The Washington herald., 1906-12-30

prayers she had voiced, if she would only
keen her faith But ChTistmases came
and Christmases went and there was
never a tree TO gladden. the heart of the
mise-able little creature. Finally, a lit
tie gutter snipe like herself, known rs
Red Rat. 10 whom she had confded her
ambition. said to her, a few days be
fose a certain Christmas, many, many
years ago: 'Youse don't know no tin De
President is de real Santa Claus. Youse
60 to HIM and he'll glib yOuse a tree
1T was en- idea, and from that day the
waif haunted the White House, hoping
by some good fortune to gain an en-
trance. But her every attempt was frua-
trated by the alert ushers, and Christmas
went by Still the child persisted ana
never deserted her post. New Year came
and with it the thousands OF people Who 90
to wish the President a happy New Year.
Here was her chance and the little out
cast wedged herself in the crowded pro-
cession. from which she was again and
again pushed out but undaunteG, she
crawled back in the crowd and was finally
hurled before the President himself once
in his august presence, she was too terri
ned. too aWed TO speak, and II was not
until she had passed by that she realized
for what she had come. The end Of the
receiving line had been reached, but turn
ing, she made a desperate attempt 10 re-
trace her steps That was impossible.
Wedged in the crowd. she was carried
along until a little hand, tc.uch covered
with rings. pulled her gently back from
its midst and one Of the sOftest AM
sweetest voices I know, said: What IS II,
my dear? You know you can't so back
n.rFr.
vou?' and all the time the owner of the
jeweled hands and the sweet voice was
strobing the little waits cheek. Can
YOU imagine the situatOn-the dirty.
pathetic child being caressed by one Of
the wealthiest women in society at the
very side of the President To be sure
the good fairy was dressed Ike a lunatic.
Her fat ball-liko body was hung with gilt
tering gewgaws and she wore a prOtuslOn
Of Jewels: they were diamonds 10 front
of her, diamonds to back Of her. glisten-
ing and shining. Finally, the child, who
had hid her face in her new-fOund
friends dress, looked up and when she
saw she gave great gasp of JOY.
Dear, dear Christmas Tree she said,
come home with me; come The Red Rat
told me the President would glib me
Christmas tree. but I didn't know he was
a go'in' TO hang all de little tricks on
real live lady. Oh, miss, my beautiful
Christmas tree, come home with me;
come
Now it would be interesting 10 say
that the Christmas Tree spurned the child,
because most people Ike TO believe the
worst rather than the best, but this is a
true tale. and so I must tell you that one
of the dearest, and certainly the very
worst dressed, women in Washington put
her arms about the child and together
they left the White House. You can
imagine the rest. how the child went
home in a fine carriage, and how the
Christmas Tree arranged a real Christ
mas tree for her little pTOtege. and how
from that time she became the protector
Of the tiny waif, who is the mother Of a
family now The Christmas Tree stood
godmother to every one of the children,
and very prosperous, while the Christ
mas Tree is still unmarried and still
wears the gewgaws that make her al
most impossible to her family and friends
My dear old grandfather used often 10
refer 10 the New Years reception at the
White House Of 1875 as the most brilliant
one he had ever attended. The house,
you know had all been done over after
the fire lighted by the British in 1914, and
been furnished with things that the Mon
roes had selected in Paris when Mr.. Mon
roe was American minister there. and the
Marquise Lafayette, the great Lafayette.
was the guest Of honor. His presence had
attracted a number of distinguished peO-
Die and the coming Presidential election.
with Adams, Clay. and Jackson for candi-
dates, furnished a delectable topic for
conversation. The Iar7- Band. which
was kidnapped from Italy, you remember,
had become a national institution at that
time. and played patriotic airs, while such
men as Stephen Van Rensselaer,, Rufus
King, Gen. Jackson, Daniel Webster, and
Henry Clay told stories, or, what is your
dreadful slang, 'swopped lies in the cor
ners. That must have been a great win
/ ter that winter Of 1926 Lafayette was
the nations guest, and there was round
after round Of festivities in his honor.
You must remember his celebrated toast,
| Senator, which was offered at the dinner
given him at the Willard, then known
as Williamson's: Perpetual union among
the States. 1t has saved Us in times Of
danger. it will save the world"
4 remember my grandfather speaking
| especially of the presence in Washing
/ ton that winter of Senator Chandler, of
Maine. 1t seems that he and Chandler
were great cronies, and saw much Of
| each other, for that rigid old Puritan,
with his keen wit and flashing satire.
attracted my grandfather, who was half
/ Puritan, half cavalier, and hobnobbed
] A..
! casion offered. Chandler represented Mas
! sachusetts in Congress from 1906 to 1905, and
was one of the first two Senators from
Maine after its separation from Massa-
/ chUsetts. According to my grandfather,
/ Chandler was a character, and welded a
wide influence in the public life, of which
/ he was a part.
"Of course. you all recall Gen Jackson's
receptions on New Years Day, with their
feasts and good cheer, especially that
| historic one in 1885, when the gigantic
cheese, the gift of a patriotic farmer in
! New York, was cut and distributed
among the guests with limitless punch
and other drinkables, which made such a
! scandal that the serving of refreshments
at New Years was discontinued, never TO
! be resumed to=this day. But have most
/ pleasure in looking back TO the New
Years receptions at the White House
/ that I myself remember. and those, as !
/ have said, date back only a short time. to
/ the Presidency Of Gen. Grant. I wish l
could make you all understand how gra-
/ cious and serene and lovely the home
/ life Of the Grants was. There was no
pvetensiOn, no OVERRIDING of anything, at
their private or their public entertain
/ ments, but sincerity and good intention
marked all they did. Nellie was a bright.
sparkling girl, as I first remember her;
| Fred strong, manly boy, and Buck and
| Jesse as tame and unobiectional as bows