Thursday Morning - December 26th, 1889
My dear Robert,
Such a day as yesterday was for all of us. I wish so often for you and you should certainly have had as much pleasure as one could wish out of watching Benjamin and Mary. I will try to give you a little description of the day although I can’t really do the subject justice with my pen.
We hung up a stocking for each of the children and put a few little things in them. Benjamin [president’s grandson] thought it was great sport when he woke up in the morning and Josephine handed him his stocking in bed to look through of course Mary [president’s granddaughter] is too young to have appreciated her stocking very much although she opened her eyes wide at everything. After breakfast we lighted the tree (almost half past ten) and I do wish you could have seen Benjamin and Mary as I took them into the room. I have the tree put into the room up stairs that we used last year for the nursery. We could darken that so well and as it is not in use at present the children can enjoy their tree for several days. We called all the employees and servants in and I think they were as much pleased as the children. Papa [President Harrison] gave each man who has a family a turkey and those who have not - a pair of gloves. We also had some little remembrances for the cooks, laundresses, waiters and those that are immediately around us…
I gave mama [Mrs. Harrison] a pair of gold side combs for her hair and Papa a pocket piece - it is a silver dollar so arranged that it opens and contains a place for a picture. Mama thought he would be pleased to have it for a picture of Benjamin. I can hardly begin to enumerate all the children had but by Sunday I will try to send you a list as I know all the family will be interested in knowing each little play thing. I can tell you they were well remembered and glorious is the only word that expresses the sort of day they had… I must tell you something of my Christmas - Father send my a twenty-dollar gold piece. His note was the best part of it - I will send it to you to read but put it away in my desk as I want to preserve it. Mama gave me a old mahogany bedstead it is very handsome…
Love to all. Much for yourself and kisses from the babies. You should have seen Papa and Benjamin yesterday - they had a mighty happy day together.
Your loving wife,
Mame
No comments:
Post a Comment