Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-20
The White House Dinner Bur-
Ies0ued

Washington cor. Neao York World.
The dinner on Wednesday at the White
House to Gen. and Mrs, Grant was fine
first state dinner of the season, and as ele-
CANT as state dinners usually are. The
truly horrifying spectacle of seven wine
grasses at each PERSONS CONVERT was wit
messed. During Mrs. Grants reign she
ordered for the White House banGuets a
long, fat mirror for the centre of the table.
ms mirror and the silver Hiawatha boat
selected by Mrs. Hayes are the two hand
soonest ornaments of the White House
table. This mirror is very beautifully
and effectively arranged on occasions
with cushions Of flowers. The flower dec
OratlOns at the White House are always
elaborate, and never give the idea of osten-
tatious profusiOn, as they are all supposed
10 come from the White House conserva-
tory, which is, however only pleasing
fiction. The President, of course. took
Mrs. Grant in to dinner. She was. as
usual, decolIete, and just as fine as hands
could make her, and also as estimabIe. as
awkward and as bOurgeOlse as ever.
Secretary and Mrs. Lincoln were present
u NICE little couple of refined people.
Then came Secretary Chandler. looking
ike what he is, parVenu of the first
water, and not nearly so well fitted to
grace a state dinner as the butler who
served him, Timothy Howe, an excellent
man, who offers lady his 9lm like
shark sticking his fin out of the wafer
escorted Mrs. Teller, who is II good soul
General Grant tucked Mrs. Ere ling
huysen carelessly under his arm
ike napkia, and that lady ac-
cepted the honor with frigid
don t-trife-with-a-Knicke air, Don
Cameron was in great luck, having Mrs.
John Davis, Mrs. Frelinghuysen's eldest
daughter, to escort, for Mrs. Davis Ia very
entertaining. Admiral Porter and Gen.
sherman, who are noted for their admira-
ton Tor nice, unaffected Young ladies.
were provided with stout, elderly ladies.
each Of whom left her warrior to the unin-
terrupted enjoyment Of his dinner. Mrs.
brewster was contrived into a seat next
the President, as being the youngest and
best looking of the Cabinet ladies. Every
thing Except the guests was very impos-
ing. There were three or four young ladies'
present-Mlss Beale, the Misses Freling-
huysen and one or two others-but the
majority, grieye to say, were what the
irreyerent call 'Sduffers'' in gorgeous &C s.
TUNES. Foreigners always give us few
nara hlts on our White House state din
ners. They recognize the exquisite alb
surdity of anything formal or stately
when such Heterogeneous guests assem-
bic; for is there on this broad continent
anything more truly democratic than a
state dinner? Mrs. Frelinghuysen and
Billy Chandler hOhnObbing make contrast
something like Charles Francis Adams
and Billy McGlOry, Miss Beale and Jenes
OF Nevada were paired, not matched. 1t
is droll to think OF the Hon. BENJAMIN Har-
ris Brewster cOnversing affably with
worthy Mrs. Grant, of whom he would
have said not so many years ago: ''She is
not In society, you know" In short. the
state dinners are conducted strictly ac-
cording 20 the Jeffersonian doctrine. that
all men are free and equal, They are
cOnvocations of gentlefolk and hoodlums
on a common level, the hoodlums being
more or less disguised by high sounding
titles and expensive clothes. A Cabinet
dinner is the Yerv reverse of stseIecf.v