The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-02

satisfied by them And not even the
selves, could one have looked within,
would have been found TO be more pure
and beautiful than those same mother
hearts" as the grown-up little girls
clasped their dolls" lovingly. long ago.
But one cannot get all things one wants
at Christmas. or so it would seem, from
the fact that it was, and still is In some
places and with some folk. a custom to
give extra presents on New Years Day.
That the custom is not confined 10 any
particular State or locality is indicated
by the fact that live dolls" were received
in various parts of the United States on
and about January 1. For instance, there
is Senator Harry Alden Richardson, who
arrived at Camden, Del, on January l,
1853, exactly one week after Justice Moody
came TO the Massachusetts, home. Could
any one deny or contradict the statement
that he was, indeed and in truth, a New
Years present and one worth waiting a
week after Christmas 70 receive, too?
Born on New Years Day.
The very next New Years Day after
this notable event in Delaware, another
future United States Senator made his
appearance way down South" IN Mis-
sissippi. 1t was on plantation near
Natchez. that George f. Chamberlain,
now OF Oregon, became a member of the
Tive doll' fraternity. and It was there
that he remained until he grew up"
which is the worst OF this sort OF doll"
they won't stay little!
Representative Frederick c. Stevens,
though he represents Minnesota in Con-
gress. having lived there since 1884, was
really delivered to his mother on the first
day of the year 1861. at Boston, making
another OF the animated doll New
Years gifts, and demonstrating that the
'ity Of Culture Is not TO be outdone in
y manner.
One Of the most remarkable Of the Tive
dolls" given to a grown-up little girl was
one given to the wife Of John c. Grant,
out In a humble log cabin in Edneyville
Township, Henderson County, n. c., on
January 1. 1865 There had been two
mere babies before he arrived, but
John CASTOR Grant was the first one 10 be
a New Years present.
And 10 show that the distinction car
ries obligation, he educated himself by
the light of pine knots after his days
work was done, with no other assistance
than that derived from long hours of
hard effort over a dictionary, a spelIer, a
Davies arithmetic, and such newspapers
as he could procure. That he would be
a good man was probably the extent of
his mothers visions and hopes for his
future, and it is hardly likely that her
widest ambitions reached so far as
sas the United States Congress for
Far new Years doll"
just as Welcome.
Senator Lee Slater Overman is another
North Carolina New Years gift, he hav-
ing arrived at Salisbury, Rowan County,
two days late. in 1884, which does not in
fer that he was not quite as welcome as
those dolls" who arrived in time for the
New Years jollifcation, as did his Con-
gressionaI statesman. Mr. Grant.
Like his contemporary, Mr. Stevens,
Representative James 4. Tawney, Of the
First Minnesota Congressional district.
was born In another State, but unlike
him, he failed TO materialize as a pune
tual New Years gift. It was not until
the Sd of January, 1855, that certain
grown-up little girl who lived in Mount
Pleasant Township, Pa. received her
Give doll" and though she surely con-
sidered 1t to be the most wonderful gift
of the holiday season, she did not antici-
pate his future, as he he was apprenticed
as a blacksmith at the age of fifteen.