The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-25
CHRISTMAS At
THE WHITE HOUSE
President and His Family
Showered with Gifts
BOYS HAVE GREAT TIME
The Children Get Four Times As
Many Presents As Their Par
ents, But Santa Claus Is
Generous to All.
BY MARGARET 3. DOWNING.

Washington, December A.-(Special.)-
Christmas Day of 1904 will be celebrated
in the home of the President with
thoroughness and heartiness which, per-
haps, never before has been witnessed
in the historic mansion. 1t is all because
of promise which Mr.. Roosevelt made
his children before they would consent
to his departure for st. Louis on Thanks
giving evening. Never before within
their memories had their parents de-
serted them on the great American feast
day. Ever since coming to the White
House, the President has forced public
business to take a secondary place. and
surrounded by his "olive branches" he
has given the entire day from sunrise
to bed time to their pleasure. When
he accepted the invitation of the st.
Louis fair officials. his children were
inconsolable, but he promised all man
ner of fun and good things for Christ
mas day, and the little Roosevelts are
not ones to allow their father to go back
on promise, even II he were so inclined.
He says himself that they are the best
embryo politicians he ever saw.
Preparations for Christmas have been
In progress for nearly six weeks. The
Roosevelt boys are thoroughly imbued
with the spirit of the season and they
| delight in hearing tales bearing on
| Christmas themes. They will begin their
| celebration at dawn. There was hint
| last year that Quentin, who is six and
| the youngest of the Presidents flock,
| did not believe In the patron saint of
| the Fatherland good Saint Nicholas,
i n 1
| stocking. But he evidently had doubts
| even in his skepticism, because he
placed his hosiery besides the stockings
| OF Ethel and Archibald and was over
| come with gratitude when Saint Nick
overlooked his disloyalty and brought
tremendous supply of eatable and toys,
enough to stock store. This year Quen-
| tin has breathed not a word against the
saint.
Hang Up Their Stockings.
The three youngest Ethel who is
thirteen, Archie, ten, and Quentin, still
group their stockings around the great
| fireplace in the sitting room. This
apartment is directly over the blue room
| and has a circular window overlooking
| the broad sweep Of the Mall and the
Potomac 1t is a stately room and of
generous proportions, but Christmas
morning not So are inch VIII be I'M
family The gifts are put into the keep
| ing of the housekeeper and head nurse,
| Mrs Mary Leftwich, who has the dis
| tinction of having attended Mrs. Roose-
| welt in her childhood. By common con-
sent the family has left this room en-
tlrely to her for nearly a week past. She
assigns each member of the family
space, and there the presents are neatly
arranged. This year a goodly part of
the attic had to be used as an overflow
| department for the scores of large and
cumbersome mechanical toys which
were sent to the younger children. Only
/ the family gifts and those from close
| friends or distinguished people gain ad-
! mittance to the sitting room. The Pres
! ident and Mrs. Roosevelt also use the
attic for gifts which they have not room
| to display AS rule, these are merely
unpacked and inspected and a careful
| note made of the donor, and then re-
packed and sent to the attic until the
| rush of the season allows leisure for
closer acquaintance.
| On Christmas Eve Mrs. Leftwich
/ oversees the solemn ceremony OF es-
corting the white-robed little ones into
| the sitting room, where each hangs up
| the stocking in a niche which is pointed
| out Ali the treasures are 6wathed In
white. and the old nurse keeps a sharp
| lookout that no meddlesome hands lift
| the draperies or inquisitive eye prizes
| into forbidden corners. The room Is
| then locked as securely as Blue Boards
| closet. and at dawn the earliest riser
nearly always Archie. with Quentin a
| close second, break into their parents
| room and bidding them MERRY Christ
mas" proceed to assist them with their
| toilet. Last year all the Roosevelts
were assembled in the sitting room when
the bells were pealing for the early SER
vice in Catholic churches.
Take Another Nap.
A cursory glance at the treasures US
ualIy Satisfies and the President and his
! wife and Miss Alice are allowed TO get
| another forty winks, while the young
| children drag their belongings to the at
| tic, which they are then allowed to ex-
plore The scene does not differ In gem
| cral from that enacted In millions of
| American homes, but the lesson of SIM
| plicity herein suggested seems an appro
pirate theme for thought on the greatest
| of Christian festivals.
The entire family will meet again at
| breakfast, which is served on Christmas
Day In the state dining room, and from
that time on the President will lead as
| strenuous a life as even he can with
| stand He will be winding tops and try
| ing new toys and exploring the mysteries
| OF the latest mechanical inventions and
admiring the geegaWS or the women
| folk. He also will have some gifts OF
| his own to display and each member
| of the family will pass judgment.
The President gets some hundred odd
! gifts, jewelry and choice books from the
host of Roosevelt kin. and every con-
ceivable commodity known to the pres
ent generation from people In every part
OF the country 1t is no longer the GUS
tom for the diplomatic corps to send
gifts President Cleveland discouraged
this practice because. it is said. certain
young and attractive bachelors In the
corps sent innumerable and very valu-
| able gifts to his young and pretty bride.
The cabinet officials give only small and
inexpensive gifts, something with no in
trinsic value There is a law, though 1t
seems an obsolete one, that a subordi-
nate official must give no presents to
those In authority over him, and to keep
this law, at least in the spirit, the Pres
idential counsellors select exceedingly
modest tokens of regard The books
which have come to the President this
year would start modest town library,
while the various firearms would equip
regiment of hunters. The usual pro-
portion of shaving utensils. note and
pocket books. and fittings for a desk or
library table are well represented.
Children Get Most Presents.
Mrs. Roosevelt gets nearly twice as
many gifts as the President and the