Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-09
SOCIETY AT REST.
All About the White House and Its
Occupants.
GETTING READY FOR SUMMER.
Where well-Known People VIII Spend the
Heated Term-some Of the Amusements of
the wsek-The Ladies' Club in Working
Order-Personal Notes,


Order-Personai Notes.
The President and his family are expected
home on next Friday afternoon, should. no
changes be made in their travelling plans They
will find the White House in its usual summer
trim. The house cleaning has been going on
quietly since their departure, but has been re-
tarded by the workmen on the second floor,
who are engaged in placing the electric light
fixtures in position. The library and several Of
the chambers are therefore in q state of chaos,
but extraordinary efforts will be put forward
within the coming week to have the entire man
sion in a completely orderly condition for the
Homecoming Of the family. The carpets have
been taken up all over the house, the curtains
are down and most of the furniture is already
covered in freshly laundried linen. The only
exception 10 the blue parlor, where the cur
tains are still hanging and the carpet still down,
awaiting Mrs. Harrisons final decision. The
furniture, however, is entirely robed in white
linen and the room looks as cool and dainty as
possible. For the rest of this month and half
or perhaps all of the next the blue parlor will
really be the only place on the first fioor where
the ladies can see their friends, the other
rooms will be soon in the hands Of the deco
rators.
The Marine Band concerts are expected to
begin on Saturday afternoon, May 16, the day
following the return Of the family, and that &C.
casion will no doubt be taken advantage Of by
their friends to assemble on the south portico
to listen to the music. The new thing there
will naturally get then about its first social rec
ognition, as very few as yet have noticed how it
brightens and adOrns the portico. The porch
is also abundantly furnished with wicker chairs
and settees, the awnings are hung and general
air OF future occupation prevails. The gardens
will soon add the finishing touch to the view
from the windows, which is even now as varied
and as pleasing one as can be found anywhere
Mrs. Harrison's chamber, at the southwest
corner OF the mansion, is receiving the same
Frightening touches a. the rest of the living
rooms. On its walls are several paintings on
china and canvas, the work of Mrs. Harrison's
own hands. The stately mahogany bed which
had been in this room for SO many years has
given place lately to two small low brass bed
steads. Like all the rest of the house the floor
is covered with white mating.
greatly needed Improvement lately 10 the
new Venetian blinds that shade the large half
circular window on the west corridor. How to
temper the light which streams through this
window without concealing entirely the stained
glass has been the despair of other White House
mistresses The cornei near IL is a very useful
one to Mrs. Harrison, as she keeps her desk
and comfortable reading chair near it. She
cannot spare any room for q boudoir and the
hall is all that is left.
The sitting room and library will look very
attractive when the new electric light fixtures
are in place. And in the event of the cleaning
up process which will be going on down stairs
in the parlors all summer its use will be
pleasant feature Of the mansion whenever the
family is at home during that period.
Maj. and Mrs. Parker have been with Lieut..
and Mrs. Parker lately at the White House and
will remain until the return of the President.
Maj. Parker stays every night and after break
fast goes out to the Soldiers Home for the rest
of the day. Miss Parker has been also frequent
hot n L., 49,
out agreeable company.
DR.. Scott has taken advantage Of the family's
absence to give a number of his old friends a
good time. He has had them driving nearly
all day and the late afternoons and seemed to
have nothing more weighty ON his mind than
to make his visitors see all that could be seen
and under the most pleasant auspices. His
concern all of last fall and at. times through
the winter, is so much improved that he has
regained his former vigorous appearance of
sturdy old age.
Mrs. Russell Harrison will not return with
the party, as she leaves them when they reach
Omaha next Wednesday. 1t 10 her intention to
spend few weeks with her parents and little
daughter and then make her arrangements to
leave them again for the summer. She intended
to go to Europe, as at first planned, for this
month, only that the attractions of the Cali
fornia trip were too strong to be resisted. The
family now ct the White House do not know
whether or not Mrs. Mckee will accompany
her, but the chances are that the two ladies and
Mr.. Saunders, Mrs Russell Harrison's brother.
will start for the European trip, Of which it is
SO easy and safe to prophesy that few travel
ers could leave America under more charming
conditions for having an extraordinarily good
time. As Mr.. Russell Harrison has not vet
outlived the memories Of the fine time he had
with royalty and other good people with un-
limited means Of treating their visitors well it
Is equally safe to presume that he will 70
along with his wife and sister.
The Presidents summer plans include stay
at his Cape May cottage, which will suit Mrs.
Harrison, who likes it because it will be lust
the place to take the children. of whom she
will likely be the willing custodian all the
summer.
Miss Florence Miller, daughter Of the Attor-
ney General. and Mrs. Mary Butterworth Howe
will accompany DIR. and Mrs. Roosa to Europe,
and travel under their guidance during the
summer. Mrs. Howe has been in New York
for the most of the time during the spring
visiting her late husbands parents who are
much attached to her. They have planned the
trip throughout. In Switzerland they will
travel almost entirely by carriage stopping
and going forward as they please. Neither
Miss Miller nor Mrs. Howe have ever been
abroad, and consequently their anticipations
are most enviable. DIR. and Mrs. Roosa are
going over scenes which are already quite
familiar to them, and their pleasure will rest
mainly in having SO much to show their young
The Country Clubs tea on Wednesday did
not attract such large crowd. as the day was
too chilly and windy for outdoor fete 1t was
just bit funny, too, that the tea given by the
Washington Club the same afternoon should
have initiated against the entire success of the
club mems country fete, as after having &C
complished one duty at getting to the first it
required an immense amount Of courage to do
another the same day, anda cold day. too. But
the Country Club has three more tea dates
ahead, when there will be neither ladies' club
nor races to divide the social strength of the
afternoon.
Mr.. Eustis' tally-ho coach is likely to play
quite an important part in fashionable outdoor
life this spring. Four-in-hands are not COM
mon, but the number is increasing gradually
Mr.. Nelson Brown has not enlivened the streets
as frequently he might lately with his big turn
out Mrs. Hearst had ordered gorgeous one
during the winter she had fully intended to
stay here until late in the season and to give her
young friends the best of times atop Of a tally
no. Miss Eustis has great skill in handling the
ribbons herself over the backs of four horses,
and in Paris last year surprised every one with
her ability to do 30 through the crowded
boulevards.
Mrs. Senator Hale is here and ia giving much
of her time and attention to her new house,
which is fast approaching completion.
Mrs. Hazen, since the departure of Senator