Evening Star Newspaper, December 24, 1922, Page 39

* That Ten-Million-Dollar Christmas Check Dipl HIS has been such a glad, glad, £1ad Christmas for me! 1 am %o happy —so grateful —so blessed! That's the word— . E TH BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER. the day of love and cheer, the day when love is everywhere, and all we | Uncle Henry read, “Sentimental slush! llove are dear, | smeeringly. “What were you going to give our | nephew for Christmas?" “A Christmas card,” Aunt Jane fal-| tered. “It was not much. It wnli SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D.. Sausage. BY €€ B. DOWNING, HE night before Christmas,” nor the day, either, will bear the slightest resem- blance to the poem so dear to small Americans in the homes of the diplomatic contingent in Wash- ington. Forty-nine independent na- tions are represented by ambassadors, ministers and charges d'affaires, and in their homes and those of the sec- retaries and attaches composing their staffs Christmas eve is to be the gay- est day of the year and the little people will observe the feast -after the customs of their respective coun- tries, mingled a little with the ways of the western world. And because the eve of the most significant of all Christian feasts comes on Sunday this year it 1s to be celebrated in the Jjoyous gift-giving sense, leaving the morrow for the religious observance. Three happy youngsters will par- take today of the Christmas feast in “It {s noble! It is splendid’” Aunt|the British embassy—Peggy, John Jane breathed, putting one frail hand lovingly on his shoulder. “You are & g00d man, Henry!" €., DECEMBER 24 1922—PART 4 omatic Corps, Representing People Of 49 Nations, Will Observe Christmas _ Customs of Many Parts of World to Be Carried Out by Children of Ambassadors, Minis- ters and Others Who Are Here as Representatives of Foreign Governments—Beliefs of Chil- dren of British Envoy as to Santa Claus—Eldest Child in Each of Several Households From Abroad Watches for Coming of Star—Candles for Ilumination—Making of Christmas | many busy hands become engaged in lighting those on the tree. Beneath the tree, which is deco- rated In beloved Polish emblems brought from the old home, the white eagle, the statues of saints and na- tional herves and of the brave het- mans, a tiny presentation of the scene in Bethlehem will be uncovered and the family will kneel there for a few minutes before beginning the dinner. Fish In many ways is always served at the Polish Christmas banquet, first, because the eve is a fast day, and, next, because it recalls the avocation of Christ's first disciples and that the Divine Redeemer had few such luxuries as meat during His earthly career. On Christmas day proper the min- | ister and his family will have their first traditionally American Christ- mas dinner, and the youngsters an- ticipate this part of the program with much impatience. | HERE are no more ancient and fascinating Christmas customs ob- served in the Christian countries than The minister, Dr. Bedrich Stepanek, keeps bachelor hall at the legation In 8 street, but he and his sister, Mile. Stepanek, who was so kindly a chatelaine last year, are spending the holiday season in the old home, Prague. find expression In the household of Dr. and Mme. Alois Spangler and of Dr. and Mme. Rudolf Kuraz. The latter have two little girls, Eva and Dagmar, who are six and elght, and who will eat dinner at dusk with their parents and listen to the happily, are about to come again. The little girls, at first peep of day. | g0 out with their governess and scat- ter crumbs for the birds and later journey to nearby parks and leave | bags of nuts for the squirrels. In sll Bohemian households the in the republic of Czechoslovakia. ! Some of the old ways will | old storles of Bohemia's past, which, | et i i M e daiee < 4 o0 “1 a rag doll and a few sweets, and none of the ancient ways of that pic- | turesque land will mark the celebra- tion, but next year Prince and Prin | cess Bibesco hope for a more chara:- | teristic feast. | The minister from Hungary, Count- | ess Szechenyl and their five daugh {ters will pass the holidays with the mother of the countess, Mrs. William Vanderbllt, in New York, and no spe- cial observance of the day will be marked in the homes of the several | attaches, Two-thirds of the two bundred and more youngsters in the diplomati corps of Washington are found in the latin American homes. The minis- ter from Ecuador and Senora Elizalde have eight children, and this is not an exceptional case. Several of the small Elizaldes wera born here and have attended school for three four vears. They are entirely perme- ated with American traditions and will celebrate the feast as thelr play- only a picture of Santa Claus—" “No! No, not if T send that boy a “A ten-cent card; with a special|paitry $1,000," said Uncle Henry. envelope and & Christmas seal on the | “what is money when a man's life back?" asked Uncle Heary. | has been made noble and true in & “No, It wag & postcard; it was a one- | minute after years of sin and selfish- cent postcard,” said Aunt Jane, ness? Jane, we will send the boy “It will not do!" declared Uncle|$10,0000 With our love, Jane—with Henry. “For my nephew, who has|your love and mine." written the words, ‘Oh, brighter grows | He dipped shis pen in the Ink and our love for all, we love them, fond | hesitated. and true’ a penny postcard, even “Jane” he said. “what is mere with & picture of Santa Claus on one money compared with the joy and side, and ‘This side for the address peace of heart this boy has brought only’ on the other, is not enough.|to us in his precious words? We are No; you must put on your coat, Jane, | rich, Jane; we have wealth. To give blessed; that's the only word that|Hypocritical bunk! Listen, ‘Oh, bright- | does describe it; happy and blessed, | er grows our love for all, we love and grateful to dear, dear Uncle |them, fond and true—our relatives, Henry, And it just shows how you |both far and near, and aunt——'" can misjudge & man: how vou can do| “What say, Henry?' asked Aunt him an injustice, O, T am so happy! | Jane. Tt is such & good, good world! And| *‘Our relatives, both far and near, to think that one poem—one little | and aunt——' " repeated Uncle Henry, | poem— reading the line again, but his voice | Maybe you read it. my littie poem. | was strangely unsteady. “‘And Tt was not much, but {o was all my | aunt——"" he repeated, feeling in his own; I wrote it all, every word of it:|pocket for hiw handkerchief. *‘And “0, Christmas day has come again.|aunt—" the day of love and cheer, the day; He put his handkerchief to h: when love is everywhere and all We| *‘and aunt and uncle, too" eyes. read love are dear, O, brighter grows our love for all, we love them fond and true—our relatives hoth far and near and aunt and uncle, too.” Like that, all written out Itke Walt Mason writes them, so you don't know they are poetry until you have read a couple of lines, mnd then you go ahead and read the rest, even if it| is postry, to see If he has skipped a rhyme anywhere. 1 called it “O Hap- py Day! O Joyous Day!” and it was printed in the newspaper with my name on it and I forgot all about it. worgoet all about 1t! Think of that— 1 forgot all mbout ft! And it has meant &6 much, se very much, to me! ©. it has made this the happlest. hap- plest day of my life! * ok % ECAUSE it was Christmas eve— last night. you understand—when T'ncle Henry happened to pick up the newspaper and saw my poem. He was looking to ses what liberty bonds were quoted at, and what the federal reserve bank rate on rediscounts was, and he saw my poem. with my name on it. And he growled—growled like & bear. “Fool! growled, 1oater, trash! Idiot! meaning me. 2 wasting his time writing Listen to this, Jane: ‘O Christ- mas day has come again. the day of tove—' Poppycock! Nonsense! Less love on a day like this than any day of the year, and you know it, and 1} know it, and this puppy-fool of a nephew of mine knows it!” “Yes, Henry."” d my meekly. “‘Q Christmas day has come again. Aunt Jane, Mr. Dooley on Marriage and Politics BY FINLEY PETER DU SEE,” rald Mr. Hennes: (‘ wan iv thim New York joods says a man in pollytics “Oh, “Well, P oughtn't to be marrid.” does he?’ sald Mr. Dooley. ‘tis little he knows about it. A man in pollytics has got to be marrid. I he ain’t marrid where'l he go f'r another Kind iv throuble? An’ where'll he find people to sup- port? An unmarrid man don't set along in pollytics because he don't nead th’ money. “Whin he's in th' middle iv a prim'ry, with maybe twinty or thirty v th® opposite party on top iv him, thinks he to himself, “What's th® good v fightin’ f'r a job? They'se no wan depindant on me f'r support,’ an’ " he surrinders. “But & marrid man says, ‘What'll * happen to me wife and twelve small childher if T don't win out here to- day? an’ he bites his way to the top tv th* plle an’ breaks open th’ ballot box f'r home and fireside. That's th' thruth iv it, Hinnissy. Yell find all th* big jobs held be marrid men an’ all th* timpry clerkships be bache- lors. «Th* reason th' New York jood “ihinks marrid men oughtn’t to be in \pollytics is because he thinks polly- tics is spoort. An’ so it is. But it ain't amachoor spoort. Hinnissy. They don't give ye a pewter mug with ye'er name on it f'r takin’ a chanst on bein® kilt. 'Tis a profis- sional spoort, like playin’ base ball £'r a livin’ or wheelin® a thruck. “Ye niver see an amachoor at anny- thing that was as good as a pro- . fissional. Th' best amachoor ball team is beat be a bad profissional _team; a profissional boxer that thrains on home brew an’ Swiss ‘heese can lam the head off a goold medal amachoor champeen that's been ‘atin’ moldy bread an' dhrinkin’ “ wather f'r six months, an' th' man that blows th’ coraet on the street f'r what annywan ‘Il throw him can cut the figure eight around Dinnis Finn, that's been takin’ lessons f'r twinty year. “No, sir, pollytics ain’t dhroppin’ in to tea, an’ it ain't wurrukin’ a scroll saw, or makin’ a garden in a back *Pis gettin’ up at six o'clock in th* mornin’ an’ r-rushin’ off to wur- ruk, an’ comin’ home at night tired an’ dusty. Double wages f'r over- time an’ Sundahs. * % % % €6Q0 & man's got to be marrid to do it well. He's got to have a wife at home to make him oncomfortable if he comes in dhrunk, he’s got to bave little prattlin’ childher that he c\n‘t sind - to th’ Young Ladies’ {dear Aunt Jane over his shoulder, | quaveringly. « | Dear Unclé Henry did not, I think, handkerchief. “It's lovely, Henry."” whispered Aunt Jane. “Lovely?” cried Uncle Henry. “Love- |1y, woman? It's noble! It's grand! It's uplifting! Oh! And all you can call it is lovely! He leaped from his chair and strode up and down his sumptuous room. “My nephew.” he cried, “writes a Poem—a poem that tears asunder the bars of my bosom and wrings my lis ‘lovely'! He writes the words. ‘O |love them. fond and true—our rela: «, both far and near—and aunt and uncle, too!" and you say, lovely': {a changed man of me, that opens new vistas of hope and love and—and so ! forth—to me, and you say ‘lovely'!| Jane, this poem will change the world! It will remake hearts! It will bring love and—and love into the world. My nephew has done a great, a won- derful thing! Read it to me again, Jane." * ok ok EAR AUNT JANE read my poor little poem again, and for several | minutes my dear uncle and my dear }num wept on each other’s shoulders. “Ah, Jane,” said Uncle Henry, “you | hear her, for he was sobbing into his | heart, and all You can say is that it | brighter grows our love for all, we | My nephew writes a poem that makes and hurry down and buy a ten-cent | $10,000 will be no more to us than it Christmas card. In a regular envel- | would for himn to give a dime to a ope, Jane! And we will put two beggar. Is that the way to show our Christmas seals on the back of the |gratitude? A dime to a beggar? Shall envelope—— Wait!"” ! T make the check for $100,000, Jane?" Aunt Jane paused. Uncle Henry| “With our love, Henry,” she whis- read my little poem again. For a | pered. “Send it with our love™ moment emotion choked him. “Jane,” he said, brokenl: “he is a noble lad! Jane, when you go out to buy the card, also buy a pair of socks —for him! Buy—— Wait" * ok X X S her hand touched his hair—and ohy so lovingly!—Uncle Henry's eves gleamed with high resolve. It was growing dark in the room ' “Jane.” he said .with something of {now, for day was dying. and Uncle awe in his voice, “we are selfish—you Henry walked to the window. The and 1. We cling to our earthly pos- | newspaper was in his hand. sessions on this day of love as we “Q Christmas day has come again, | cling to them all the days of the the day of love and cheer, the day|year. We are not changed; the lad's when love is everywhere and all we | poemy has not wrought its full work All we love, Jane,!in our hearts. If it had “It has, Henry; it has!” she cried. “Then,” sald Uncle Henry firmly, “you will approve what I am going to {do; T am going to send the boy, 2 check for §1,000,000! Think what it ilove are dear.’ ‘aunt and uncle, to hard-fisted old unc-unc-uncle For 2 moment or two nothing was heard in that room but sobs. Nothing but sobs! Then Uncle Henry turned Even his cross, | from the window and walked to his I desk. “Jane” he said, “you need not g0 out. You need not buy a Christmas card and a pair of socks. Iam going to send the boy a check!” “Henry! A check! A real check, on a real bank? For—for how much, Henry? For—S$107" She hesitated to mention a sum so large. She hoped, poor old dear, that | if she sald “$10” Uncle Henry might | at least make a check out for $5. | | | little know how much this means to {me! I was becoming a hard, cruel, grasping old man, but he has changed me! Jane - “Yes, Henry?" Academy onless he stuffs a ballot box properly, an’ he's got to have a sthrong desire 't to live in th’ av'noo an’ be seen dhrivin' downtown in a swell limousine with his wife settin’ Destde him. “If he hasn't these things he won't succeed in pollytics—or packin’ pork. Ye niver see a big man in pollytics that dhrank hard, did ye? Ye niver will. An’ that's because y're all marrid. Th' timptation’'s sf ng, but fear is sthronger. “Th* most domestic men in th* wur- ruld ar-re poliyticians, .an’ they always marry early. An’ that's th’ sad part iv it, Hinnissy. A polly- tician always marries above his own station. That's wan sign that he'll be a successful pollytician. “Th* throuble is, th’ good woman stays planted just where she was an’ he goes by like a fast thrain by a 'whistlin® station. *“D'ye mind O'Leary, him that's a retired capitalist now, him that was aldherman, an’ dhrainage thrustes, an’ state sinitor £'r wan term? Well, whin I first knew O'Leary he wur- ruked down on & rail section tampin’ th'y thrack at wan-fifty a day. He was a sthrong, willin’ young fellow, wih @ stiff right-hand punch an’ & schamin’ brain, an’ auny wan cud see that he was .intinded to go to th’ | good wite to him. “Ten dollars?’ Uncle Henry almost | shouted. who wrote such a poem? Ten dollars, | Jane? I am going to make out a check for $1,000!" “MRS. CASSIDY WAS ARISTOCRATIC.” Mrs. Cassidy, th’ widdy lady that kept th’ boordin' house. Arrystocracy to th' poor O'Briens back in th' alley, an’ so It goes, up th' line. d “Well, Mrs. Cassidy was arrystoc- racy to O'Leary. He niver see such a stylish woman as she was whin she turned out iv a Sundah afthernoon. He'd think to himsilf, ‘If I iver can win that I'm settled fr life, an’ iv coorse he did. 'Twas a gran’ wed- din’; manny iv th’ guests didn’t show up at wurruk f'r weeks. “O’Leary done well, an’ she was a She made money an’ kept him straight an’ started him for constable. He won out, bein’ a| sthrong man. Thin she got him to| r-run f'r aldherman, an’ ye shud've! seen her th’ night he was inaugu-: rated! Be hivins, Hinnissy, she look- ed like a fire in a- pawnshop, fair covered with dimons an’ goold! watches an’ chains. "She was cut out | 0 be an aldherman’s wife, and it was ' worth goin’ miles to ‘watch he leadin’ th’ gran’ march at th’ Ar-rchey Road Dimmycratic Fife an’ Dhrum Corps ball . i * %k % % 6PUT there she stopped. A good woman an’ a kind wan, she cudden’t go th' distance. She had th* house an’' th’ childher to care f'r an® her idjacation was through with. 1 will mean to him, Jane; think how it | will hearten him and encourage him | and give him strength to write more poems. Jane—" “Yes, Henry?" “It you are willing—if vou agree with me—I am going to send the boy"'— “How much, Henry: how much?” “Jane,” he said quletly, “I am going to send the boy $10,000,000:" Very gently, very simply, Aunt Jane bent forward and kissed him. “Henry,” she said, “vou are a go0od !ten, eight and six. f and David Geddes, aged, respectively, It is a delicate It is what I would have |¢all and rather serious looking, be- lieves that St. Nicholas descends the chimney; for John already doubts this, though David never queetions it at all. But whether the tree comes in through the chimney or through the rear entrance of the embassy, it now adorns a corner of the nursery on the third floor and will be alight ‘ he youngsters with their par- “T say 'twas different with O'LearY. |;.45 {5 eat the traditional holiday Yo talk about ye'er colleges, Hin-| q.q tnings—turkey and many kinds nissy, but poliytics is th' poor man's | ¢ gryje sauces, including the cran- college. A la-ad without enough book |3 050 "t " Jogetables, plum pud- larnin’ to r-read a meal ticket, If 3% | qing and dainty little tarts filled with give him tin years Iv pollytical e, | ¢ CF 1 o c v gerved trutts. has th' air iv a statesman an’ th'| " yany guests are asked for the aft- manner 1v & jook, an’ cud take anny |, N0 Ceng gifts and share in Job fr'm dalin’ faro bank to r-runnin’ [ (%0 (0 iaren of the embassy th' thressury iv th' United States.| g i,qr the small Chiltons and Cralgies, His business brings him up again’ th' | 100" "/ umber of youngsters who, best men 1v th' com-munity, an’ thelr [ v o on of British parentage, live in customs an’ ways iv speakin' an’| ye;“countries. thinkin® an robbin’ sticks to him. In the evening the ambassador and “TK good woman {s at home Aall |y 5y Geddes will dine the members day. Th' on'y people she sees is th'{o¢ yne stafr, but the children will be childher an’ th’ neighbors. While th' {)55g pefore that tucked into bed and g0od man In & swallow-tall coat Is|ing tree will be dark and lonesome. addhressin” th' Commercial Club on|op tne feast proper, December 25, what we shud do f'r to reform polly- | ¢pg little Geddes will go to church in tics, she's discussin® th' price 1V §T0- | tne morning and will pass the after- cerles with th’ plumbers wife an'|noon quietly at home. talkin® over th' back fence to the milk man. “Thin O'Leary moves up on th' boolyvard. He knows he'll get along UNIQUE Christmas celebration is all r-right on th’ boolyvard. Th in progress today at the Polish men’ll say: ‘They'se a good deal of | ogation, where the minister, Dr. rugged common sense in that O’'Leary. |yadislas Wroblewski, and Mme. He may be a robber, but they's|wroblewski are observing all the mighty little that escapes him." rites of their anclent country. The “But no wan speaks to /Mre.|inree children, after the Slav custom, O'Leary. No wan asts her opinion | eally begin the Christmas season on about our foreign policy. She sets|December 6, when the feast of good day in an’ day out behind th’ dhrawn | 5¢. Nicholas is nationally commemo- curtains iv her three-story brown-|rated in Poland. Decked in their stone risidence prayin’ that some |finest raiment, they visited the shops wan'll come In an' See her, an’ if|and gravely selected their gifts for anny wan comes she's frozen With|their parents, for the servants and foacs : their friends and for the poor. St. “An’ 'tis on'y whin she slips out to [Nicholas would, of course, attend to Ar-rchey r-road an’ finds th’ plumb- |all gifts intendod for them. er's wite, an’ sets in th' kitchen over| Frederich, the older son, is almost = cup 1v tay, that peace comes to her. [ten, and he becomes the master. of By an’ by they offer O'Leary th’ nom- |ceremony for his sister Mary, who mynation £'r Congress. He know he's | is_six, and the baby, Adam, not yet fit f'r it. People’ll listen to him in |three. Wash'n'ton as they do in Chicago.| The feast of Christmas is habitually He say, Tl take it’ An’ thin he |celebrated in Poland on December 34 thinks iv th’ wife an’ they's no|and the ceremonies begin about dusk. ‘Wash'n'ton f'r him. The table is laid upon straw, to re- “His pollytical career is over. He |mind the feasters of the manger, and wud niver have been constable if he |Shepherds wnd their flock figure hadn't marrid, but he might have|largely in the decorations. Andevery- been sinitor if he was a widower. |Where is the Christmas star. It “Mrs. O'Leary was in to see th'|adorns the vestibule, and is made of Dargans th’ other day. ‘Yo mus’ be |the berrles of mistietoe and holly, for very happy in ye'er gran’ house, with | crimson and white are the national Mr. O'Leary doin’ so well, says Mrs, | colors of Poland; it hangs from the Dargan. An’ th™on'y answer, th’ fool. | chandeliers in all the drawing rooms, ish woman give was to break down |and in the dinigg room a great star an’ weep on Mrs. Dargan’s neck.” depends from ceiling over the table. “Yet yo say a pollyticlan oughtn't| AS darkness descends, young Fred- to get marrid,” sald Mr. Hennessy. jerich, looking very handsome and im- “Up to a certaln point” said Mr. |portant in his military sult, will take Dooley, “he must be marrid. Afther |his stand by the eastern window, and that—well, I on'y ‘say that, though|When the first star appearp he an- poliytics is & gran’ career fr a man, |DNounces it in clear, ringing tones. B tough wan ' his wife.” Then he lights & taper from the wood = this thing. you do. But, Henry: “But what, Jane™” * x X X THE POLISH MINISTER TO THE UNITED STATES, DR. LADISLAW WROBLEWSKI, AND HIS FAMILY. (Copyright by Harris & Bwing.) more joyous and colorful feast 1 will be celebrated in Washington “Ten dollars, to my nephew | man. I am glad you are going to d0}question to inquire if Miss Peggy. | than in the official home of the new republic of Latvia, which is on Sheri- dan circle. The charge d'affaires, Dr. Charles Louis Seya, and Mme. Seya are both young, and have been for weeks past most enthusiastically engaged In Christmas preparations. There are three youngsters—George, who 18 five, and thoroughly permeated with the traditions of his home in Riga; Mirdza, who is a winsome, blue-eyed little lass of three, and the baby, Andre, who is less than two. Mme. Seya was, before her marriage about six years ago, Miss Verta Osol daughter of a large landowner about Riga. For many weeks previous to Christmas the household was busy in many ways. . For instance, thousands of fat, jolly-looking candles were molded by hand and quaintly painted for the dining table, the drawing rooms and the Christmas tree. Mme. Seya looks with disdain on the elec- tric method of lighting trees or the festive board, and she is not entirely content with the thin machine-made candles, which are all the stores offer in Washington. Candles being the method of lighting hallowed by sacred memories, she would greatly prefer them all over the house when the Christmas fete is progressing, and next year she intends to provide { them from her distant home. The midday meal at the Seya household will be graced by a plump browned goose stuffed with raisins and dried apples, with a big dish of siszling country sausage near by. In her own home thé making of the Christmas sausage would have en- gaged Mme. Seya’s attention, and that of all families, just as fruit cakes and plum puddings do in other lands. Likewise the native of Latvia never serves goose or roasted fowl of any description without a generous pile of smoking sauerkraut, and this also is made especlally for the banquetof Christmas eve. The tree at the Seyas’ will not be lighted until dark and until, after the north of Europe custom, the eldest child announces the coming of the star. The tree in the Latvian legation is trimmed with edibles— gingerbread in quaint shapes and other cakes enjoyed by ‘the people about the Baltic sea centuries be- fore the western world was known; gllded nuts, strings of popcorn, bags of candy, brilliant red apples hanging by yellow ribbons and pale oranges caught with red ribbons, with candy cast in shapes like shepherds and animals named in the Bible story of the manger in Bethlehem. After the first star of Christmas eve is plainly visible in the east the tree is lighted and the children begin a lively search for their presents, always hidden behind the tree or in some ‘corner of the room. They eat what they wish from the tree and, with the ald of little American friends who are asked in from time to time, it is gradually stripped of ija treasures, and on January § feast o!mml: ‘of the Gentiles, it is m—y‘t Christmas feast, which 1s largely of fish, as in Poland, is preceded by the father of the family sprinkling the guests with water. sweetened with honey. If the drops fall abundantly on the about the table, it means that the future husband or wife is to posspss honesty and integrity clear as water and a temper sweet as honey. Ten years ago the most elaborate and picturesque celebration in the city was in the embassy of Austria- | Hungary, on Connecticut avenue, and {1t began with a feast at which a smoking boars head, aflame with burning brandy, was carried to the ambassador, who carved it and served his company. A banquet in the main Rall for the family and ambassadorial staff was served at the same time that a feast was prepared for the 'wervants and for all who had con- tributed to the comfort or necessity of the embassy, the policemen near- by, the lamplighter. newsboys and messenger boys and delivery men of all kinds. All got a fine dinner, a gift from madame, and something from the Christmas tree in the main corridor. The days which have fallen on the dual empire have wiped out this ceremony, and the charge d'affaires of the republic of Austria and Mme. Prochnik live very quietly on Wyo- ming avenue, They will keep the great feast mainly in its religious |significance. There are children in the family. Valerle is six and was born in her mother's home, St. Paul, Minn., just before the declaration of war sent all the representatives of the Teutonic powers across the seas. Edgar L. G. Prochnik, jr., is four, and Patricia is three. Mme. Prochnik is an American and the daughter of James Stirling James of Boston. When she married her husband was the consul general of Austria, resident in Minnesota. There will be a little party for Valerie and her small triends on December 26 and only a tiny tres which will adorn the Christmas board on December * x %k ¥ ‘WO small boys in the family of the secretary of the Belgian em- bassy, Jacques and Henry Graeffe, aged six and three, will have a lively holiday time not only in their own home, where all the customs of their country will be observed, but in countless official familles with which they are connected by ties of kindred and friendship. Mme. Grasffe is part- 1y American, her mother having been Miss Emily Wilmerding of New York city, and her sister is the wife of James M. Beck, jr., at present the guest of the solicitor general and Mrs. Begk. Jacques spent his last Christmas in Mexico City and can re- call the quaint ways.of the Latins, but these tiny Mexicans have no knowledge of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus, as he is called here. Kris Kringle he is cailed in Belgium, and he will come to the pretty home of the Graeffes in Kalorama road decked out in his ancient splendor. n of. the Ru small boys and girls gathered | ! mates do. | No family has awaited the daw ing of the beloved feast as eageri: as the five children of the minister from Panama and Senora Alf: They are to have thelr first Chrisi- mas tree, and they have been anx { iously awaiting a big snowstorm i: order to see a proper scene, 80 fu- miliar through Christmas cards whic have come from American and Bri: ish friends. In the Spanish countries the tree is not the feature it is in various parts of Europe and In this land. But gradually the Latin fami- lies, especially those domiclled in Washington, are taking over this | early Christian tradition. In Panama evergreen trees are only for those who import them, and they range at an almost prohibitive price. Though Senora Alfaro is of British descent. her youngsters have never possessed one of their own until this year, and they will have merry - parties ali about it during the holidays. * % % % ENORA GRACIF, wife of Senor Samuel de Sousa Leao Gracie, first secretary of the Brazilian embassy, and since the ambassador is & bache- lor, its chatelaine, will have a semi- Brazilian, semi-American celebration of Christmas. She will attend the formal dinner which Dr. Cochran de Alencar will give his staff on Christmas eve, and have a quiet family dinner of turkey and all the acoessories on Christmas day. On December. 25 she will light the tree for the two little maids, Veronica and Miriam, and many of thejr little friends will be asked to enjoy the pleasure. On New Year eve, after the oldest of Portuguese legends, there, will be gift giving, merry- making of all sorts and a display of fireworks in the rear vard. Of the forty-nine nations now represented in the American capital. four envoys come from non-Christian lands, Japan, China, Persia and Slam. But they, too, share in the era of peace and good fellowship. The minister from Persia, a genial bache- lor, Mirza Hussein Khan Alai, is not unmindful of the western cus- toms, and splendid bouquets go around the city to the official homes, while his personal friends get much appreciated packages of fine Persian tea. There are mno children in the several Mohammedan families which make up the Persian staff, but the heads of familles give to the mu- | nicipal fund for the poor children of the city and to the Salvation Army. The minister will invife his staff to a regular American Christmas dinner. The Japanese embassy is without an official head at present, but there are many youngsters in the long Mst of secretarial families who still share the feast in other diplomatic and official homes. So, likewise, the Chinese, who have a score of little folks in Washington. The Slamese have no native children here, but the elders will take purt in the Christ- mas gayety of their neighbors, and the secretary of the Si oxa- tion_and Mrs. Edward Loftus, who Though ihe star does mot shine are Britons. m & world entirely reunited in the tn of peace and good it lights {