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Show pEgg-Rolling on Btne White House Grounds All roads lead to the White Ilouse grounds for the children of Washington Washing-ton Easter Monday. Last year between 50.CO and 60,000 of the little ones, attired in their Easter best and carrying car-rying gay baskets of colored eggs, assembled as-sembled on the grounds In the rear of the executive mansion in houor of the return to the time-honored custom of the capital Easter egg rolling on the White House grounds. Not since April 24, 1916, have Washington children been able to indulge in-dulge in this annual merrymaking. In 191T, when the Easter egg rolling was suspended, the country had just entered en-tered into the war, and after the war the absence and 111 health of former President Wilson had prevented the custom from being resumed. Prepared for Event The following description is of last year's egg rolling : Young Washington had been preparing pre-paring for the event for some time. The news and the invitation from the President and Mrs. Harding had reached them through the press and the mysterious but effective underground under-ground wires of childhood. Long before 9:30 a. m., when the White House gates were scheduled to be open, a long line of impatient children chil-dren had gathered in front of them. Promptly on the stroke of the appointed appoint-ed hour they swung open and a wild whoop rent the air. It was true. There had been no mistake, and in that moment Warren G. Harding became be-came the children's President, 'with Mrs. Harding the good fairy that the little ones believed had suggested and made their Joy day possible. Before many minutes the grounds were dotted with children seeking the advantageous spots for the sport of the day egg rolling. The scene presented pre-sented in its Tivld coloring, heightened by a multitude of toy balloons, a huge I & V j Happy Youngsters. i Easter egg of a thousand hues. The I children romped, danced, put their ; tiny hands in the rainbow-tinted spray 1 from the big fountain in the center of the grounds and ate innumerable eggs. Throngs Jam the Grounds. By 10:30 the grounds were literally Jammed. All kinds and conditions of children were there, from babies In arms, w ee toddlers, to the boys of slx-Naea slx-Naea or seventeen who simplj carae to bring "little sister;" from neat colored children, starched and scrubbed until they shone with cleanliness, to children chil-dren of the diplomatic corps and Washington's exclusive circles, while the children of the cabinet watched the scene from the south portico of the mansion. One picturesque group of SO children, each with a bright-hued and well-filled basket, came from St. John's Episcopal Orphan asylum In charge of several deaconesses. One small boy boasted that It was a day when parents Just had to overlook faults In little ones because they could not leave them home else the mother could not enter the White House grounds. A small child was the only ticket and price of admission. Small boys stood by ready to be borrowed for a nickel and one "chaperon" exhibited hands full of coins he had earned by this practice, which the genial policemen at the gate, found It convenient not to observe too closely. While "small children" were the. open sesame, in some instances the "children" were only such by a big stretch of the Imagination. Waiting for the President. The tiny guests formed a line in front of the south portico shortly before 11 o'clock in the expectation that the President and Mrs. Harding Hard-ing would soon appear. That was to be the big moment of the big day. The first White House occupant to appear on the scene was "Laddie Boy," the President's alredale led on a leash by his proud keeper, Jackson. Jack-son. A cheer of delight went up from the children. "The President's dog," they shouted from one to another. Laddie Boy behaved with the decorum de-corum due from a dog of such high estate, and proved that In the canine ca-nine world as in any other, rank does Impose obligation. He stood the or-daal or-daal of hundreds of pats, but refused all proffers of eggs and other titbits from tb children's baskets. The children watched for the President, Presi-dent, and when he appeared In the window of the executive office with one mad dash they trooped across to the magic spot It was' really he. Smiling, he waved his hands boyishly and kindly at the fluttering hands of the children greeting him. It was the big moment. At 1 o'clock when the Marine band arrived, was another big moment, and then shortly afterward came the "big moment of the day." For on the portico appeared the President and Mrs. Harding and Laddie Boy. Cheer after cheer went up and gift egfrs from many of the children were sent to the President and his wife, some the worse for the rolling process they had undergone, but all freighted with the love and thanks of the children of Washington for a red letter in their youthful calendars. Gift for Mrs. Harding. From the ranks of cheering children chil-dren broke a small boy, Paul Mann, ten years old. He bore a small box in his hand and climbed over the low fence between the lawns ar.d executive execu-tive offices and stood before the President Presi-dent The President raised the wln-dw wln-dw and smilingly took the box from him. The egg Inside was decorated with the shlold of the United Slates, ltoy Scout emblems and other Insignia, Tha tiny guests were thrilled. He turned away from the window back to the burdens of state, still Binding and carrying the egg with care. Hut where was Mrs. Harding? A number of ladles on the portico were Identified In turn as she. Finally a little girl shrilled. "There she Is the lady In brown !" 'No," answered her feminine neighbor, aged eight, In scorn, "Don't you know she must wear Harding Har-ding blue?" Actors Amuse Children. Striking contrast was thought Into the scene by the sight of boys playing play-ing in and out of the empty sentry boxes that had sheltered grim sentinels senti-nels of the President In war days. Overhead came another reminder of the strenuous days now past in airplanes air-planes flying from Boiling Held, the pilots of which were able to get an excellent panoramic view of the historic his-toric scene below. During the morning "Alice In Wonderland" Won-derland" and the "White Rabbit," from the play now appearing In town, stood for a few moments on the south portico and geeted the children. The parts were taken by Mary Cummlngs, fourteen years old, and Donald, ten. Afterward the actors mixed with the crowds and even deigned to roll a few eggs on their own account History of Egg Rolling. Egg-rolling as an Easter custom has existed in Washington since that part of It called Georgetown was full V 1 1 v. i i IS' s ? w w S? - , - - -j , - ::'-- v". '. 385 1 . -s.::.--. - . : ' ;V,7iiii?)viNus--' i On the White House Lawn, of stately colonial homes set in beautiful acres that sloped to the river, and down whose lawns tha children of that day rolled their gaily hued Easter eggs, following the old English custom that had been brought to the new world by their pioneer ancestors. The Easter egg rolling at the White House was instituted by President Grant when he discovered that Washington Wash-ington children had no central point where they could celebrate their animal an-imal festival. He Invited them on the south lawn of the White House and appeared on the south portico with a group of cabinet and other guests to watch the sport. The Presl dents that followed him kept up tin genial custom and after a while con certs by the Marine band were made a feature of the day. |
