Among all the presents I got I don't think there was one I appreciated
more than yours; for I was brought up to admire and respect your
grandfather, and I have a very great fondness and esteem for your
father. It always seems to me as if you children were being brought up
the way that mine are. Yesterday Archie got among his presents a small
rifle from me and a pair of riding-boots from his mother. He won't be
able to use the rifle until next summer, but he has gone off very happy
in the riding boots for a ride on the calico pony Algonquin, the one
you rode the other day. Yesterday morning at a quarter of seven all the
children were up and dressed and began to hammer at the door of their
mother's and my room, in which their six stockings, all bulging out with
queer angles and rotundities, were hanging from the fireplace. So their
mother and I got up, shut the window, lit the fire, taking down the
stockings, of course, put on our wrappers and prepared to admit the
children. But first there was a surprise for me, also for their good
mother, for Archie had a little Christmas tree of his own which he had
rigged up with the help of one of the carpenters in a big closet; and
we all had to look at the tree and each of us got a present off of it.
There was also one present each for Jack the dog, Tom Quartz the kitten,
and Algonquin the pony, whom Archie would no more think of neglecting
than I would neglect his brothers and sisters. Then all the children
came into our bed and there they opened their stockings. Afterwards
we got dressed and took breakfast, and then all went into the library,
where each child had a table set for his bigger presents. Quentin had a
perfectly delightful electric railroad, which had been rigged up for him
by one of his friends, the White House electrician, who has been very
good to all the children. Then Ted and I, with General Wood and Mr. Bob
Ferguson, who was a lieutenant in my regiment, went for a three hours'
ride; and all of us, including all the children, took lunch at the house
with the children's aunt, Mrs. Captain Cowles--Archie and Quentin having
their lunch at a little table with their cousin Sheffield. Late in the
afternoon I played at single stick with General Wood and Mr. Ferguson.
I am going to get your father to come on and try it soon. We have to
try to hit as light as possible, but sometimes we hit hard, and to-day
I have a bump over one eye and a swollen wrist. Then all our family
and kinsfolk and Senator and Mrs. Lodge's family and kinsfolk had our
Christmas dinner at the White House, and afterwards danced in the East
Room, closing up with the Virginia Reel.