Evening star., 1928-12-16
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.

BY MAkGAkET d. DOWNANG.
Prince de Ligne, Ambassador from
Belgium, is among the several ENJOYS
in Washington whose Christmas feast
is sent in a large measure from Brus-
sells The Ambassador, like others of the
diplomatic corps, invites his staff to a
typical holiday feast. 1t is held on
Christmas evening necessarily, since
be a fast day. It may be said that
the heads of foreign legations have
taken over turkey and cranberries, in
lieu of the goose or other fowl and the
apple sauce and stewed gooseberrieS of
Europe. But certain cheese is highly
esteemed In Belgium soft, sharp,
highly favored cheese which is not i'm
ported to this country except by Bel
gianS for their own use and always Is
an attraction. A mammoth wheel of
this arrives in ample time for diStribu
tion among Belgians in the diplomatic
households and becomes an acceptable
part of the menu at the Christmas
feast. In Czechoslovakian lands, goose
is the favorite dish for Christmas. as it
is in all the Scandinavian countries,
and oS rule the goose, specially pre-
pared, many Of them in chafing dishes,
ing at the Yuletide feast At the Span
ish embassy the highly favored, rich
and delectable dishes of iberia are pre-
pared, many Of them in chafing dishes
since there are no open fires as required
by tradition. and gas and electric
ranges are not fitted for the slow. lin
gering processes observed.
DR.. Francis E. Walker, professor of
English in the University of British
Columbia at Vancouver, will with proper
ceremonies plant two sturdy oaks which
were presented to him by the town
authorities of Bescovel, a pretty village
in the English Midlands adjacent to
Worcester. Dr. Walker is the descendant
OF a long-ago heroine of Bescovel, Eliza
beth Pendrell Yates, who hid the young
man, afterward known as Charles II,
in a great oak near the family home.
He and his gallant adherentS had lost
the battle of Worcester and the soldiers
of Cromwell were searching the coun-
tryside for Charles when his benefac-
tress conceived the idea that he would
be safer in the tree than anywhere else,
and all day the royal scion perched
wearily on a limb and after dark, dis
guised in garments provided by the
lady, he escaped to the coast and to
France. When Charles II was securely
on the throne of his father he decreeS
a pension in perpetuity to the resource
.ful maiden and this pension now is
paid annually to Dr. Walker, as one of
four direct descendants. 1t amounts
to but $45,000, but that was big sum
in the late seventeenth century and
made the original recipient quite an
nelreSS. BeScoval village has always
taken care OF the royal oak and each
year some OF the acorns are planted to
pe presented as valued gifts to de-
scendants or other relatives of Eliza
beth Pendrell Yates, or to any one who
would appreciate such historic sapIing
DR.. Walker will place his two trees on
the campus Of the university.
Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. wife
OF the governor-elect of New York. was
among the most reserved and conserva-
tive OF official hoStesses during her
eight years residence here, when her
husband was Assistant Secretary of the
Navy: The Roosevelt home during this
Lengthy period was at 2l3I r street.
directly opposite the p' esent residence
OF Senator and Mrs. Peter Goelet Gerry.
Mrs. Roosevelt was one Of q small group
OF women in Official life who sterniy
forbade the publication OF their photo
graphs, Mrs. John W. Weeks. wife of
the late Secretary of War being her
strong abettor in this determination.
It was during the prolonged illness of
the governor ELECT that Mrs. Roosevelt
entered active affairs, political and
otherwise. She has rare gift for pub
lie speaking. and her work for philan-
thropy which has grown into such pro-
portions that it ranks as an industry.
developed from her own eloquent ap-
peals from public platforms. Mr.. and
Mrs. Roosevelt have five children, two
of whom were born during their fathers
service in the Navy Department. Anna
Eleanor, now Mrs. Curtis B. Dali, was
. tall slim maiden when the Prince Of
Wales visited the Cathedral School
The two older sons are James and
Elliot. The former is in the sophomore
year at Harvard and lived at the George
Smith Hall in Cambridge. Elliot and
his small brothers, Franklin, jr, ana
Robert, are at Groton. A sharp cleav-