The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24
WASHINGTON CHRISTMAS.
HOW THE DAY WILL BE SPENT AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.


The Presents They and Their Chill
dren Will Receive-PaFties of the
Little Folks and the Various Ways
Adopted for Giving Them Pleasure.
Reference to other ChristmaseS.
Other Matters of General Interest.
Washington. Dec. 2S-Christmas is one
Of the quietest days of the year in the
national capital. OF course there are no
public social doings, as everybody prefers
70 spend the day of Peace on earth, good
will to men" at his own Preside. While
the senators, with their six-years' terms.
can afford to transfer their lares and pen
ates to this most expensive city few MEM
bers of the lower house find it expedient
20 do so for the period of two years,
nearly half OF which is supposed to be re.
cess II their wives and daughters come
on for the winter gaieties. they put up
at some hotel or boarding house, return
ing to their homes when the brief sea-
son is over. Unless Mr.. Congressman he
very rich, he win find that it would have
been the part of wisdom to- discourage
that first visit of the female members OF
| his family to Washington! Having once
| tasted the sweets of official society life
in the giddy winter capital, he may find il
extremely difficult to restrain them in the
future. Hundreds Of congressional fam
lies, whose husbands and fathers have
long been among the outs including
many who manifestly can lily afford it,
return here winter after winter, like the
moth that still futters around the fame
that singed its wings, to swell the noble
army of hangers-on 20 the edges of Wash
ington society
But to return to our Christmas The day
Will be very quietly passed by Mr.. aud
| Mrs. Mckinley. In blessed freedom from
all official calls, if not of cares-for 1t
cannot be expected that the chief execu-
tive of nation still at war can altogether
adjust his mental burdens to the true spirit
OF Peace on earth" Though the fact Is
kept as far as possible from public knowI-
edge, it nevertheless remains that Mrs.
McKinley's health is decidedly more fran
this year than last, and she has accom-
plished comparatively little of her usual
Christmas work. Everybody knows that
the Presidents wife likes to make dainty
and beautiful things with her own hands
20 give to those she loves. Being largely
confined to the big easy chair in her room,
! spends hours of every day doing the artis-
| tic needlework in which she so greatly ex-
| cells. She makes slippers, toilette sets and
ell manner of exquisite fancy articles from
! original designs which are universally adj
mired. AS Queen Victoria gives India
! shawls to all the brides of her acquaint-
/ ance, so Mrs. Mckinley slippers her mar
! rying friends; and on the last two Christ
masses has presented each female member
! of the cabinet family as well as many
| other Washington intimates, with dainty
/ gifts of her own making Unfortunately,
! there are no little ones now in the White
/ House, and so Kris Kringle rides swiftly
| past. knowing that there are no trees 10
| deck nor stockings to fill. No near rea~
/ tives of the MeKnleys have small chill
! dren to bring a-visiting, and the present
/ cabinet is singularly devoid of them This
/ has not been the case in recent past ad-
ministrations. The Lincolns, the Grants.
| the Hayes, the Harrisons, the Clevelands
/ all had plenty of little folk, children or
/ grandchildren, to make the old
| house resound with merriment at Santa
! Clause time. The last winter of the
| CleVelands stay, their babies were large
! enough to look forward with eagerness
| to the delight of stockng-hanging in the
| good old orthodox fashion Papa and
| mamma Cleveland watched the happy
/ faces of the little ones till bedtime and
| then proceeded to act the part of the be-
! nevolent Santa" Just as other fathers
/ and mothers were doing all over the land;
and on Christmas day all the cabinet chill
| dren land there were several that YEAR,
| came to the White House to share the
| Christmas tree with Ruth and Esther and
! baby Marion.
The first Christmas the McKinlevs spent
in the mansion, that of '97, was so soon
| after the death of the Presidents mother
| that any sort of celebration was not to be
/ thought Of Some young nieces of the
| family were present and gifts were ex-
! changed; and then Mr.. Mckinley and his
/ wife sat alone together, hand in hand as
I they a1vUovC rbris TNa,v o,,1
/ certain other dear anniversaries, thinking
! of the two little forms that have lain so
/ many years in the Canton Cemetery. Had
| those children remained in the flesh they
would now be grown-up young ladies and
| life in the White House would be very
different this year.
Christmas of 90 saw several nieces and
| nephews of the presidential family in the
mansion, who made merry in a quiet way
Every one of them received a handsome
gift from both the President and his wife
Mrs. Mckinley went to New York some
time before Christmas, and brought a
| great many things-among others, a beau
tiful gold watch-charm for her husband;
and she also distributed an unusual num-
Der of slippers and doileys and other dain-
ty trifles of her own making. This year
she has done no Christmas shopping at all
unless by proxy. For '99, as on the two
previous Christmases of his adminstra-
ton, the President has ordered presents
to be distributed among all the attaches
of the White House. Each married per-
son in the building gets a big fat turkey
for the home dinner, while the single men
and women receive bits of personal adorn-
ment or other suitable things The Pres
ident does not have to bother about a
| turkey for his own DINNER az that nation
! al bird is always sent to him from Rhode
Island. No end of other good things also
arrive, from all parts of the country, for
| the Presidents Christmas cheer-great
baskets of fruit. boxes of oranges. cakes.
candies. preserves. and other toothsome
danties.
In the way of children's hostess. the
wife of Commander Richard Glover, U
S. N.-who was Dora Miller, daughter of
the late Senator from California--is reg
ular fairy God-mother. Not to say a
God-send to the small folk of capital So
ciety. The two little Clover girls, Dora
and Beatrice, have been giving parties
ever since they began to walk, which is