The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-02-17
WASHINGTON SOCIAL LIFE.

A Reception at the White House-Ths
Suite Of State Apartments--A PresentR-
ton 60 the President-What the Ladies
WOre-The Court-Circle - The East
Room-Seraps OF that.
Especial Correspondence Chicago Tribune.I
WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 3o.-The
most prominent feature of the gay and
festive oseason," now in its giory,.is
the receptions by the President of the
United States on alternate Tuesday even
ings. Some, who attempt to invest
these gatherings with the imperial or
regal dignified tomfoolery of the Old
| World, call them "levees." But there
is a marked difference between the I'M
restrained intercourse of We, the People
of these United States, and their servant
and Chief Magistrate, and the long and
narrow path which those take who sa-
Lutte the occupants of thrones. Here,
the doors of the White House are thrown
open to what Gen. Taylor called "all
the world and the rest of mankind. "
There, every one must be arrayed in
court-dress, and the guarded formali-
ties of official presentation must be OBJ
served before the palace can be entered,
and the royal or imperial parsonage
humbly approached. In Great Britain,
which boasts of its progressive freedom,
the wealthiest retail merchant, although
of unexceptionable character and stand
ing, cannot be presented at the Court OF
Queen Victoria, unless he holds some
Office which gives him the right. Here,
carriage-drivers and seamstresses have
as much right to attend Presidents
reception as Senators and heiresses.
THE ROUTINE OF A RECEPTION.
Entering the White House beneath its
imposing north portico, the visitors
pass without ceremony to the rooms
where either sex leave their wrappings,
and where the ladies give the final
shake-out to the voluminous trimmings
of their skirts. A large staff of servants
endeavor to care for hats and overcoats
deposited with them for safe-keeping,
and are generally successful. This is a
modern Improvement, as in years past
they were piled up promiscuously, and
the owners ran the risk of exchanging
them for articles of a worse or better
quality when they left. There were
those, it was asserted, who used to eX-
change old hats and thread-bare great
coats for others of better quality,
while their victims were forced to re-
place their losses by a more regular and
expensive mode.
Passing into hall which runs cross
wise through the White House from the
East Room to the conservatory at the
west end of the building, gentlemen
meet the ladies, and "fall inn the line
waiting to enter the reception-room.
There is no favoritism, and each couple
must go to the end of
the column, which moves slowly
forward. Every two or three minutes
some half dozen couples are admitted
into the Red Room. This is the family
parlor of the Presidents family. 1t is
papered with red, and the furniture,
coverings, and curtains are of the same
color-hence its name. 1t contains
grand piano, large picture of General
Grant and his family, a pair of Sevres
mantel-vases, on which are views of Dr.
Franklin's residence at Passy near Paris,
and a comfortable on which there is
always large basket of choice exotics.
But the column does not halt here. Nov
ing slowly onward, it passes through an
other portal, and enters
THE BLUE ROOM.
This is well proportional saloon,
oval in shape, with wallpaper, curtains,
and furniture of blue and gold. 1t is
without doubt one of the most elegant
apartment on this continent. But, be-
fore the stranger can take in the splen-
dor around him, he finds himself con-
fronted by gentleman in black, Mar
shall Sharpe, who inclines his ear, and
whispers:
"Your name?n
"Viator!" replies the astonished citi-
zen, who is urged forward, and more
perplexed as he finds himself opposite
the unmistakable figure of Gen. Grant,
to whom he is introduced by the Mar
shall as "Alr. Platorln
+" Mr.. Plator, am happy to seeyou,"
says Gen. Grant, shaking him by the
hand, and then turning to greet the next
conner. But it often happens that he
recognizes an old acquaintance, in
which case, especially if tits a comrade,
he detains him for a few moments, and
generally asks him to call again in the
daytime. The General has the wonder
full gift of remembering the names of
those he meets, and he would be inval-
liable as hotel-clerk on this account.
Perhaps | should add that at these re-
ceptions he wears a dress-suit of black
broadcloth, with gloves that are white
at the beginning of the Misunderstanding,
although at the close the right one is
nearly black. He shakes and is shaken
for two hours, and it is difficult to see
how his hand can retain any feeling IN
der the infection.
Just beyond the President, and a few
PAGES sto the rear, stood Col. Fred
Grant, in the full flush of young man.
hood, to present visitors to his mother
and wife. Mrs. Grant, who does not
look year older than she did when she
first came here from Illinois during the
War, wore dress of lavender-colored
silk, trimmed with Valenciennes lace,
and carried a bouquet of rare flowers.
Mrs. Fred Grant, who is regarded as
one of the most lovely women in Wash
ington, wore an Acknowledgement
satin dress, the color of which, a lady
friend told me, was ashes-of-roses, with
a set of pearl jewelry. Mrs. Grants
sister, the wife of Marshal Sharpe,
stood near her, and wore a lavender
colored dress. After paying their re-
spects to these ladies, the column of
strangers moved on, but the privileged
few filed out, and stood in the rear of the
President and his family, forming what
foreigners call
THE COURT CIRCLE.
Prominent was Mrs. Hamilton Fish,
a stately old dame of the Knickerbock-
er persuasion, whose gray hair is
dressed in old fashioned side curls, and
who wore a fawn-cOlored silk dress,
with lace trimmings. Then there was
Mrs. Secretary Belknap, perfect type
of the stately beauties of Kentucky,
wearing blue silk dress, on the elabor-
ate trimming of which violets in their
natural colors were embroidered; Mrs.
Secretary Robson, a MISUNDERSTANDING
person, with a wealth of gray hair,
wearing a white silk dress, trimmed
with black, and glistening diamonds;
Mrs. Hegerman formerly Mrs. Moul-
tom tho voca1isN who yUoro a nraa,,o