The Washington herald., 1918-12-22

She was a most genial spirit and
brought with her to the management
of the mansion those rare qualities
of the Virginia gentlewoman of that
period. At the Christmas dinner in
the White House in 1903, she intro
duced two dishes that had been pre-
pared under her personal direction
by Aunt Hannah, the venerable col
ored chief cook. These were rabbit
potpie and roast pig Enthusiastically
displayed" After being Drowned to
a turn the "shoat" was presented
to the guests with a large red apple
between its jaws and elaborately drap-
ed in parsley and holly branches with
red berries.
Under the evolution of the in
terror of the White House following
the civil war the state dining room
was restored to the colonial style.
but not to the homelike simplicity
which characterized that apartment in
the early days of the republic. A
Maryland Senator once referred IA
cetiously to the effect as the up
to-date colonial style"
The Christmas parties OF the days
of the early Presidents were con-
tinued up to the first winter of Pres
ident Lincoln:s occupancy of tho
| White House. They were occasions
OF fun and frolic with convention
! and dignity left outside in the cold.
The statesmen and grand danes who
participated in blind mans buff
and similar games became children
again as they pirouetted about in
the big parlors of the mansion and
indulged in bursts of laughter and
I - Inc
of long ago have given way to more
stately and stiT affairs according to
the modern code. Joy has been dis
placed by dignity, fun by drawn
faced seriousness.
Took Liberties with Jefferson.
For fourteen years. from 1860 to
1874, a heroic bronze statue of
| Thomas Jefferson stood as a grim
! sentinel Immediately in front of the
main front portico OF the White
House. 1t was a gife to the gov
ernment from Capt. Uriah P.
Levy, a naval officer. This tes-
timonial is now displayed in
/ the rotunda Of the Capitol where it
was removed when Grover Cleveland
was President. In civil war days
young men and boys would get into
1 lllt pdTh OIl SNc anu piO-
| ceed to decorate the bronze Jeffer-
| son with evergreens and winter
! flowers and the statue would pre-
sent a pretty picture Christmas morn
| ing. Later some vandals proceeded
/ to make the representation of the
great jefferson ridiculous by sup
plying him with Galway whiskers, an
old beaver hat and clay pipe pro-
I truding from his mouth. After that
strict watch was kept on the statue
| and the grounds as well
In the civil war period the great
Lincoln frowned upon any undue show
of levity, even in the Yuletide. He
became the man of sadness because
| of the great fratricidal war that was
| raging. Mrs Lincoln usually gave
| personal directions as to the Christ
mas events, and lent the charm of
| her presence to the holiday recep-
tions. In the days of President Lin
| coins occupancy of the White House
! there were no appliances for pre-
venting the odors from the big kitch-
en- from arising and permeating the
| premises. 1t is said army officers
and other visitors could tell by sniff
| ing the atmosphere just what was to
! be presented on the menu. Two off,
GERS just from the front were callers
one Christmas eve. Upon entering
the main door one of them exclaimed
I'VE are just in time to be in
vited to a dinner of ham and cab
bage."
His companion after several
sharp "sniffs" replied:
| You're wrong about ham and
cabbage. It's fresh pork and tur-
nips we will be invited to partake
Of"