The Washington times., 1934-12-08
Now
A Cherub Entertains
Chicago Takes Over D. c.
Some Charming Visitors
BY Helen ESSary

Some Charming Visitors
BY Helen ESSary
Members of the Chevy Chase
Garden Club had learnedly dis
cusSed fall planting, winter COM
posts, and protection for cher
1shed shrubs, at Abremont, the
home of Mrs. Henry Parson Err
win, overlooking Rock Greek
Park.
A program of Christmas music
had been given by little Aileen
and Hope Erwin and members
of the club.
Unexpectedly there appeared
in the drawing room Hal Erwin,
the youngest son of the hostess.
He said:
Mother, maybe the ladies
would like to hear my Christ
mas song"
Hal is a young cherub of
three with big, blue eyes. The
ladies were enchanted at his
idea.
Mrs. Erwin impulSively lifted
her son to a seat on the bow
of the grand piano. Without self
consciousness, Hal sang the news
that:
"Over the housetOps, 1 hear
the sound of waindeerS' feet
bringing Sanity Claus to you and
me-"
A charming little scene. And
q graceful ending to the Decem-
ber Garden Club meeting.
Again the Christmas theme
with memories of the Christmas
room of Phoebe Apperson Hearst.
Mrs. Hearst, the mother of
William Randolph Hearst. lived
in Washington when her hus-
band was a distinguished Sen
ator from California. In their
New Hampshire Avenue home
was a room known as the
Christmas Present Room.
Shelves reaching from floor
to ceiling lined the walls.
Throughout each year, Mrs.
Hearst collected special gifts
for her hundreds of friends and
the people with whom she was
associated. She wrapped her
packages carefully and stored
them safely away until the
special moment came.
Mrs. Hearst was a remark
able person and definite fig
ure in national life. Before
she was married she taught
school. Never later did she
lose her interest in education.
The Phoebe Hearst School in
Cleveland Park was named
thus by the Washington School
Board in appreciation of Mrs.
Hearst's encouragement of free
kindergartens and various other
educational enterprises.
Mrs. Hearst and Mrs. Arthur
Scott Birney founded the
Parent-Teacher Association, now
doing remarkably we'll with the
task of knitting together home
and school activities.
If you wish to know the correct
time of day or night telephone
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, DIS
trict 1000.
AS an aged Washingtonian
Of twenty-five years residence,
! am getting a little sensitive
to the success of Chicago in
running the Government.
For years "the mud flats of
the Potomac" have had to cope
with New York's managerial
hand. However, New York as
the mistress of the Washington
Administration isn't the girl
she used to be.
It seemed for a time there.
fore that Washington might di-
rect its own affairs. But prac-
tically every Western train now
adays deposits hordes of Chi
cagoans on the Union Station
platform. The difficult part of
the inundation is that these
ChicagoanS are so clever-and
60 charming.
There, for instance, is Mrs.
Harold Pyncheon, who as AIDE.
line Atwater wrote a successful
novel, Don Quixote." Mrs.
Pyncheon is visiting Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Pyncheon at 1868
Columbia Rd. She didn't ar.
rive in town by train, as I init
mated, but, with Mr.. and Mrs.
Carveth Wells and Miss Frances
Wells, Mrs. Pyncheon drove
from Chicago-in 18 hours.
Mr.. Wells also is a person of
Importance. He has recently
published a new volume, "Ex-
ploring the World" and is now
1ecturing in Washington on his
travel experiences.
Miss Rose Greeley is enter.
tanning for Mr.. and Mrs. Wells
tonight, when Mr.. Wells will
show his pictures of Russia.
Last night Mr.. and Mrs. Lothrop
Stoddard had a small dinner
for Mr.. and Mrs. Wells. Mrs.
Stoddard, who sings like an
angel, only much more anus
ingly, was persuaded to do a
few songs.
If she avoids beauty shops
they saw.