The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-05-13
SOCIAL LIFE IN WASHING
TON.

| IoANs
Small parties of visitors stopping in
the city for few days. are often at a
| loss to know how and when hey can
properly pay their respects to the chief
| magistrate and his family, and to those
/ of other officers of the government
What is the order of procedure? how
shall | dress? are questions asked by
every new conner, questions which brief
| newspaper announcements do not an
| swer. Sometimes there are two or
three ladies who will have to 90, if at
ALL unattended by their busy husbands,
fathers or brothers, yet who are anX-
ious to see all they can and at the same
time not infringe upon the proprieties.
| Refinement of feeling and taste which
| ought if it does not, to underlie every
external conventionality, have nothing
| to do with those forms of social life in
| Washington, which have grown up
merely out of the exigencies of its popu-
| lation. Here strangers and residents
first call upon the families of officials
! Among the officials themselves, the
wives and daughters of those in the
lower rank, first call upon those in the
| higher. Thus Mrs. Representative Blank
| first calls upon Mrs. Senator Blank; the
| latter upon the wives of the various Sec
retaries of the Cabinet, each success
| sively stepping up the governmental
staircase till finally Mrs. Vice-President
Blank finds herself next to the last step
and calls only first on the Lady of the
| White House.
| 1t has accordingly been found con-
venient for each official class to ''re-
ceive" on a certain day in the week.
| The President receives informally, that
is, merely walks through the East Room
and goes through the painful hand
shaking process nearly every day ex-
cept Tuesday and Friday when the
| Cabinet meetings occur. Every morn
ing the White House is open from about
eleven to half past one, when, if the
| President can, he sees for few mo-
ments those in waiting. Two or three
/ hundred are often present, besides
various deputations.
| Our party of two or three ladies, then,
can visit this historic building, unac-
companied by gentlemen, going in
street costurc, either on foot or in a
carriage. The gentlemanly ushers in
attendance, some of whom have been in
their positions many years, and are Of
ten soTely tried by eranks and incon-
siderate visitors, take pains to show the
rooms which may be open. Sometimes
several hundred persons pass through
| these rooms in morning; occasionally
parties coolly seating themselves upon
| the golden-brown brocade covers of the
chairs and sofas of the superb East
80 In+o aI 30
| pre-empt q lions share of their own in
divisible and intinitesimal portion of
the public property.
Our friends can also attend the
Thursday afternoon receptions of the
President without an escort Well
made and well-titting walking costumes
as simple or elaborate as they choose or
can afford, are appropriate. There is a
Gordon of ushers to give all necessary
directions upon arriving at the EXecu-
tive Mansion at any moment between
three and five O'Clock. No cards are
necessary. The attendant repeats the
name given him by the visitor to the
officer nearest to the President, who re-
peats it in turn to the chief, as the par
ties pass through the Blue Parlor or East
Room where audiences take place. A
word, bow (why should handshaking
be necessarily and the person present
ed makes way for the next.
The Lady of the White House holds
public receptions on Saturday after
moons. There are more ladies than
gentleman present, though there is al
ways a spriG king of officials and diplo-
mats as well as strangers. The hostess
is assisted by several ladies, one or
more of whom stand on line with her,
the others Immediately back. They are
selected by her from the wives CT Sena-
tors and Members; usually the wife of
the Vice-President or of the Speaker of
the House, or the wives of some OF the
Justices or Members of the Cabinet or
private guests are at her side. The
ladies are in handsome afternoon GreS-
ses or in full toilettes, as they prefer;
satin and lace, velvet and jewels are
seen in profusion. Visitors do not re-
move their bonnets, and the order OF
procedure is similar to that of the Presi-
dents reception. The name of each
visitor is mentioned to those receiving
with the hostess.
The present winsome and gracious
Presiding Lady has also instituted
series of afternoon receptions for her ac-
quaintances and their guests. On these
occasions visitors wait IN the ante-roOm,
where wrappings are removed, until the
usher, who has previously taken the
cards to the hostess, announces that
Miss Cleveland is ready to see the next
party in turn. These "at homes" are
on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednes-
days of the winter season. The recep-
tions take place in the beautiful Red
Parlor. which is used by the family on
all ordinary occasions. Each group
enters and passes out together, and only
the briefest conversation is possible
where, perhaps, twenty persons may be
in waiting.
Evening receptions, appointed at the
instance of the President, are held about
three times during the winter, at dates
announced by the city papers. At these
occasions, Miss Cleveland receives, also,
and other ladies assist. There are ar
rangements for the ingress and egress
of large crowd; flowers and plants
are banked in every available space;
the entire lower portion of the house is
thrown open, the private dining-room
being used for wrappings, and the
whole is magnificenty lighted. The
gold and amber of the East Room are
resplendent Standing in front of the
triple window, the spectator can gaze
down noble perspective. ending two
hundred feet away at the western ex-
tremity of the conservatory. As the
visitors, in costumes more or less bril-
liant, pass out of the spacious corridor,
real estimate of the size of the rooms
may be formed. The conservatory it
self is not the least OF the attractions of
the White House, and on these evenings
is thrown open to the public.
Alter leaving the crush, thoughtful
person ought to understand something
which visitors do not generally realize;
that is, the immense pressure of official
and social duties upon the President
and Presiding Lady, pressure increas-
ing every year, as the population of the
country multiplies. Hester N. Poole, IN