presided at a big holiday gathering in 1811 for

presided at a big holiday gathering in 1811 for his successoy her husband James Madison. The vivacious Dolley “completely dominated the scene," according t<5 a contemporary account. Her rouge was “perceptible in a very bright light; a shocked observer reported. A huge mirror,, made in France especially for the occasion, covered the dining table, which was piled high with turkeys, chickens, roasted wild game, vegetables, fruits, and several kinds of pudding. Each guest was attended by a personal waiter. Children made the White House Christmas of 1835 unforgettable. Six young relatives of Andrew Jackson were told by the President that Santa Claus never had visited him when he was a boy. The children insisted that he hang up his stocking on Christmas Eve. The next morning, Jackson’s secretary found Old Hickory in tears over the corncob pipe, tobacco, and trinkets the youngsters had surreptitiously stuffed into his stocking. On Christmas afternoon, the children were present at a party in the East Room. Vice Presid' nt Martin Van Burer joined in some of the games. At one point he was obliged to stand on one leg and say*. “Here I stand all ragged and dirty; if you don’t come and kiss me, I’ll run likeaturkfey. The dinner table that night was decorated with toy animals, a small frosted pine tree, colored icicles, and a pyramid of glistening cotton snowballs. After dinner, the children staged a fight with the cotton balls, and President Jackson is said to have joined in.