St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-09
The Home Of Presidents
Growing Foot-Worn and
Needs Repairing.
Changes and Decorations
Which Might Easily Be
Made.
The Charming Society of tho
Harrisons' Own Family
Circle.

desperate rain spree until and over the
Both, the advocates of the change of
| date of inguration from March to
| April 30 will not have a leg to stand on.
| Old Pluvius, ancient Boreas, are at 1t
| again as bad as ever. The secretary of
| state is laid up with lumbago, there
| are many minor officials i'll with colds
OF varying intensity, and every man,
woman and child walking in the ma
tiOnal capital looks like the "soused
gurnet' spoken Of by Shakespeare.
The early part of the week was pleas
ant, and the egg-rOlling day easter
Monday in the White house grounds
was repetition of that unique festival
peculiar to Washington, winch has
formed the theme of many an illustra-
| ton by pen and pencil. All, friends,
| how we do leave epOcnS behind us, do
| we not? Can you understand how per-
sons can see any fun rolling down a hill
after particular egg, and being im-
moderately thrilled with joy at recover
ing that valuable article, having thrown
it away five minutes before? After all,
the Turk who had slaves do his dancing
for him was not far wrong, was he? All,
hum! this centennial weather is very
rheumaticky.
The private reception at the White
house on Tuesday afternoon was really
delightful. Mrs. Harrison greeted us
so cordially and looked so well in love-
ly gown Of golden brown color with
panels and plastrOn of gold brOcadel 1
cannot answer for what our first lady
cid by others, but can testify that she
gave me hearty haud-shake. AID so
did her charming sister, Mrs. Scott
Lord. They both said they were glad
to see US, and we passed Oh and min
gled with the small crowd of ladies who
were gathered there by appointment.
and gorgeous toilets. One young girl,
for instance, was attired in a tight-fit-
ting pOIonaise of reSeda-c0lOred velvet,
open at sides and up the back, and UNI
derneath this was rOSebud-cOlOred
crepe de chine dress, embroidered by
hand in rosebuds. Hat and gloves to
match. This was very successful
dress, and very becoming, in one sense,
to its wearcr, but must confess myself
an adherent of the English system of
simplicity for young girls dress, and
prefer the most inexpensive gOwningS
for unmarried women.
Mrs. Scott-LOrd, Mrs. Harrison's sis
ter, wears deep mourning, black cash
pasSementerie. Her daughter, Mrs
Lieut.. Parker, who has gone to Berlin
with her husband, is remarkable
beauty, and quite literary, as her article
on Samoa and Its People," in a recent
number of the Cosmopolitan, will attest.
Lieut.. Parker is one of the commission
erS sent to Berlin to discuss the Samoan
question. Mrs. HarriSon's daughter,
Mrs. Mckee, is another beauty. These
handsome looks are direct inheritance
for Rev. Dr.. Scott, the grandfather. al
though nearly ninety years old has Almost
delicately chiseled profile and an express
sion of sweetness altogether unusual in
mans face; his deceased wife, the
mother of Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Scott
Lord, must have been eXquisitely beau
tifui. l have seen her portrait in Mrs.
ScOtt-LOrd's drawing room; it is that of
a Overwhelmingly attractive woman. Mrs.
HarriSOn'S profile is as clear-cut as
cameo, and she possesses that wonder
full aid to good looks, prettily-Shaped
nose.
The rooms at the White house are in
need of thorough ''redolng," to use an
expressive word in vogue with house
keepers, if not with strict grammarians.
Thousands of people tramping through
house soon take the freshness off
carpets. rugs and furniture. The wall
decorations seem still fresh; the Blue
rUOm. with those fairy-like silver rings
dropping from the ceiling, very beauti-
full always. The portraits of Mrs. Tyler,
Mrs. Polk and Mrs. Hayes hang in the
Green room, delicately- tinted apart
ment which would hardly strike the
visitor AS green unless he were told,
am sorry to say Overheard some rather
crude criticisms on those portraits from
the lips of some of the irreverent young
folks passing by them. One girl asked
why Mrs. Tyler laid her head down on
one shoulder, like a sick canary bird;
another characterized Mrs. Folks pict-
ured preSentment as ''fusbyI" Did you
ever hear such word? can't find it
in the dictionary.
Martha WaShington's portrait hangs
in the East room. and in point of color
ing it is fascinating work. Probably
it is good likeness. There is. how
eber, prepOnderance of powdered hair
over features which may render that
matter dubious. The quilted pink satin
petticOat and the white brocade polo
naiSe are good specimens of pictorial
millinery; but it is in anatomy that the
picture is defective. Mrs. Washington'S
foot looks more like a narrow bit of
white board than human foot, and
churn might have stood as model.
Here is wherein the much-criticised
Whistler stands pre-eminent. His fig
ureS may be heavily swathed in cloth
ing, but the human form, visible though
draped, is there nevertheless
Being an informal reception, such de-
lightful things happened. | was taken
to see Benjamin Harrison Mckee, that
chubby, sturdy, splendid little baby
boy. He was in the grounds with his
nurse, seated in just boO'ful little car
fh nod hoor, him, t.,
one of those wonderful lit
tie basket wagons hitched to a real imi-
tation gee-gee, with one wooden foot
raised in gallop, horses
hair all over him, and reinS. curb,
snaffle of a kind to be eQualed, but
never surpassed. That the propelling
force of this imposing animal was de-
rived from the nurse pushing behind
abated no jOt of the enthusiasm of Baby
Mckee.
or lady who has been visitor at
he White house for many wears,
asked the secret of the enormous popu-
arlty OF President Harrison and family.
cit is their evident unity" she an
swered, with the whole human family.
Look at them! Grandpa, great-grand-
ather, mamma. papa, auntieS, babies
With their loves and their anxieties,
heir aches and pains, their joys and
what we all nave. Mrs.
Cleveland, SO young. strong. beautiful.
stylish, childless, had always something
II the fairy about her. When she dis
appeared from the crowd at the White
louse it was as if she had melted into
mist. The admired vision but now here
lad vanished. Mrs. Harrison, so unaf-
ected and so sensible; so true an
American bonneville and house-mother,
wakens more than our admiration-she
las our affection and our respect
OLIVE LOGAN.