Evening star., 1897-03-15
WHITE HOUSE KINDERGARTEN.
Miss Willard Tells of Her Experience
With the Little Clevelands.

Miss Mary Bannister Willard, who did
kindergarten work several months this last
winter at the White House, sailed on the
Adler last Tuesday for Bremen. She is on
her way to Berlin to assist her mother in
the American Home School for Girls, which
Mrs. Willard established there about a
dozen Years ago.
Il have enjoyed the winters work very
much,' said Miss Willard 10 a New York
Sun reporter Il had perfect liberty
TO carry out my own ideas, and l certainly
couldn't have worked under more delightful
conditions The dozen little folks under my
charge were most Interesting. The three
little Clevelands are charming children ard
very pretty. Beside their father and
mother, who are both unusually large they
look rather delicate, but they seem TO be
well and strorg. Ruth isn't 50 pretty as
she was while ago, for she is beginning
to lose her baby look but she is going 10
be very beautiful! girl. She is affec;ionate q
ana gentle. and resembles ner mother much
in appearance and disposition. l am par
ticuiarly fond of Esther. who is an inde-
pendent, hign-spirited little piece of lu-
manty.
Miss Willard is a graduate of The Pesta-
loZZi-Froe5el Haus in Berlin. and was a
favorite pupil of Frau Schraeder, the grand
niece of Froebel, who is now at the head of
the school, Naturally, she tried TO fellow
in her teaching the ideas and methods in
their custom to choose every month a new
object for study. One month 1t is The pota-
TO. another the fir tree, another drop of
water, When the potato is the object of
interest the children are told all about it,
and they see how it is planted md how it
grows They make pictures of it; they tell
stories about it. The month of the Christ
mas festival is usually the chosen for
the study of the fir tree.
We talked German IN our class at the
White House as much as possible. said
Miss Willard. "Of course, If ii was neces-
sary to make u very long explanation, |
usually spoke English; but / always gave
all ordinary directions in German. The
Cleveland children have a German gov
erness. Ruth could understand everything
! said TO her, and what Essle didn't under
stand she pretended to. They speak very
prettily.
They were delighted at the thought of
going away. OF course. il was only the
natural delight of children AZ The idea of
moving. couldn't help thinking that If
they were a dozen years older they
wouldn't be so overjoyed.
Il saw Mrs. Cleveland the evening before
she left Washing on, and she already spoke
of Princeton as home What she most re-
grets TO leave l think, is the White House.
She is fond of the house itself 1t has
many associations FOR her. Her stay there
has extended over good many years.
Esther was born there, and The place is
dear TO her. But don't think she is at all
sorry to quit official life
Miss Wizards loyalty to the Clevelands
did not prevent her from saying of Mr..
Mckinley:
He has the most beautiful face. 1t does
not seem to me such a strong face, but 1t
has very grave sweet expression that
commeends it. and it is illumined by bright.
brilliant eyes. He walks. too, with a
springing step and has dignity Of pres
ence that like.