Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21
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after that happy event found four little
stockings in a row before the Christmas
tree. and Santa Claus. after filing them,
delivered to the owners all kinds Of costly
playthings Just as though she were one
of their little princesseS, the rulers OF the
cred Baby Esther on her first Christmas
with all sorts of costly things. including
six cloaks twenty pairs OF channels skin
shoes, twenty white silk dresses. a dozen
caps a gorgeous christening robe. no end
of knitted socks. yard upon yard OF costly
dress fabrics, rich furs. cradles. cribs
baby carriages. wonderful dolls. all won
derfully dressed: tea sets and toys with
out number. which little Esther willingly
shared with her older sister. Ruth. VINO
had been less fortunately endowed simpl-
because she had not been born while her
father was President. And the las
Christmas eve that the Clevelands spcn
in that finest old house in the land old
Santa Claus found six little stockings in
4 row, for in the previous July tiny Ma
rian had been born at the Presidents
home at Buzzards Bay. And after the
Clevelands left the White House two more
pairs of socks-thOse OF little boys-were
found on Christmas ewes. but those OF
Ruth came To be missed. for she passed
away TO the good place where every day
is Christmas and where her father now
dwells with her.
The White Houses next tenants, tho
Mckinleys, brought with them no chill
dren or grandoh .laren. large or small,
for they had los both their babies long
before they came TO live in the home
of our Presidents However. they had
four young nieces and cousins who used
to make the Winter holidays merry for
them. Mrs. Mckinley was continually
knitting socks and things to he placed
in Santa Claus pack for delivery at
the homes of the m.ny children who
knew and loved her. She was one OF
Santa's best friends in those days
The busiest White House Yuletide
since the war was that which fell lust
after the Roosevelts moved In with
their family of four boys and two girls,
all OF them still at the toy age. save
the eldest two-Theodore. jr.. and Miss
Alice. But although more presents
We're brought down the eight big CHM
neys of the old house that night than
IN many years. and Though more
stockings We're hung there in row
before the fire, st. Nick was greatly
disappointed because Para Roosevelt
would not allow him to bring "A Christ
mas tree for the little ones. This Was
because the new President had the no.
ton that he must discourage what he
called the wanton destruction of small
evergreen trees at Christmas time: but
MT Pinchot. the governments on ef
forester, sided with Santa Claus and
showed how juGicious Chr stu,as tree
cutting did the forests good in many
places So during the second winter
the Roosevelts spent in the White
House Old Kris conspired with roguish
Archie to give the family a re / Ch-i T.
mas tree. And after the presents had
ali been distributed in the library ac-
cordlng TO The Roosevelt custom this
younS sprite took his father by the
hand and. leading him to an old closet
opened the door upon a little Christ
mas tree all studded with miniatures
eslectric lights and hung with presents
LOT al members of the family After
the President had finished Laughing
at Arches prank he took the children
INTO the Prince Of Wales room'' whore
tney FOUND real electric train running
upon a miniature track. with switches.
signal lights. sidings and stations.
Inc grandest Christmas party given in
the White House since the civil var
was the magnificent ball which President
roosevelt gave TO his youngest daughter
Etne., at The time of her debut when
she was but seventeen. The entire suite
OF state apartments was thrown omen and
and the hundreds of guests tripped up the
grand stairway into the lobby wke-a
portraits of Presidents gazed across
nanks OF Christmas green's and rows of
huge vases holding whole trees Of
holly.
Like fairy princess, the faxen-haired
debutante. in her first ball gown-a love
~ creation of white satin studded with
cryStalS-StOod beside her mother in fha
blue parlor. amid wagonloads of flowers
sent Dy friends from far and near The
Marine Band. in scarlet coats playad
merriiy at the front end of the east roC
IN which great apartment of so nj
Shrlstmas memories the dag
young diplomats, in court dress.
young army and naval officers in !,
uniform, tripped the light fantastic with
the debutantes of the season and a long
A.
supper was served at little tables scat
tered through the grand corridor and
dining rooms. And two nights later Mss
Ethel was the guest of honor at q
Christmas ball given by Mrs. Levi Letter
In the white and gold ballroom of her
mllllon-dollar palace on Dupont Circle
here the go young guests danced be-
meath scores of gold baskets filled with
DeSonlas and hung from pink satin rib
bonS. while the great mirrors on the
wall reflected their forms as they gld-
ed across the floor to music waited
through great screen of smilaX and
pink blossoms
And Miss Helen Taft had quite as mer-
~ time during the Christmas week fol-
Toying her debut in the White House.
Every night of that week she attended
both dinner party and a ball at differ
ent houses, and upon one night she at
tended the theater between two such
functions.
Good-hearted little Charlie Taft prob
dbls 1HIlSlIIldS III Inlllu When. COM
menting on his fathers nomination, he
said: But 1 am awfuly sorry for Quen-
tin Roosevelt, for L don't want him to
leave the White House. Yet he can visit
me often and We will have some fun to-
gether.'
There was no Christmas tree i'm the
White House during the Taft regime as
all of the Presidents children were rather
too big for that. Robert was a college
student throughout his fathers term;
Miss Helen, too. was in college until pre-
scented to society, and Charlie was in his
Uncle Horace's boarding school, up in
Connecticut. But that happy family all
ways had it's winter reunion at the White
House during the holiday week
President Wilson has also brought TO
the White House a family past the toy
age. There are Miss Margaret, the mu-
stefan, landscape gardener and settlement
worker, whose chief interest is bringing
happiness to the children of the poor:
Miss Eleanor. the art student, who also
has taste for the serious things of life,
and the former Miss Jessie the echoes OF
whose wedding bells are still ringing in
our ears
However, there are in the Wilson FAM
iy several babies who will doubtless re-
ceive Christmas surprises from the pres
ent chief magistrate. These youngsters
are the Presidents grandnieces and
49,