The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-31

Well-Kept Secret-The Wedding To BE as
Unostentatious as Possible.

that up to Thursday afternoon they knew moth
ing more about the rumors concerning the date
of the wedding than what they had read in the
newspapers, but they did know about the en-
gagement as early as January, and, although
there were FIVE or six women in the group, ali
these people kept their secret with conscientious
silence. Many think that Miss Cleveland was
not aware of the engagement until about ths
same time, and the best informed are quits
agreed that the positive engagement was made
last fall, when Mrs. and Miss Folsom made
visit of a week at the White House. Miss Cleve-
land was not here then, aud Mrs. Hoyt was
their hostess There were few society people in
town. few called upon Mrs. Hoyt, who is not
fond of society. but most retiring woman. and
those few did not see the Folsom ladies, and
their visit attracted little comment or attention.
1t is believed that the President offered himself
to Miss Folsom before that time, but that her
answer was not final until last fall She imme.
diatey went abroad for study and travel, and in
cidentally for the trousseau..
To-day Saturday the whole city of Washing
ton is smiling, and each one greets his friend by
an inquiry concerning his cards for the wedding.
The d56r-keepers at the White House weai
been invisible all day, closeted with the Presi-
dent in the little private Office at the west end OF
the building Miss Cleveland did not return to
the city last night as she had expected to do.
The ladies of the Cabinet families all called at
the White House this morning to see her, and
were much surprised to learn that she had not
arrived. In lieu of seeing her they went up to
the library and offered their congratulations to
the President They found him IN a state Of
welcontained, dignifed and subdued joy, cer-
tain new brightness and twinkle in his eye, tell
of anxiety set aside, suspense relieved and
felicity assured.
To their glowing picture of the social glory
that he was adding to his administration, the
brilliancy of the next winter, with wife in the
White House, the President gave an asserting
SMILE yet insisted that he was marrying the
little bride" all for himself and home life. and
not for the public His manner was full of ten
derness as he spoke of his bride elect, and the
ladies were deeply affected by the touch Of SEN
timent newly discovered to them. in him.
Mrs. and Miss Folsom will arrive here either
Tuesday night or Wednesday morning OF
Wednesday afternoon under the escort of Mr..
Benjamin Folsom The party will 20 directly
to the White House, where every arrangement
has been made for them. Even in the event OF
q great wedding there had been no thought OF
having 1t take place in any other city or spoa
than in the White House at Washington. The
great wedding would have been concession to
his bride and his station, but for himself the
quiet family ceremony exactly pleases the Presi.
dent The choice was left to Miss Folsom
whether to have quiet wedding as early as pos
sible, or large official wedd ng latter due
period of respect to the memory of Colonel Fol-
som had been observed. Her decision has re-
joiced the bridegroom and lifted the anxiety that
he has endured, between hearing of Colonel
Folsorn's death and her arrival. AS everything
was left for Miss Folsom to decide the President
could make announcement until she had
landed on this shore and been consulted He
was more relieved than any one to give out the
plain. straightforward story.
At o'clock on Wednesday evening the cere-
mony will take place in the Blue Parlor of the
White House, acharming oval salon on the south
front of the mansion, where the receiving party
stands at state receptions, where the President
receives and holds audience with foreign minis
ters, and which is in general the apartment of
high ceremony of the mansion. 1t opens from
the inside corridor of the house, which is separ
ated from the entrance hall by a long screen of
Tiffanys jeweled glass, and its windows look
directly on the south por.icos overlooking the
extensive grounds of the White House, the
monument lot and the river In the fall of 1881,
before President Arthur assumed his residence
in the White House, the Blue Room was re-
furnished and redecorated by Louis Tiffany and
his associated artists of New York at consider
able expense. Artlstically, it Ia the least sue
cessful of Tiffanys work in the mansion. The
oval of the room is repeated in the nterlacng sill
vered lines OF the paneled ceiling decorations, and
the body of the walls is dull robbin's-egg tint
more green than blue, very trying and unbe-
coming to female face. The window draperies
and upholstery of the furniture repeat the same
tint. Two fire places with broad mantel- pieces
and three deeply recessed windows reaching
the floor lend themselves admirably to any
scheme Of floral decorations. and at receptions
and state dinners the florist concentrates his
talents upon that oval parlor and converts il
into bower of palms, blooming plants and
masses of cut flowers. For the wedding the
conservatores of the White House and the
larger ones under the management of the super.
intendent of public buildings and grounds will
furnish all that the suite of parlors can contain.
and the skill and taste of the White House
florist have sufficiently tested all the possibili
ties of the decoration of state apartments to bs
able to make them worthy of the event
The whole ceremony will be conducted with az
little ostentation as possible. and the party to
be present. is limited to twenty-five. Miss Cleve-
land and Mrs. Hoyt will be the only members OF
the Presidents family present and will arrive in
time to receive tho Folsom party on their arrival
from New York. The brides mother and hei
cousin. Mr.. Benjamin Folsom, who has been
travelling with them abroad, and who as nearest
relative will give the bride away; Secretary Bay.
ard, Secretary and Mrs. Manning, Secretary and
Mrs. Endicott. Secretary and Mrs Whitney,
Secretary Lamar. Postmaster general and Mrs.
Villas, Attorney general Garland and hA
mother, Mrs. Hubbard, and the Pres
and Colonel and Mrs Lamont will compose tho
party witnessing the ceremony and partaking OF
the elaborate wedding supper afterward 10 be
served in the state dining room. The Marine
Band, stationed in the entrance hall, will play
the appropriate marches the bridal party de-
scends to the parlor and other selections during
the evening. The White House chef and con-
fectioner are already deep in the arrangements
for the menu of the supper and the masterpieces
of set and sugary pieces appropriate to mar
rage feast
The construction of the wedding cake alone is
labor of love and genius that the artist should
have been given weeks to accomplish.
The ladies of the Cabinet are already dis
tracted abont dresses and woebegone at having
such short notice that only the old sessions
gowns can possibly be made ready for the great
event
After the wedding ceremony there will be
collation. set in the state dining-room which 10
to be made cheerful with tropical plants and
wealth of art flowers. The arrangements doe
scribed arc possible within the resources of the