Evening star., 1934-03-25

with grandpa and grandma and will doubt
have a good time this year Mr.. Hoovers grand
children were occasional visitors to the White
House but were probably little too young TO
know what it was all about.
There is no home so bright and cheerful as a
home where can be heard the cooling of the in
FAINT, the laughter of the tot and the romping and
the yelling of the half -grown-up and the White
House is not different from any other home in
this respect for its occupants are the happiest
when surrounded by children. OF course here
are held great state functions, and here the
President and his family meet the crowned
heads of the world and other foreign notables,
together with our own celebrated Americans.
Here too come the theatrical profession, al
ways glad to respond to an invitation from the
President, and the best entertainers are not
infrequently his guests. But with the Chief
Executive no recreation has ever been quite
so helpful and pleasing the brief periods
afforded him in the privacy Of his family, where
he can enjoy to the fullest the association with
the little ones of whom the scriptures have
said: Suffer little children to come unto Me.
and forbid them not: for of such is the King
dom Of God.'
John Adams. the first President to occupy
the White House, took up his residence there
on November l. 18O0 and vacated it the follow
ing March, when Thomas Jefferson was in
Quoted into Office. This was the briefest stay
of President in the mansion, except the one
month residence Of William Henry Harrison.
Apparently, John Adams stay here was not
blessed with the association of children. His
son, John Quincy Adams, who also became
President, was then 80 years of age, was prac-
ticing lNw in Boston and much interested there
in poli.lcs being elected in 1902 to serve Massa-
chusetts in the Federal Congress. Another son
of the second President died in New York about
1900.
THOMAS JEFFERSON followed somewhat the
example of the illustrious Washington by
marrying Martha SHELTON, young widow of %.
He was then 20, and during the eight years that
he pFacticed law he was engaged in 948 cases,
which yielded him about So 900 year-a good
sum for that period In addition to this, his
plantation brought him in 81, 900 annually, and
his wifes estate another 81 000 so that his net
income was around $1,000. His married life
short, for his wife lived but 10 years dying
at the age of 33. In the meantime, however,
he became the father Of six daughters, only
two of whom survived until maturity-Martha
and Mary.
He extremely fond of his children, and
when he sailed for Europe in the Spring of
1874, after accepting the post Of minister pleni-
potentiary, he took Martha with him. Two
years later Mary completed the family in Paris
and the two girls were placed in a convent
for their education, but when Martha, then 16,
wrote her father, asking permission to become
nun, his reply was their withdrawal from
the school and later their introduction to the
brilliant society of Paris. 1t is said that not
then, nor at any subsequent time, was this in
cident ever referred to by Mr.. Jefferson or
Martha, and that the latter only spoke of it
years later when she the happy wife of
Thomas Mann Randolph and the mother of
half score of children, and then only to re-
mind them how narrowly they missed failure to
have her for their mother.
When Mr. Jefferson became President. it was
this same daughter, Martha, who visited her
father as often as possible and spent as much
time at the White House her many family
duties would permit. Naturally, one or more of
her children, upon occasions, accompanied her to
Washington, and, indeed, one-JameS RAN
dolph-proved to he the first child born in the
Executive Mansion. They all loved their
grandfather, and many years later one of them
said: s-lioIs' ..,iuNe "a
As child 7 IISpd IN follOu him about and