The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS
USUALLY GAY HOLIDAY TIMES WILL
BE SUSPENDED THIS YEAR.
How the Bcreavcd President and His
Official Household Intend to
Spend the Day.
Washington Letter in New York Herald.

Washington Letter in New York Herald
Christmas is usually celebrated in the
families of the President and the members
of his Cabinet very much as it is observed
in any other distinctively American house
hold This year, however, there viii! be no
festivities in the White House. Owing to
the recent bereavement of President Nc
Kinley the day will be celebrated quietly in
the home circle Miss Barber and Miss
Duncan nieces, and Mr.. Duncan, nephew,
are guests of President and Mrs. McKin-
ley and Will remain through the holidays
1t is probable that Mr.. and Mrs. Abner Nc
Kinley and Miss Mabel Mckinley will make
part of the household Christmas day. There
will be no merriment planned for the young
people of the family. The Vice President
and Mrs. Hobart will go to Paterson on
Monday for the holidays There is great
disappointment that the New Years day
reception should have been eliminated from
the schedule of functions. Sympathy for
the President as q son who mournS his
mother is general, but his withdrawal from
d public and favorite ceremonial is much
regretted by many of the social leaders.
The diplomatic breakfast, which is ever in
cluded in the New Years day programme
and which is given by the secretary of
state, is one of the sacrifices to the thirty
days mourning" decreed.
With view of ascertaining just how
Christmas day would be spent 1 called at
the homes of the various Cabinet officers
and made inquiries. All expressed deepest
coincidence with the President and his be-
reavement Mrs. Sherman was, as usual.
kindly communicative. I'VE, my husband
and myself, have a strong personal reason
for regarding all our holidays with favor,
hr.,a 1ir1rr
spells in my husbands too busy life, when
we can be together uninterrupted by the
business world" said the premier lady of
the Cabinet. 'If it were not for our holt
days we would have no chance to keep up
our acquaintance.
1--WE see as little of each other most of
the time as if we lived in different dwell
ings A lady friend who stopped with us
for several weeks noted that fact, and re-
marked upon it one day, How seldom we
have Mr. Shermans company and it was
no wonder. He was in the Senate then. and
was always busy. When We are in Mans
field we always breakfast at T. and when
we came here and began having breakfast
at he declared he could not AFFORD TO
waste that hour, and wanted us to keep
the same time we do at home, but told
him 1t was impossible to do 1t here, where
everything begins and ends later, ana so
we compromised on 1880
LAS soon as breakfast is over Mr.. Sher-
man attacks his mail and is busy until 10,
at which time, when he was in the senate,
one or the other of his committees-the
finance or foreign relations-generally had
a session, and by the time that was over,
and sometimes long before, the Senate con-
vened. When the Senate adjourned, dinner,
and after dinner, callers untiA bed time.
BUSY MR.. SHERMAN.
80 you can readily see that our holt
days were about the only days we had to-
gether and the only way 1 could get
word with my husband was when 1 drove
to the Senate with him in the morning or
went after him in the evening, when we
could chat on the way. This year it is
little better, for Mr. Sherman has more time
at his command now, Notwithstanding the
department hours are half day earlier
than the legislative hours. He says it is
the easiest place he ever had in his life.
Our Christmas is not much any more, for
those who once made the day a social fea-
ture have almost all passed away, one by
one, but all gOne;" and the pensive eyes
were almost fearful, while the suspicion
of a sigh struggled for utterance where
smiles abide I'm the old days at Mans
field she continued, 1--WE always had dim
ner with friends. either at our own home
or some other in our circle, but always to-
gether Now we have our dinner at home
alone and remember each other in some
small gift more for the sake of the custom
prove our regard for each other at this
late day. But the one thing that makes the
day treat Is that on that day there are
no official calls, no committee meetings, no
politics, but instead of these family re-
union for a whole day, the gentler infiu-
ences and Gods goodness"
In the beautiful parlor of the secretary of
war, where one finds the wealth, but not
the pomp and vanity, Mrs. Alger, one of the
most beautiful women in the circles of the
presert administration, gave her pleasant
greeting: With family of six children
We are likely to keep Christmas" said she.
There would have been mutiny if we had
not. When children were small we
had the tree and all the rest, but since my
little boy, my youngest son, is gone, we
have no stockings hung up and no Santa
Claus. But, speaking of Santa Claus, I
have recently run across an idea in the pa
per somewhere that seems to be the right
thing, as well as beautiful thought: The
| writer suggests that the Christ child should
be made more prominent in our Christmas
cheer, instead of Santa Claus the imag-
mary individual who has so completely
overshadowed the original spirit of the day,
and 1 heartily indorse that suggestion"
The secretary of war came in while we
were talking, and in his hearty, jovial way
exclaimed: Keep Christmas. Why, I get
a flash of fun from his eyes toward his
wife.
But the truth is that this good man gives
far more than he receives on the annual
gift day. 1t is told by the Michigan people
that their distinguished citizen carries out
his own idea of the meaning of Peace on
earth and good will toward men, by max
ing as many people happy as he possibly
can. Instead of loading down with pres
ents a few friends, already Sated perhaps,
with an embarrassment of riches in that
| line, he beStows such sums of money on
the various benevolent institutions of his
State as will furnish a royal good time to
their respective inmates and the little
newsboys Of Detroit each fitted out
with a brand-new suit of clothes.
AT the attorney generals hOmelike resi-
dence not only Mrs. McKenna, but Miss
Isabel, contributed to my fund of Christ
mas lore. The judge is very proud of his
family, and with good reason. The youth
Unlocking wife and three daughters form
a quartet of goodness. as well as good
looks. Every one of them manages to find
a way to do some good for others, and in
this their Christmas lasts the whole year.
Miss Isabel is very gifted, too, for, young
as she is, only in society a short time she
is quite proficient in instrumental music.
1--WE have always kept Christmas" said
sacred-the birthday of the Savior of man.
kind"
1.-The day when angels rejoiced," added
Isabel; of course we should be joyful at it's
memory, and try to make others happy,
too"
1--WE do not have Christmas tree" said
Mrs. McKenna: Though each one has a gift
for the Others
We still hang up our stockings admit
ted Isabel, in q. half shamefaced manner.
1T is such fun
Miss Marie McKenna will be presented to