The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-02-09
A PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION.
'sThe Fat Man Shakes and Smiles, the
Queenly Woman Smiles and Shakes.'

QueenIy w oman Smiles ana SnakcS.'
Special Correspondence Of the State Chronicle
A dazzling array of bare pecks;
clatter Of toy swords the rustic OF
silks; the CLEAN of epaulets; a press
of rude men and a struggle Of pressed
women crowding towards an open
door, where stand fat man and a,
queenly woman-and this is presi-
dental reception. The fat man shakes
and smiles, the queenly woman smiles
and shakes, the fat wives of cabinet
officers standing near look bored and
pose first on one foot then on t'other
"Pass On Pass on p' and an usher
gives you a shove. You tread on a.
silk train attached to hips some yards
away. The bare bust turns smiling
and dark eyes fire imprecalions from
under blond1ne crimps The crowd
verges towards a doorway A bare.
neck cries "goodnessp' an old red
nose swesrs, while tin god in uniform
tramples for precedence. Great heav-
ems, will I live through it'll am be-
tween the door-posts, d fat woman ON
either side and the tin god behind.
They grind me through like cane
stalk between the rollers. Into the
East Room L am dumped while the
two fat women grunt like martyrs.
Had they been slender now, and prot
ty-but to be squeezed by fat women,
and two fat women, and two fat old
women, with crows feet and their
mouth corners turned down.
Round and round the great recep-
ton room, among dazzling lights,
flowers and tropical plants, the crowd
flows, pauses, gases and is gazed at
They stare at the brass buttons, vain
to bursting, and the sword as useful
rs one wont to carry terror to a flock
OF geese l once kuew- They observe
General KS brandy nose and a girl
with two black moles in the middle of
her back. The women try to look
beautiful and fail by big majority.
But trim little figure in red, carried
face into the White House that was
only surpassed by the face she found
there. The little girl was Il. North
Carolinian the other the peoples
queen, ii not the politicians, for she
was beautiful beyond all gainsaying
A queenly neck and head posed upon
queenly shoulders, and a smile that
wins all hearts is Mrs. Cleveland's.
Round and round the reception
room eddy the red noses, the low necks
and brass buttons, smiling, posing,
bowling and utsering meaningless moth
ings.
Are these men and women Do
they think and feel? Surely they are
paper marionettes which some penny
Snowman is dancing on boards for the
amusement of children.
But there are heads here, few,
ameng the bare busts and brass but
tons. Yondar sits one ON the bull
neck Of newly-made Justice. The
The Chief Justice stands near, and
beyond him the brightest man from
North CaroliDa, smooth faced, quick
eyed, moves easily through the crowd.
Near by a senatorial bald-hesd is ex-
ercising the only gift its God has Civ.
en-bowing gracefully and whispering
nothing into the ear of smiling
woman. CHANGING back over the
crowd, the Head of the Nation is still
seen bobbing "howd'y' dos" like a
tired automaton.
What means it all What is in it ?
Nothing. It Is Elusive, intangible.
unsatisfying. and you draw away from
the pantomimes, get back to yopr
home, put your feet into slippers, light
your cigar and rock your baby to
sleep, marvelling what FOOLS these
mortals be.
No oae BY merely conversing with
= fsh ever st1cceeded Il, a~,.s