Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-28
WHITE HOUSE NIANNERs.
What Miss Cleveland Wears aud How
the President Looks at Receptions.
From ne Philadelphia Press tRep)

what Miss Cleveland wears aud HOW
the President Looks at Receptions.
From ne PAiladelphia Press tRep.)
WASHINGTON, May "A. -'Cleveland's
weather, which opened his administration
with a perfect day, has followed him
through the spring. He and Miss Cleve-
land are now as much settled in the un-
homelike White House as they ever can
be. For all its adornment and improve
ment under President Arthur, the furni-
ture OF the East Room has either
faded badly or else it never
did match the room, and certainly
ought to be at once replaced. The red
room is the only one Of the reception
rooms which has any approach to looking
as if 1t were lived inland that is not
near approach. No woman of taste walks
through the rooms without longing to
have "A chance to make the rooms look
little brighter and lighter in effect, and to
give them An air unlike that of great,
stupid hotel. Perhaps Miss Cleveland, who
is said TO be woman of taste and
culture, will improve matters where she
can. If ever room needed refurnishlng
the state dining room does. The con-
servatory is a delightful place, and just
now full of bloom and fragrant odors. II
is never open to the public, though it used
to be, and Mr.. Cleveland has the East
room as much adorned for public recep-
ton for the people as other Presidents
have had it adorned for official receptions.
Miss Cleveland has q thoughtful, refined
face, not at all handsome, and not at all
ugly. She is decidedly sallow, and looks
as if she might be about 4S or 40 years old.
She came here with short hair, rather
gray and slightly waved all over her head.
No woman ever looks dignitied with short
hair, but it was not unbecOming to her,
and aid not give her an absolutely agrees
siye "wOman lecturer look. If she was
so soon going to succumb to
popular opinion on the subject
Of short hair for women, it is
pity she didn't ''pin on' her "coils
and putfs'' before she came here, for SO
marked a change here would have caused
comment in private life, and in her case
it has made no end of talk. TIE women
who laughed and sneered at her for wear
ihg short hair, now do the same thing be-
cause she has followed the fashion. Poor
woman! She looks anxious and worried,
and the sooner she learns to follow her
brothers. example and "gang her ain
gait" the sooner she will be happy.
THE DRESSES MISS CLEVELAND WEARS.
Her dresses are not remarkable in any
way; she has quite pretty figure and
might look better than she does II she
would hire some woman who has perfect
taste to dress her and to stand over her
dressmaker when her clothes are fitted.
She appears like a woman VINO has given
her attention to better and higher matters
than clothes; but. then, clothes are one of
the minor matters that a woman in her pO-
sitiOn must attend to herself or have some
one else to attend to. Her manners are
perfectly courteous, but not cordial; she
has no society manner of any Kind, and
it IS quite easy to see that, although
she means to do her duty as mistress of
the White House, it is simply duty to her
and no more; that she is really very much
bored and very tired; that she receives
guests every day because she must, and
that she is a thankful woman when her
hour is finished.
HOW MR.. CLEVELAND LOOKS AND ACTS.
The President comes down stairs after
! O'Clock on the days when Miss Cleve-
land receives, unless he is too busy. He
stands in front of the folding doors in the
east room, and shakes hands rapidly with
all those who wait to have that honor.
To use the society phrase, Mr.. Cleveland
is a very common looking man." His
best friends, his most ardent supporters,
admit, what is certainly true, that, when
one first looks into the Presidents face,
one sees just a coarse face. But,
there is great deal more there. No per-
son, no matter how prejudiced, can help
seeing In his face and figure a calm, pow
erful repOse, and full of dignity of the
most simple and impressive sort. He
looks like a man against whom any cir
cumstances, any people, any powers
might beat until they tire themselves out,
withou tmOving him hairs breadth from
the position he had originally taken
for himself. One feels instinctively
that here is man who is Presi-
dent of the United States in absolute
truth, and who is going to follow out his
own convictions if the world turns upside
down because of them. Some people say
Miss Cleveland has much influence over
HIM, but people who have talked with him
do not believe it, and one woman goes so
far as to say: "POoh! influence the
President! ! don't believe that if
the most enchanting angel of the
female persuasion in heaven itself
should fall at his feet with wings
spread out she would make any more inn
preston upon him than the rest of US do;
and, goodness knows, that isn't much"
His manners are perfectly courteous. He
has pleasant voice, shakes hands cor
daily, says a few pleasant words if he has
time, and makes it quite evident to every
one when their turn is over, and in a per-
fectly simple, courteous way.