The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-25
QUEEN IN HOMESPUN.
Daily Life Of Mrs. Harrison in
the White House.

Halford, in an interesting article on
Mrs. Harrison's Life in the White
House, in the March Ladies Home
Journal. Breakfast is served promptly
at half-past eight o'clock in the
family dining room on the north side
of the house. adjoining the conserva-
tory. This is followed by prayers,
either the President or DR.. Scott con-
Quoting devotions. The family then
separate for the day; the President
proceeding directly to his room.
Mrs. Harrison and the ladies retire
TO the living room" Of the house,
which is not a % at all. 1t is the
north end of the main hall or the sec
ond floor, separated from the office
or public portion of the floor by a
rather severe, not to say forbldding
black walnut partition. half the
height of the walls. Mrs. Harrison
finds there her mail, which is attended
to with promptness and regularity.
So far as the work of answering let
tiers a be delegated, it is given over
to Mrs. Sanger, the stenographer.
But a large portion of her mail Mrs.
Harrison answers herself. Many of
the letters can be answered by e
of a form that has been composed for
the purpose.
The consideration of her mail over,
Mrs. Harrison receives the Superin-
tendent of Public Buildings and
Grounds, at present Colonel Oswald
M. Ernst, of the Engineer Corps, who
is charged with the duty of disbursing
the appropriation made for the main
tenance of the Executive Mansion.
With him Mrs. Harrison discusses the
needs of the house and her desires,
which must be made to conform to
the amount of the funds or hand.
Many and long are these conferences,
and oftentimes they result in a
shifting about and repairing of the
furniture and fixtures that would
astonish some persons who imagine
that the life of the lady of the White
House is without are and q continual
state OF bliss.
After having dismissed Col. Ernst,
she devotes herself to the domestic
branch of the establishment in confer
ence with the housekeeper. The
menu for the day is arranged during
this conference, and in consultation
with the steward Mrs. Harrison
lldlLlLClllS cA1 1IGOlLASCLU SaPCl tloAO11
over the kitchen, but the stories
current in some circles, representing
her as devoting much of her time to
actual participation in the work of
the department, are exaggerations.
Although a good cook, she does not
find it necessary or desirable to usurp
the functions of that individual in the
White House.
And SO as to the marketing. Hav-
ing arranged In a general way for the
provision of the day, it is left to the
proper person to see that it is pro-
cured. Lunch is served at half-past
one, but frequently the President is
detained by callers, Office seekers, or
cabinet meetings, and he does not sit
down sometimes until an hour later.
1t is rarely the case that some is
not invited to join in this meal, in a
wholly informal manner-a Cabinet
officer with whom the President may
thus continue conference, or some
friend who is asked to extend mis- stay
over the hour for lunch.
In the afternoon, for an hour or
thereabouts, Mrs. Harrison receives
friends, who come by appointment,
and who usually have some relative
or visitor to present. Later in the
| afternoon Mrs. Harrison usually takes
a drive, often with the President, and
when not accompanying him she
takes Mrs. Mckee and the babies, or
some friend who may be in the house.
The variations from this programme
will include lessons in china painting,
in which art Mrs. Harrison displays
rare talent and skill.
Dinner is served at half-past six
o'clock, and as was the case at lunch
almost always the family is joined by
some friend. President and Mrs. Har-
rison are plain livers, preferring the
dishes of an old Kentucky s'aunty' to
the more elaborate menu arranged by
a French chef.
In the evenings out of the season.
the White House is o very quiet place.
President Harrison rarely has an OPP
portunity of spending any time with
his family, except at meals, and after
dinner he is usually to be found AT
his desk again. II Mrs. Harrison is
free from any social duty, she utilities
the evening hours by reading. Being
fond of a good theatrical or operate
performance, she occasionally graces
one of the theatres with her presence,
accompanied by two or three friends.
The President has little taste for this
class of amusement, especially opera,
so is seldom seen at these places. He
is fond OF meeting friends in a quiei
way, and when Mrs. Harrison is en-
pertaining callers in the evening, hi
comes down from his room Whenever
business permits him to do so, ant
mingles with them in a delightfully."-
informal way.
The. Easter Bonnet.
The combination shape called The
t~oquecapote makes the most bewitch-
ing Easter bonnet. Some of til,
crowns are made entirely of flowers o,
leaves, with velvet folds and velve'
strings set III tile middle off the. back
Others have DigqY6d nat d
,IsQ& Wpinted lace, with Iasrowyftc91tsiiet
ffzySeEiet roses yelled NTH a net o.
colored lace. A prettE Boififet for
brunette, had q crowHQfwiltcshirre
Grape, a wreath of fburp555e ,Talva
pansies above a band of h0ligtrop'
lEVslvet, and a White hetQpfsr fBRtie
Psskgrette. A great many wig, or fiel(
flowers for SUPPLEMENTARY, age seen tjl
the bewilderingA 'aRSfsaplay ofcartificia
flowers; there are hy5teEcupsa scarle
tHAbKies and arbutilss ~ 9g PEI, alton 4
~ Heavy wreaths andAhaH Wreaths o
Marguerites and ellrysantheimum|
tnixnd with rraSses are shown for TIL,