The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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NEW YORK, Sunday—If only for a very short while, it is grand to be in the country. I arrived in New York City on Friday afternoon, in ample time to attend the annual Christmas party which we give at the Women's Trade Union League Clubhouse. It seemed particularly pleasant to have one of the "little boys," who started to give this party so many years ago, come back again to take over the work of running it this year.

Franklin, Jr., and Johnny began to give these parties soon after we moved back to New York City from Washington in 1920, but when they went off to boarding school, I had to carry them on alone. Now Franklin, Jr., and his wife are back in New York City and he took over this particular responsibility, so I am sure the children had a much better time in the evening.

One of my friends, with whom I always make it a point to have a reunion before Christmas, came to dinner and we spent a happy evening together. On Saturday morning I motored up to my cottage at Hyde Park. There I gathered up all the things which had been sent from Washington and drove around this morning and delivered them to all our friends up here.

A kind friend gave me a great many toys this year. He took so much trouble in picking them out, that I have had difficulty in tearing myself away from them. I even found one among them which I am going to give to the President of the United States. I am sure that this year, all the children who come to our various Christmas parties, are going to have a particularly happy time and I am very gratefulto this friend who took so much personal trouble, in addition to being so very generous.

Last night, Mr. and Mrs. James Bourne of Rhinebeck, N. Y., and a number of people associated with the social agencies of Dutchess County, joined some of the young people who met with me last summer on two occasions. We sat around my living room fire and discussed what they, through their meetings and various activities, have found to be the needs of the young people in our county.

I hope that someday, out of these meetings, the young people of Dutchess County will participate actively in various county activities. Programs are carried out for both young and old which are intended to improve the social life, as well as the economic conditions of our various towns and villages, and young people should participate in the planning of these programs. I came down to New York City this afternoon and will return to Washington early tomorrow morning.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1940 BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, December 23, 1940

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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