Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-19
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Christmas to Be Gay Feast at British Embassy
Holiday Celebration of Latin American Dip
4 lop,atc Corps to Be More Solemn

IS. Chg stmas will be al gay feast; at
: the British embassy. and "a group of
/. merry chifdren-those Of Sir Auckland
and Lady Geddes-wilf be joined gby
other Of Britons on the ambassador
STAFF land will create the traditional
scene. made classic by Dickens. Lady
Spring Rice and her pretty little
daughter. Miss Betty, now d staid
young lady about, to, be presented to
! the queen. entertained joyous
Christmas eve party in the year pre-
fcedinG the great war. when all the
Historical accessories OF the day were
observed The children Of Sir Auck-
sand and. Lady sGeddes are. younger
sSir Cecil Spging-Rice and no doubt
Santa Claus will figure conspicuously
an their enicyments.s But whatever
1.-THE features of the eve when the en-
:pitable roof Of the embassy. the day
proper will be observed according to
\ century-old ritual. The small Britt
ions here will miss the waits" the
ane DID Saxon hymns the coming of
sthe Savior with the first hint in dawn.
zBut later In the day they may hear
sthe same hymns in st. Johns or any
: the nursery is an early affair and will
be about 3 o'clock, when a nicely
{ Drowned goose. stuffed with potato,
Will be the chief dish. and York hire
pudding. Banbury tarts all those
things which British children eat in
Mother Goose and out of it. There is
!. a broad open fire in the British en-
sbassy nursery, and without doubt, as
the day closes in and the WITCH ng
time for storytelling draws near.
> they win huddle together before the
: blazing logs to listen to the spooky
tales which are part of the days en-
: tertainment.
Christmas tree was celebrated lin the
Embassy Of Austro- Hungary, though
@Ior many years 1t was the most bril-
: liant place of assemblage to be found
-Sthe days when Baroness Hengelmuller
aud her charming. little daughter gave
80 much attention to every detail. A
great Christmas tree was mounted in
the drawing room-~of the embassy,
which stands so forlorn- and tenant
less in Connecticut avenue near n
street. and every man. woman and
child who had the slenderest claim to
-be remembered at this time appeared
at some time In the evening to receive
substantial gift and a, fine supper.
The newsboys and messenger boys,
~the guardians OF the law who served
-op the street and at special functions
At the embassy. the butcher. the baker.
S,sA1C CANAC OOAhhsActStAf 4DOQy
{ inE anything whatever to the. estab-
: lfshmentt during the year, were well
coined and feted. At ~ O'clock all
s cufsiders Withdrew. and the ambassa-
adorss STAN and household sat down to
supper, which began. with the bring
ding in OF. the boar's head. after the an
Client custom of the. now defunct dual
empire. There. was a steaming bowl
OF wassail-a feature of the British
embassy =celebra tion.s too--a beverage
N r,n 1oA a Af~ %nkr Ia
/ but of which the eompone mt parts still
@remain . mystery.
&. The majority of the children in. the
: foreign corps at Washington belong
ito the Latin families. and xhristmas
! Tor them is q solemn religious feast,
sdivested Of all the features attaching
: to the English and Teutons Lcelebra- :
who has the largest family. in the
-cerpe-havfng seven younesters.. the
Oldest not quite eleven--win. with
Mime. EliSalde. have some minor, en-
stert4inments durins. hehoifdays.. but
son Christmas day the principal s@at-
Traction viii be the scene at Bethle-
hem. reproduced In a pretty grouping
sofs statues. such as are seen in all
Catholic churches Nearly all the
small IAtins take. great pride in these
Parties through the week to view
each crib. But twelfth. night is the
4children's day with the Latins = the
sChrfstmas OF, the gentiles--and nearly
<eyery Latin home has some special
sfanction planned for that date. But
sAll the small South and Central Amer
cleans and Mexicans will eat turkey,
nuts. rais1ns and other good things on
christmas day. AZ the native child
does. and through the week they win
attend the fancy balls and theater
parties. The daughters of thu Nor
swegian minister and Nine BryH never
forget their national customs ON the
Birthday Of the Savior, which In to.
and sheayes of wheat for the birds.
and part Of the routine of their day>fs
TO drive Tar into the country and place
Ssuch OFFERINGS on high fences or tied
quaint little folks from. non-Christian
daIpds lent q picturesque touch to the
Christmas feast, but they are SO few
NOW as to be Negligible. The chill
-dren of Yung Ktai, the charge. DAT
American mother and adhere to .her
traditions. 49, ess54.
.sQueen Elizabeth, Of Belgium has
been' passing busy days, since her
return from the visit to the South
American countries. getting her pet
ali the cehters Of rural population
libraries for children. Before sailing
with King Albert for Brazil she had
iesued appeals to friends in England
and IN this country for books which
would attract and amuse children.
.nnd the response was 30 generous
That II has taken weeks instead OF
days to distribute the offerings In
the places which were prepared 10
receive them Practically the entire
Belgian relief commission IN this
country. through the American Library
Association. contributed Thousands OF
volumes. Mrs. Larz Anderson. who
children. had her volumes translated
into Flemish and other dialects for
this special purpose and sent thcm
In such 1avish numbers that shc de-
serves the good will Of every young
ater who with be breatA1eaa over the