Merry Christmas to All

The tree is heavily decorated with candy canes, gingerbread cookies, and toys mostly made by the blind and selected by Jacqueline Kennedy; it stands 16 ft. high in the main lobby near the Blue Room, which was itself closed because it is being redone partially in white. There is a creche with exquisite. 18th century Neapolitan figures in the East Room. Some 1,200 members of the White House staff who last week attended the annual staff Christmas party received prints of a watercolor by Pennsylvania Artist Edward Lehman showing the Red Room as it has recently been redecorated in cerise.

During her week, Jackie Kennedy, who likes and enjoys the Christmas festivities, went backstage at a performance given by-Washington's newly acquired American Ballet Theater, thanked Dame Margot Fonteyn for flying in from London to take the place of ailing Ballerina Maria Tallchief, posed with the cast in some pictures that looked like spun-sugar decorations on a holiday cake. She dropped by the D.C. Village infirmary for old folks, stopped by each wheelchair, saying: "Nice to see you. Merry Christmas."

At the D.C. Junior Village--an overcrowded institution for children of divided or unsuitable homes, she was touchingly welcomed by 500 waifs. As Jackie entered the dining room in her bright red wool suit and mink hat--the same outfit she wore last year to Buckingham Palace--some cried, "Mommy." One child called out: "Didn't you bring us anything?"

The plan had been to distribute the toys after Jackie's departure. But in the warmth of her welcome, Jackie melted, began giving out giant lollipops, stuffed animals and goodies higgledy-piggledy. And in return for her presence, the children gave her a scrapbook containing their own drawings. In it, there were some poignant captions, including, "My caseworker is coming to see me." and "This is my house; this is my caseworker's house."

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