The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-29
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE NATIONS TO WHICH CHRIST
MAS MEANS NOTHING.

The Bias-Eyed, Saddle-Hued Little
Diplomatic Gentleman Who Is De-
coming Americanized-The Christ
mas Gift He Used to Make TO Mrs.
McKinIey-The Korean Minister'S
Son Took Such n Fancy to Christ
mas That He Wanted the Day to
Occur oftener-How the Holiday
Was Celebrated at Some of the
LeRations-VariOus other Matters
of General Interest.
Washington, Dec. 27.-Among the
thirty-five nations accredited to the
United States are several in which the
Christian religion does not obtain, and
to whose representatives, therefore,
Christmas means nothing more than
an extra holiday. But out of respect
for Uncle Samuel, though caring not a
straw for his religion, all the lega-
tions in Washington-even the most
"heathen" from our point of view-ob-
serve the festival of Christ, in one way
or another; just as it Is to be hoped
that our representatives in China (for
example), shoot off few crackers in
honor of Confucius whenever it is the
fashion to do so in the Flowery King
dom. The dearest little diplomatic
gentleman in this country or any other,
is the small sim of Minister WI Ting
Fang, who-thohgh bias-eyed and sad
dle-hued as the rest of his family, Is
a Washington schoolboy cadet in
United States uniform and considera-
bly, Americanized from having spent
l.
us. During the last administration 1t
was his custom on every Christmas
morning to journey early to the
White House carrying the biggest ab1
,ha5sSsscnest bunch of blood-Tad- roses
which money could buy, which he sol
EMMY presented in person to Mrs. Nc
Kinley with a neat little speech con-
tanning some reference to the respected
'Amelican Clist." Yesterday he made
the usual pious pilgrimage, but he
carried white roses instead and gave
them into the hands of Mrs. Roosevelt,
with no speech at all except, Il wish
you Nelly Clistmas." Doubtless his
stanch little heart was saddened by
thoughts of the former gentle mistress
of the White House, whose special IA
vorite he was among all the small folk
of the capital, and who now sits desc
late in her Canton home, grieving for
the things that were.
Young WI has been particularly
busy all through this holiday time, on
account of the young ladies who re-
Gently arrived at the Chinese lega-
ton. OF course, being himself so old
and seasoned" an American, it be-
came his pleasant duty to explain to
them by object lessons all about our
strange ways in the celebration of this
festival. He has attended them on
many deliriously happy Ito them)
shopping expeditions in the gaily-dec-
GRATED stores and markets, bought
sweets and nick-nacks galore, and
shown with pardonable pride, the great
American Saint, Santa Claus, hun
bred times duplicated, with his sacred
RENDERS, instead of storks, or cranes
as he doubtless would have should he
conclude TO take a trip to China.
At the Turkish legation, too, AL
labs time believers are making extra
ordinary concessions to the festival of
Christ. The two sons of Chekib Bey,
aged Z and 9, are experiencing their
first yule-tide in America and find it's
traditions of absorbing interest. They
had a real Christmas tree, and levied
on all the members of the legation for
gifts to hang thereon-after the man
ner of their master, the Sultan, in Sc
curing tribute. 1t is such a jolly, con-
presents, that the young Musslemans
viii probably follow the example of
the former Korean Minister'S son in
the matter of Christmas. That small
autocrat of the Ye household became
so thoroughly christianized after his
first American tree" with its shining
candles and glittering fruit, that ever
afterwards it was his habit to proclaim
Christmas to his dutiful subjects, Win
rT SIN VII 1,s-
fancy.
Count Cassinl has no children of his
own; but he takes fatherly interest
in the Christmas pleasures of his suite
and in everybody else's pleasure for
that matter. He always sets up a big
tree in the Embassy parlor, with gifts
on it-not only for all the children
OF the Russian legation, but for every
other subject of the Car whom he
can find in D. c. Last year their
tree was wonder so tall that It
scraped the ceiling of the stately
hall. lighted with a thousand tiny
tapers and bearing gorgeous fruit, to
the value of many hundreds of dollars.
However, the Russian Christmas does
not arrive until Jan. g. and Count Cas-
SIM and his adopted daughter, the
Countess Marguerite, are spending the
week in New York.
Christmas is always celebrated with
no end of pomp and ceremony in the
Mexican legation, with chants and
posadas and a veritable Babe in the
manager, la Mexico and Mother Spain.
Afterwards the Mexican Ambassador
and Sonora Azpiroz gather together all
{ the staff and attaches, with their fam
lies around the legation table, which
Ialrly groans under its burden of tama-
les, fre1oles, chile-concarne, amole, in
cheladas and other toothsome national
delicacies.
AT the Austro- Hungarian legation
great doings are also the rule. with
an enormous tree lighted up on Christ
mas Eve and presents distributed IN
everybody concerned. This year little
Tvoune Hengelmuller, as always since
her short life began, was the heroine
of the day. and she invited ali the
other youngsters of her acquaintance to
snare her good times. At the British
embassy Lord and Lady Pauncefote
mao number of house guests and cele-
brated Christmas with the customary
dinner party; but, alas! with change
The Queens portrait, wreathed with
flowers as In days gone by, looked
down as benighly upon the circular
table, with its magnificent golden
dishes-but instead of toasts to Her
Majesty" drunk standing, King Ed
wards name was on the lips of the
guests and solicitations were expressed
concerning the present illness Of
Queen Alexandra. Sir Percy Sanderson.
British consul general at New York,