cry and to take good
care of them until their mothers or their
nurses found them again.
tho ITS It's beautiful day for the kids" said
tne Dig sergeant to The Star reporter "and
us glad l am Of it. I can tell you Last
year, II l remember right, it rained, and
the year before that, but today the little
ones, God bless every one of them, can sit
out on the grass and have a good time
and they won't catch cold, and they can
run about until they are tired and cover the
grass out of sight with their blue and their
purple and their green egg shells and il
dent make any difference, and there's only
one thing that's happened today that has
made me bit frritated, and that was the
sight of little boy 1 know by name, AID
his name Is Dugan, and he was rolling q
lot of yellow eggs like little Dutchman,
and saw his mother about it, and she got
him to trade them all off with a little Con-
necticut avenue girl for her bright green
ones, and l have a feeling somehow that
have given that little lad a bit of a lesson
in patriotism. Hi, there, you little fellow
in a Fa'ntleroy suit. stop trying to pick
that china egg against the genuine article;
don't you know that's not fair? Play fair,
me lad, even when you're picking eggs,
and when you grow up maybe they'll make
policeman Of you. These children will
be the death of me yet, but excuse me
while I run over and put stop to that
finish fight between them little shavers that
amt out of dresses yet, the rascals.
Viewed by the President.
It was cne of the biggest crowds that
ever thronged the grounds. Hundreds who
came early in the morning brought their
lur ches and came prepared to stay all day.
There were two or three fresh arrivals for
every one who had to leave before the band
played, and the peanut men and other
fakirs who stood about the gates did
thriving business all day. Long before
the average Washington business man had
started for his office this morning there
were a dozen or more pushcart men gath
cred around the east gates back or the
treasury. They knew it was going to be
great day in their line of trade, and
they were on hand early in order to Sc
cure desirable positions.
President Mckinley seemed to enjoy the
spe ectacle of the many happy children at
play, for he looked out the south window
of his office room every once In while
ana his face lighted up with smile as he
witnessed their evident delight.
Mrs. Mckinley also enjoyed the spectacle
immensely, or SO 1t would seem from her
expression. Two others who watched the
sport under different circumstances than
ever before were two of ex-Prcsident Har-
rison's grandchildren. Benjamin and little
Mary Mckee. The former has very
distinct recollection of egg-rolling as he
saw 1t from the rear portico Of the White
House. but to little Mary egg rolling was
something that she did not remember at
all. and she enjoyed the sport today to an
unlimited extent.
DIR. BroOkes Of st. Louis Dead.
ST. LOUIS. No.. April 19.-Rev.s DR..
James Brookes. pastor emeritus of the
rI NJ, ~.