‘Sentimental’ Last Tour : Teary-Eyed Nancy Shows White House Decorations

Nancy Reagan presented the annual White House Christmas decorations one last time today and said with tears in her eyes, “It’s very sentimental.”

Leading a tour through the festively decked halls of the executive mansion, the First Lady told reporters that it also is a “bittersweet time” for President Reagan as they play host at a series of farewell parties. Just a few hours away was their season-opening gala for Congress tonight.

The White House has been decorated in old-fashioned style: Six 21-foot and two 14-foot spruce trees are adorned with tiny white lights, while tinsel and artificial snow create the impression of a wintertime walk in the woods.

In the State Dining Room, a gingerbread house boasts a doorway of jelly beans, the President’s favorite confection, and a likeness of the family dog, Rex. In the Blue Room an 18-foot tree almost touches the ceiling, its boughs alive with colorful balls and toys.

Some popular decorations from the past have returned, like a train carrying Teddy bear passengers around the base of the tree. Banks of red poinsettias and garlands of greenery festoon the mantles for a breathtaking holiday scene.

The First Lady brought her tour down the grand staircase accompanied by Santa Claus, a barely disguised comic Rich Little who performed his impressions of Reagan and former Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter.

Reflecting on her own place in history, Mrs. Reagan said the public spotlight is “something you’re just never prepared for.” And yet at the end of her time in the capital, she acknowledged with moist eyes, “It’s very sentimental . . . and becoming more so. Eight years is a long time.

“You won’t believe this, (but) I’m even going to miss you. Merry Christmas, goodby and thank you.”