l of whom, of course, came arrayed in their
best. They were received by Mrs. Roosevelt, who had a hand-shake and a
kind word for each, and then some of the Cabinet ladies, who were
assisting, gave to each visitor a button, set in ribbon and tinsel and
inscribed "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."

The big main dining-room of the White House had been prepared for the
occasion. There was a Christmas tree at one side of the room, and the
table was filled with fruit, cake, and candy. The President came in and
helped to pass the ice-cream and cake, and Theodore, Jr. and some of the
others passed the candy and other good things.

After this the visitors were asked to go to the East Room and dance. The
Marine Band furnished the music, and while the children were dancing,
the President came in to look at them. The entertainment lasted until
the end of the afternoon, and when the visitors departed, President
Roosevelt was at the door to shake hands and bid them good-by.

And here let us bid good-by ourselves, wishing Theodore Roosevelt and
his family well. What the future holds in store for our President no man
can tell. That he richly deserves the honors that have come to him, is
beyond question. He has done his best to place and keep our United
States in the front rank of the nations of the world. Under him, as
under President McKinley, progress has been remarkably rapid. In the
uttermost parts of the world our Flag is respected as it was never
respected before. Perhaps some few mistakes have been made, but on the
whole our advancement has been justified, and is eminently satisfactory.
The future is large with possibilities, and it remains for the
generation I am addressing to rise up and embrace those opportunities
and make the most of them.

APPENDIX A

BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM FAMOUS ADDRESSES DELIVERED BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT

"If we are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to
play a great part in the world. We cannot avoid meeting great issues.
All that we can determine for ourselves is whether we shall meet them
well or ill."

"All honor must be paid to the architects of our material prosperity; to
the captains of industry who have built our factories and our railroads;
to the strong men who toil for wealth with brain or hand; for great is
the debt of the nation to these and their kind. But our debt is still
greater to the men whose highest type is to be found in a statesman like
Lincoln,