The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-23
WHITE HOUSE HOLIDAY PLANS.
Mrs. Roosevelt Sending Dozens of Presents, Many Her Own Work.

Washington Correspondence in the New
 York World.
 At the White House. as in nearly all the homes throughout the land, the prin- cipal theme of interest is the selection of Christmas gifts and the preparation for the holidays. In spite of numerous exact ing duties, Mrs. Roosevelt has managed to spend several hours each week at the different stores, and, in consequenoa. nearly all her gifts are ready for distri- button. Like Mrs. Mckinney, sne selects the presents for her intimate friends from little keepsakes made by her own hands.
 Mrs. Roosevelt is an exquisite needle woman and Is also an adept in fashioning vari-colored embroideries. She has a store of dainty initialed handkerchiefs, flmy lace collars and little articles whose value will be greatly enhanced by the fact that the work Is the product of her slki.lful fingers.
 During the week several dozen pack ages were dispat tched by Mrs. Roosevelt to friends abroad or in distant parts of the United States She has almost as many more ready for the mail, and each day a number of these parcels are se- lected to be started on their Journey as a pleasant surprise on Christmas morning. They have been carefully timed to reach their destination at the opportune mo ment.
 Miss Ethel Roosevelt will not receive a doll this year, and this will be the first time that her mother has not dressed such a plaything for her daughter. Mrs. Roosevelt, however, learned that Miss Ethel had concluded that her family was large enough, and that she would prefer books of some intricate puzzles, which are popular at her school, instead of more dolls.
 Little Quentin, however. believes in boy babies, and has quite an assortment of rough riders, clergymen and soldiers, and he will doubtless add to his collec- tion. Archibald scorns such playthings, and always asks for something alive, or for collars or other ornaments for his numerous pets.
 The cabinet women will follow the precedent established last year and will present Mrs. Roosevelt with a handsome gift. This present is exceedingly beau- tiful and costly. None of the ladies feel free to disclose it's nature, but they all say it is something which Mrs. Roose- welt has desired for some time and for which she has frequently expressed a wish. Mrs Hay, as the ranking lady of the cabinet, was selected to purchase the gift.
 The ladies arrived at their conclusion with perfect harmony. The members of the Presidents cabinet impressed with the ease with which the cabinet ladies had discharged their court teous duties toward Mrs. Roosevelt, desired to do likewise toward the President. Here the trouble began. The gentlemen had three solemn concaves without result. Obvi- ously, the present most appropriate was the finest rifle which American ingenuity could produce, and this was the first se- lection of a majority. Some, however were members of societies for the SUD- pression of hunting and "the useless slaughter of game" to quote the Presi- dents message, and promptly and vigor- ously demurred to the purchase of a rife or any of the paraphernalia of the hunts man, and now the men folks of the cab inet have concluded to make individual Christmas gifts to the President.