St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-17
TOPICAL TALK.


things else.
TOPICAL TALK.
Just two more Sundays in the White
house, and then MIR. and Mrs. CLEyE-
LAND will cease to be food for the gos-
sip mongers. They will be back in
private life, just plain Citizen CLEvE-
LAND and his pretty young wife, who
once held the position that queens might
have envied. Although he and his wife
have been the central figures in Wash
ington society for four years, yet there
is probably not a man in Washington
to-day who knows less of the city or of
the social side Of it than Mr.. CLEyE-
LAND. He had never been in Washing
ton until he went there to be inaugu-
rated president of this great republic.
1t is said that during his four years.
residence there he has never crossed the
Threshold of more than two Washing
ton homes outside of the cabinet circle.
In other words, he has not seen the in
terror of ten residences in Washington.
He has never seen congress at work;
and although the state, navy, army,
treasury and attorney generals depart
ments are all within stones throw of
the White house, he has never been in
side of a department building. He has
rarely gone to the theaterS, and has
never been seen walking on the avenue.
All he knows about Washington society
and its ways is what he has heard.
TfT
In his seclusiveneSs Mr.. CLEVELAND
has been different from most of the other
presidents. There are stories told in
Washington of the convivial habits and
social traits of nearly all of his prede-
cessors in the executive Office. ARTHUR
was a high liver, and loved to entertain
and be entertained. GRANT was moth
ing Of a society man, but could be seen
almost any day rambling through the
White house grounds or taking stroll
down Pennsylvania avenue, chatting
by the way with acIuaintanceS whom
he chanced te meet. LINCOLN was too
busy to get Oh the outside very much,
yet ne would occasionally steal out for
stroll, and when found was generally at
street corner telling Western story
to an christening crowd. Old JIMMY
BUCHANAN did not think it beneath the
dignity of a president to take drink
across Washington bar with friend,
as he did more than once. JOHN TYLER
was constant attendant at the horse
races, and spent his evenings rolling
ten pins at downtown alley. FRANK
LIN PIERCE was socially inclined. and
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS was thought in
his day to be the best poker player in
Washington. HAYES was no man for
games, but he liked to drop in on his
friends unceremoniOusly and spend an
evening in conversation.
TfT
Mrs. HARRIsoN's warfare against the
decellete dress has recalled to the
minds of old Washington people the
costumes worn by former mistresses of
the White house; and it is a singular
fact that from MARTHA WASHINGTON
down to FRANCES CLEVELAND the
decollete has held sway during
every administration. Even RACHEL
JACKSON, the wife of "Old Hick-
ory," had half dozen even
ing dresses with low bodices made to
wear when she became presiding lady,
but she died before she had chance TO
wear them. DOLLY MADISON was too
much of Quaker to wear the decollete
style, but she permitted it to be worn
at her receptions. And what was worse,
she rouged. 1t is remembered at Wash
ington that the lowest neck dresses
were worn in the BUCHANAN admins
tration, when HARRIET LANE. the bach
eIor presidents niece, was mistress of
the White house. She had spent several
years at the court of st. James, and,
returning, brought the fashions with
| her. Her dresses were what we now
call the old-fashioned low neck, cut
from shoulder to shoulder, and usually
finished with tiny lace flounce.
frT
Mrs. HARRISON has already lost pres
tige with the -Four Hundred" by the
announcement in the New York papers
that on her recent shopping tour there
she never let it be known when enter
ing store that she was the wife of the
president-elect. The custom among
New York ladies of prominence is to
have their arrival announced by foot
man when they enter the shop door.
The Washington society fakirs cannot
be avenged on Mrs. HARRIsoN's rude,
wild Western ways, but they are deriv-
ing an immense deal of consolation
from the fact that the old White house
is oyerrun with rats, and that the self
wi!led old lady is bound to spend many
a restless night under its roof.
ffH
Apropos to discussion of society as it
is seen in official circles, will relate the
amusing, and at the same time embar-
rassing experience my friend HIXsoN
had at the governors inaugural ball.
81 have great aversion to these high
hung society doings," remarked the