Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-23
MRS. FRED GRANT At THE WHITE
UOJ-SE

| "The President and Mrs. Grant
| AT Home,
Tuesday evening, Nov. 18th, 1874, at nine o'clock"
BY magic intuition it was understood that
the reception was to introduce the Chicago
bride of Lieutenant Fred Grant to her new
| Washington friends, and these determined to
pu. on their best appearance. SO they did,
and last night the party came off, and few
more brilliant entertainments have ever been
| given in the United States. Not that 1t was
crowd; far from it! There were barely
| 800 people present, and the East Room has
been known to hold 200 few of whom live
to tell the story. But light up the hundred
burners in that same East Room, reflected and
retracted thousand-told from crystal and
| mirror, and shed that radiance on 100
handsome women and dresses, and 1t would
puzzle the most i'll natured critic how to get
| out of admiring the scene.
According to the bylaws of fashion, the
guests though invited at did not assemble
till 10, and then they were met by the Presi-
dent and his wife ut the door of the Blue
Room, and by them introduced to their new
daug hter, who stood with her husband a little
| behind her mother in law. You could hardly
call Mrs. Fred pretty woman, though her
eyes are superb, her smile very winning, and
her expression intelligent. She is a tritie be-
low the medium height, dark and slender.
| Her manners are perfectly charming and the
complete ease and cordially with which she
greeted every one was far more delightful.
| than any personal beauty could possibly be.
She wore her wedding. dress, of white satin,
drawn back so closely over the hips that 1t
was wonder how she moved, and ending in
a fan shaped train. The waist was surpiice
and the sleeves long. Over this, from the
rutfle around her neck to the hem other train,
was an oyer-dress of point lace, the gift Of
her sister. wife of Potter Palmer, the Chicago
millionaire; nothing in that style could sur
pass it. Her jewels were pearls and dia-
monds, and her hair she wore parted on one
side and twisted in large, dark, lustrous
coil at the back of her head. The richness of
| her toilet was the admiration of the women
it's simplicity. of the men. The groom looked
proud and happy, as we'll he might. He is
accustomed to being looked at, for he tells
that when he was at West Point all the visit
ors wanted to see "Fred Grant and the col
ored cadet" The colored cadet was the
owner of those famous toes the protection of
which became of national importance. Mrs.
Grant wore black elk, with black tulle and
pansies. She seemed to be pleased at the IA
vorable impression her daughter-in-law made,
and responded cordially to all the congrata-
lations. 1t was rumored that Mrs. Sartoris
would be here to meet the bride, but she will
not come till January.
The ladies looked well-the bloom Of the
mountain air and sea side has not yet been
furnished by the glare of gas lamps and the
fever of dissipation. Mrs. Williams, BAN
ished from society last spring by long and
severe illness, was, as she always is, the
centre of group of good takers. She is a
fine looking woman, with plenty of spirit in
her manner and expression, and has quite a
politician. She wore a blue silk, with odd
trimmings Of two shades of yellow. A Worth
dress, worn by Mrs. Rathbone, OF New York,
was of blue silk also, W it'll black velvet bands
and blue feather fringe, trimming that was
as beautiful as uncommon. Mrs. Fish, the
most high bred and stately of ladies, wore
two shades of pearl trimmed with bands of
violet velvet; her daughter wore pure white
tulle with gauze de chambrey sash fastened
by knot of lilies. Mrs. Stewart, wife of
the Senator from Nevada, where money
seems to grow on trees, wore a rich scarlet
satin, with point applique oyerdress; Mrs.
Hooker, her daughter. whose wedding was
one OF the red letter events of last season,
was dressed in gray silk and black lace.
Another dress was of crimson and brown
satin, trimmed with water lily leaves. Mrs.
Mckee and Miss Dunn, grand daughters of
Mr. Lanier, the New York banker, were con-
spicuous for their beauty and their dresses.
Mrs. Mckee wore a superb white satin,
trimmed with tulle, black velvet, and a pro-
fusion of tea roses. Her sisters dress was Of
delicate muslin and valenciennes, lOoped up
with garland of wilted daisies. Miss Cooke,
(niece of Jay Cooke to whom Lieut.. Grant
was reported to be engaged at one time, wore
white. She is a lovely, slender blonde.
Place aux danes, Of course, but none the
less distinguished, were the gentlemen, and
especially the foreign ministers, with their
scarlet and blue and green and yellow and
purple sashes, and their insignia on their lap
pels. Mr.. Jewell our new Postmaster Gen.,
i is a very handsome man of fine manners.
His family have taken the house of Mr.. Bry-
an, wealthy Chicagoan who spent his win
tiers here and made his home a centre of re-
fnement and pleasure. The house has a ball
room, picture gallery, and all the conven-
fence for entertaining, which its new tenants
purpose doing on grand scale. Mr.. Ban
croft, the historian, who looks something like
Bryant, and is to be a resident of our city
this winter, was also present. No gnest was
more welcome than Gen. Sherman. He 10 a
sight "gude for sair Gen." sure enough-al-
ways in good humor, always ready to speak
to you, always forgetting your name, always
kind hearted cordial and everlastingly jolly
nave seen ilii give up his seat III Tue morse
cars to q poor negro woman with as much
courtesy as if she had been a princess. lie
was not in uniform. Besides these the com
pany embraced Judges of the Supreme Court
several prominent Senators, army and navy
officers and many distinguished private cit-
Zens.
The ladies dressn. room was tie b.ide's
chamber refurnished for her most tastefully.
The furniture and curtains are black and blue
worked with daisies, and the carpet is black
| strewn with punches of daisies.
Supper was served in the state dining room
at IL. The epergne is very handsome, con-
| sisting of long strip Of mirror, over which
flowers are strewn, giving the effect of their
floating on water, with crystal and gilt pyra-
miGs for flowers also rising at intervals from
the mimic lake. This epergne was bought
during Mr.. Lincoln's administration. Orpheus
c. Kerr justified the expense by saying Mr..
Lincoln meant TO economic on his state din
ners, and bought the looking glasses to give
one pound of beefsteak the effect of two.
The occupants of the White House keep
| sensible hours and their tastes are so we'll
known by this time that guests seldom intrude
after midnight. And so by 1915 the last