Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-03
STATE DISNERS
Description OF the Etiquette OF Presi,
Dental and Official Parties.

SPNNiel NOIs DNs hSNho
WASHINGTON, January "a. The
past ten days have been very busy
ones in society, the most SO that tie
seas IN will soon end, for Lent will soon
cut short the festivities. The ball at
British minister 9, the dinners at the
white house, the public reception by
the president, have been 10 many re.
speots very interesi ing events The
customs of these state dinners at the
white house are somewhat changed
under Pr. sident Arthur. Formerly
the east room was not much u'ed
on these occasions, tho guests bang r .
ceived by the president in that blue
parlor, and thence eicorted to the
state dining room. Now, however,
the guests ara received ia The cas-,
room, and spend some time there be-
fore going to tho state dining room,
promenadiny slowly down the broad
hall as they pass from the reception
room to the table. Tho details Of
these state events are q1ite interest
ing, aud as your correspondent has re
Gently had opportunity Of witnessing
them 1t may not be Inappropriate to
tell how it is done. The tables In the
state dining room In the white house
will seat, by close crowdirg, thiriy.six
people. This then Is the limit OF the
number invited, and usually there are
not less than thirty On these occasions.
Where it is convenient to do 80 az
mary l,dies as gentlemen are invited,
though at diplomatic dinners, when all
the foreign ministers here are to bs
present, 1t is found impossible to seat
"a many at the table as this plan
would require, 30 that the rule Is not
always followed. The table is usually
very handsomely ornamented with
flowers, a huge fl)rsl design of some
sort appearing az a center piece and
smaller ones neal the end. Two large
golden oandelabra, or branching can.
dle-sticks holding perhaps a dozen
candles apiece, reminding n very
much of the pictures of the golden.
candle sticks" In the old family bible,
occupy places on the table, n at
either ED Of the floral center. piece.
These contain the finest of wax can
dies, which are lighted just before din.
ner begins. Near the ends of the
table are smaller candelabra, with
perhaps u half dozsn candles a piece,
each having a little pink.lined shade
at the top, supported by a silver rod
which clasps the handle rear the bot
tom. The plates are placed Fright
side up with care about thirty iLches
apart around the table. On eaca
plate the napkin is laid, and on the
napkin a bouquet-fcr the ladies a
fat corsage bouquet of rosebuds and
sometimes lilies # the valley; for the
g ,ntlemen usually a single half
opened rosebud. Beaide these is laid
a card, n on each plate, and on it
the name OF the person who is to cit
at this place. The head of the table
on these occasions is not at the end,
but in the middle The seat occupied
by the president is half way up the
side of the table, at the next side door
where the guests enter. The lady
whom he escorts to dinner sits at his
right, and the honored guest on
the occasion sits directly opposite
the president, with his lady on his
right. Those who arrange the table
and the order In which the guests sit,
of course arrange so that gentleman
and wife do not sit side by side under
any circumstances, For instance, if
Count L~swehhaSpi should be delegat.
to es,ort MI. Secretary Chandler 20
dinner it would be an objectionable
error to designate to Secretary Chan
dler the second seat to the right of
that occupied by Count L~ewenhaupt,
for, rs the counts partner, Mrs Char.
dler would occupy the seat athis right,
that arrangement would bring Mrs.
| Chandler and Mr.. Chandler neighbour.
SO that the person who arrsnges there
features of the dinners often finds his
task quite as ~puzzling as the Fifteen
fourteen" brazil racker of a
year or two ago. When the
arrangement for seating is COM
pleted and each person has been as
signed to his place, a card Is prepared
for each gentleman and placed In an
envelor o bearing his name. On one
side of this card is a plan of the table,
with each seat numbered. Ga the
other side is the name of the lady
whom he Is escort to the table, and
the numbers of the seats they are to
occupy. These envelopes are handed
to the gentlemen as they enter by a
gentlemsnly usher named Allen, and
as o as the gentleman has ''shed"
his outer garments he examines his
card, curses or blesses the fates
which have consigned him to an
uncongenial or ~oongenial partner
for the evening, HES him
to the east room, where, after
paying his respects to the president,
he hunts up the lady and prepares for
the evening. Meantime the famous
Marine band has taken its place In the
vestibule. After half an hour spent
in conversation in the east room the
president gives the signal to an attend.
ant, who passes 1t on to the band,
which strikes up some appropriate
selection, and the president giving his
right arm to the lady whom he is to
escort to dinner, leads the way to the
dining room. Tne Others follow,
each gentleman giving his arm
to the lady designated by his
card. Tho president usually takes
to the table the wife
Of the secretary of state. The prom
enade down the long hall to the dining
room Is very slow aud Is a striking and
beautiful spectacle. The ladies, Of
course, all in evening costume, the
handsomest that money and ingenuity
can provide, and the gentlemen In
dress suits, the lights brilliant, the
hall lined with tropical plants, and the
-. -- Aulnn ~ fhe