Show L- L Letter etter s' s et r. r Edited by Joseph Bucklin Bishop car carE E soars sors J S- S A White House Chri Christmas Christmas- Ul W To Master James A. A I. I b y Washington fi e g R. R mon all th the tha presents I got I 1 dont don't dont fr there was all one I appreciated more morer r f than ban yours yours urs for tor I was waR brought up UI to ad- ad adI I mire mir and r respect your grandfather and I Id d I have a e very great and r es-r It tem teem for your our father It always seems f to tl to me as it If f you children were being brought up tho the way that mine are nrc Yesterday Archie got among his presents presents pres pres- a small rifle rint from me and a pair tf riding r his Ills mother lie Ile wont won't be babble able USO IQ the rifle until until next next summer ummer buthe mm buthe has gon our very h happy happy hap hap- p- p py py hi th the riding boots for tor a side on the call all A Algonquin go the one you ou rode ode J ie o of h i D da Yesterday Ester ay morning af 1 q se e nil altY th the children w wet were rc up IP tip and a d dressed ar s d and he begun un to hammer a at at the door of or their mothers mother's and my roo room in their six stockings all ll bulging out out- with queer angles and hanging from the fire fire- place So mother I 1 got up 8 shu Ut lit fit the fire tire taking dot down n tn the stockings of ot course put on our wrappers and prepared d to admit the tho children But nut first there was a surprise sur sur- surprise surprise sur- sur prise for Cor me ma also for tor their good mother for Archie had a little tree of his of-his his own which he had rigged with up-with up with help otone of ot the tha carpenters ila in il a big closet and we all had 1 to tD look at atthe atthe th the tree and each of ot ofus us got a present off of or it- it There was also one present presente e each th for tor Jack the dog Tom Quartz the kitten and Algonquin the pony whom Archi Archie would o no more or of neglecting neglect neglect- t- t than ing-than ing than J would ne neglect lect his brothers and sisters Then all alt the children ca cane came e int into our bed and anti there they their stockings Afterwards we got dressed and took breakfast tast and then all went into the th- library libran where each a. a b chill child l had a R. table set for his bigger presents Quentin had a perfectly cl de delightful delightful de- de electric railroad which lacy had been rigged d up for him by one of or his friends the White House electrician D who has been very good to all the children Then Ted and I with General Gen Gen- eral Wood od and Mr Ir Bob Ferguson who was a lieutenant in my regiment went for a three hours' hours ride and all aU of us Including the children took lunch pt fit t the house with the childrens children's aunt Captain Cowles Cowles Archie Archie and Q Quentin having their lunch at a little litHe table their cousin Sheffield Late in the afternoon I pla played e at single sti stick k with General Wood and Mr Ferguson T I am ant going to get your tat father er to comon come com on and try it soon We Ve have to tt try to hit hs as light a as possible but sometimes some some some- times we hit hard and today I have a bump over ver one eye and a swollen wrist Then all our family and kinsfolk and Senator Senator and Mrs Lodge had bad our s dinner at the White House I and afterwards afterwards' afterwards in the tho east cast room closing up with ith the Virginia reel reel- Tom Tom Qua Quartz Quartz tz and Jack ou e Jan Jan 6 1903 1503 Dear Kermit f We felt y ei h IY- IY after you Ou and Ted left arid and the tho e s seemed emed empty and lonely But it I was the greatest greatest great great- est possible comfort to reel feel that you both really hav havi enjoyed school and andare andare andare are both doing yell well veIl there Tom Quartz i the cunning- cunning est cst kitten I have ver seen He lie is al always always always al- al I ways playing pranks on Jack and I get very nervous lest Jack should grow too irritated The evening they were both in the Tack library library Jack sleeping before before before be be- fore the fire Tom fire Tom Quartz scampering I about an exceedingly playful little wild which 7 is about what he is He lie would race across the floor then jump upon the curtain or play pla with the tassel Suddenly he spied Jack and galloped up to him Jack looking hooking I exceedingly sullen and shame-faced shame jumped out Of the way and got upon the sofa where Tom Quartz instantly jumped upon him again Jack suddenly shifted to the theother theother theother other sofa sota where Tom Quartz again went after him Then Jack started for the door while Tom made a rapid turn under the sofa and around the table and just as Jack reached the thedoor thedoor thedoor door leaped on his hind quarters Jack bounded forward and away and the two room Jack Jack went out of ot the room not reappearing at all and after about five minutes Tom Quartz stalked solemnly solemnly solemnly sol sol- back Another the next speaker of ot the house Mr Cannon an exceedingly solemn elderly gentleman with chin whiskers who certainly does not look to be of playful nature came to call upon me He is a great friend of mine and we sat talking over ovel what our policies poll poli cies for the e session shO should be until I about 11 o'clock and anil when he went away I accompanied him to the head of the stairs He lie had gone about halfway halfway halfway half half- way down when Tom Quartz strolled by I I his tail erect and very tl fluffy tt He spied I II Mr Cannon going down the stairs I jumped to the conclusion that he was a playmate escaping and raced after him suddenly grasping him by bythe bythe bythe the leg the way he does loes Archie and Quentin when they play hide and seek with him then loosening his hold he tore downstairs ahead of Mr Cannon who eyed ered him with iron calm and not notI I lone one particle of surprise I Ethel has haR rEluctantly gone gene back to boarding school It is Just after atte lunch and Dulany is cutting my hair while I I r dictate this to Mr 11 Loeb r leCt mother moth moth- er lying on the sofa and reading aloud to Quentin who as usual has hung himself over o the back of oC the sofa sota in what I should personally regard as an exceedingly uncomfortable attitude to listen to to literature to Arcade we shall see ee this evening when he will suddenly challenge me either to a race or a 0 bear play and if neither invitation invitation tion is accepted will then propose that I tell a pig story or else read I aloud from the Norse NorM folk tales To be bo continued |