Evening star., 1901-12-21

| sistent they proved to be. Half an hour
later she would probably go to the person
and answer the question. having remem-
bered everything said to her.
Hundred. of Toys.
In addition TO the Christmas tree the
| children received toys from Santa Claus.
These and whatever Mrs. Cleveland cared
to give them was all that they had TO
break and scatter around. Hundreds of
other toys were carefully packed away,
and when next Christmas came around
Mrs. Cleveland sent them, as new in looks
as when received year before. to the chill
dren's hospitals and other institutions in
Washington, gladdening many little hearts
by her thoughtfulness.
There was nothing exclusive either in
the Christmas tree the amusements of
the Cleveland children. Often some of the
children of humble men of the White House
force called to look at the tree. Ruth and
Esther romped with them and Mrs. Cleve-
land sanctioned their friendliness to these
little callers. The very Christmas Ruth
received her nickel-plated tricycle. from her
father one of her visitors was the little
daughter of an officer still at the White
House. Ruth invited her visitor to try the
tricycle.. The little visitor in her play ran
over Ruth with the machine, but Ruth was
game. She cried little and said that her
little friend accidentally ran over her.
The Roosevelt children wifi receive many
presents, and already express wagons are
taking many things to the White House to
| go on the Christmas tree.
Within the recollection Of the oldest en-
ployes of the White House there were no
Christmas trees up to the time of the Har-
rison administration. President johnson
had a number of grandchildren, but his
children were all too old for such juvenile
festivities as Christmas trees
The Grant children were also beyond the
age when Christmas trees are enjoyable.
Generous Giving.
The Christmases Of the Hayes and of the
Harrisons were the most ideal of any. so
far as the attaches and employees of the
White House were concerned. Ihe feature
of the Christmases Of the White House un-
der President and Mrs. Hayes was the dis
tribution Of presents for all the persons
employed around the building. About a
month before each Christmas Mrs. Hayes
always sent Col. w H. Crook, the disburs-
ing officer of the White House. and Major
Webb Hayes, then a young man, to visit
the stores of Washington to select presents
for every one in the White House, from the
highest official to the lowest and most hum
BILE servant. Each present would bear
card upon which was written the name of
the person for whom 1t was intended. On
Christmas morning all of the presents
would be placed in the hallway of the pri-
vate part of the White House. Then Presi-
dent and Mrs. Hayes would go into the
big, roomy library and send for the mem
bers of the family and employees. The
President himself took a most lively in
terest in the events that followed. 1t was
the duty of Scott Hayes and Fannie Hayes,
then children, to play the part of Santa
Claus. One of them would go into the
hallway and carry a present to President
Hayes, who would read the name of the
person for whom it was intended, and
direct it's presentation. Upon the retire
ment of this child the other would enter
with a present, and so the ceremony con-
tinued until present had been given to
each person. One of the first presents
that Col. Crook received was a silver
pitcher. He still retains it as valuable
souvenir of the Hayes administration.
President and Mrs. Harrison also dis
tributed presents to all of the White
House employees, but they did it by a
Christmas tree. With the exception of
Baby Mckee there were no children in
the Harrison family, and SO the Christmas
trees were given especially for the benefit
of the employees. This tree was always
generously filled and every person was re-
membered. President Harrison, with that
quiet dignity that always characterized
him, took a deep interest In the annual
Christmas tree.
1t was the custom of President Mckinley
to always give large turkey on Christmas
eve to each married employe of the White
House. but there were never any presents
for any Of the single men.
Mncoln's ThoughtfuIness.
Col Crook well remembers the last
Christmas Of Lincoln in the White House.
OF that time he said:
while thousands were celebrating with
joyous hearts the birth Of the Savior of
Mankind, Abraham Lincoln had sad
heart. The boom Of the cannon and the
groans Of the dying were heard on every
hand. Robert, his eldest son, was at the
front on the staff of General Grant; Willie
had passed to the great beyond and Taddie,
the idol of his fathers heart, was the only
child to say, Merry Christmas, papaP
THE soldiers in the hospitals around
Washington were not forgotten. Though he
remembered with sorrow unSpeakable that
there was a vacant chair by his own fire.
side, yet amidst all his great responsibility
and grief he did not forget kindly greet
ing to the men who had left their homes,
their wives and their children to sacrifice
themselves upon the altar Of their country's
veal. special messenger was dispatched
to the place Of suffering and pain to deliver
from the ever-thoughtful and considerate
President kindly word TO cheer the weary
hearts of those whom the hard fortunes of
war had condemned to languish in the
prison house Of Illness on an anniversary
which ought to bring joy to the hearts of
all men,