Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-28
ON NEW YEAR DAY.
Something About Toilets and the Eth
Quette OF Receptions.

Qucttc VI NcccptAOHSs
THE WHITE HOUSE REcEPTIoy-wHAr CUSTOM
HAS. DICTATED As TO THE ATTIRE OF LADIES
WHO REcEIvE-THE PROPER THING FOB GEN.
TLEMES-THE REFREsHMESr TABLE.
The New Year day for the capital begins Of
fcially at the White House with the Presidents
reception, the program for which is as follows:
At II a.m.-The President will receive the
Vice President. the members Of the cabinet,
the diplomatic corps, the members OF the in
ternational conference, the members Of the in
ternational marine conference and the members
of the Venezuela claims commission.
At 11:15 q. m.-The Chief Justice, the associate
justice Of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, the judges Of the United States Court
of Claims and the judges Of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia.
At 11:25 a.m.-Senators and Representatives
in Congress, the Commissioners OF the District
of Columbia and the judicial officers of the
District, ex-members Of the cabinet and ex-
ministers of the United States.
At ii 40 a.m.-The officers Of the army, the
navy and the marine corps.
At IL m.-The regents and the secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution the civil service
commissioners, the interstate commerce COM
mission, the assistant secretaries of the depart
ments, the assistant postmasters general, the
solicitor general, the assistant attorneys gen.
eral, the commissioner of labor, the heads of
the bureaus of the several departments and the
president and officers of the Columbian insti-
tute for the deaf and dumb.
At 1915 p.m.-The associated veterans OF the
war of 1916. the Grand Army of the Republic,
the Loyal Legion and the members of the Oldest
Inhabitants association OF the District of CO.
lumbia
At 1885 p.m.-Reception of citizens, which
will terminate at 2 pm.
THE wEIGHTY QUESTION OF TOILET.
The moving question among the wives Of the
cabinet ministers is what shall we wear? There
is but one toilet, it is held, for the ladies who
stand in line with the President and that is full
dress. Admit that anything short of full toilet
will answer and what a variety of costumes are
you not liable to assemble in the blue room,
with homogeneous effect, on Wednesday next!
1t is of no consequence that the reception be-
gins at IL o'clock in the morning. The sun
shine Is excluded and the chandeliers will be
lighted. The entire effect will be that of an
evening, reception. The proper dress for the
of gown with low body, decollete or body
with medici collar and pompadour, lace
yelled opening, which is as near full dress as
many ladies venture, but all should wear trains
1t Is custom that has been observed in the
past. and for many reasons should be carried
forward in its full force. The Resident will
wear Prince Albert coat for the same reason
that the bride groom and his men wear morn
ing dress at day wedding, while the bride and
her attendants are in trailing silks and filmy
tulle. 1t is the custom.
THE LADIES BEHIND THE LINE.
The ladies who stand behind the line as
hostesses, the daughters and sisters of the cabi-
net ministers, the wives and daughters of the
marshal Of the District and OF the commits
sioner Of public buildings and grounds and
a nnn al hn he fvvt Tod hx,f ha
dent to act as hostesses behind the line, may
dress as handsomely as they choose to do.
These ladies behind the line are not required
to be in full toilette. They need not wear
trains, as the space allotted them sometimes be-
comes densey crowded but they NAV wear
pretty house toilets of white or pale colors, and
it may be made up as daintily as best becomes
the wearer.
THE CALLERS.
The ladies who make the visit to the White
House will wear handsome carriage costumes
with bonnets. There need be no fear of being
too richly attired in carriage toilet. The gen.
tlemen will be in whatever OF full-dress uniform
their rank and station permits them to wear.
The diplomats display their stars and ribands
and the officers of the army and navy their
gold braid and stars. Other gentlemen appear
In morning dress, cutawav or Prince Albert
coats. as they choose. At IL o'clock the Secre-
tary of State and his family will withdraw from
the receiving party and drive to their home
where they entertain the members of the diplo-
matte corps and their ladies at breakfast
This is another custom that is handed down
through the past to the present time. The
other ladies of the cabinet may leave the line as
soor after the retirement of the Secretary of
State and his family as they choose. If they
llnger through the reception it is considered a
great comp liment to those who come latest,
but as they all have their receptions at home to
hold 1t is an impossible courtesy for the ladies
to extend. Secretary and Mrs. Whitney used
to entertain the officers of the navy and their
families at breakfast and SO they were wont to
retire after the navy officers had passed through
the reception room.
The various department officials begin to
make the rounds as early as 2 o'clock, SO that
for them the Presidents house is but the be-
ginning OF a long string of visits. The New
Year calling has greatly fallen off in Washing
ton during the past four years 1t may be sur
Prisingly revived, however, this year.
OTHER RECEPTIONS
A lady who has occupied high official posi-
ton in society in this city for the past twenty
seven years said yesterday, speaking Of the
dresses of the cabinet ladies and others for
New Year days receptions and other matters
pertaining to the proper observance of the day:
"Of course they should wear low necked
dresses at their own receptions and at the
White House as well on New Year day, for,
although the reception is held in the day time,
the parlOrs are darkened. This is done rs a
matter Of utility as well as for the esthetic eff
feet of it. Most of the calling is done in the
afternoon between the hours of and and
everybody knows that it will be dark in a
drawing room from the beginning of that time
even if 1t is sunlight out of doors. The
rooms become crowded and it is i'm
possible for servants to go among the
company with touches to make lights. For a
New Year day reception am always ready at
o'clock to see callers, because one must
consider the convenience of tho visitors and
the distances in Washington to be traversed in
round OF calls are very great. When lived on
Capitol Hill / was always ready at l o'clock
on New Year day. AS no ladies call on that
day the tastes of gentlemen must be studied in
preparing the entertainments. Ten or e dozen
young ladies should assist each hostess. and the
attractiveness of the reception often depends
upon their popularity. They should be hand
somely dressed in ball toilets, and they are en-
titled TO invite all their friends to call upon
them at the house of the chaperone. The
more young ladies the hostess has with her the
less work there is for her to do. A hostess
should never consider the function of receiving
bore. nor go through with 1t as if it were a
great WEAKNESS to her, dull duty. She should
esteem 1T pleasure if she would make her
callers enjoy their visit in her house.
THE NEW YEAR TABLE.
'In the matter of the New Year table" con-
tinued the lady, II always gave my friends
something to eat and to drink First, I men
ton scalloped oysters as a standard dish, be-