Willie’s Birthday
In our dining room our dining table was festive—for Willie. His friend, Charlie Mathers, was special guest, Charlie, so splendid in his freckles and red hair. Both boys were dressed in their Sunday togs.
I gave Willie a Zeiss field glass, an antique ship’s compass from Italy, I believe; also a red handkerchief and books.
Mary gave him a British belt buckle with lion and unicorn, a set of brushes and tubes of pigment...
Charlie brought a box of candy.
Willie, at the head of the table, opened his gifts sedately, barely commenting, shy, rather like a little prince, not a kid from Illinois.
Tad pleased him with a checker set, board and pieces handmade.
(Today’s war casualties are shocking.)
The White House