Telegram-herald., 1891-01-06

- DunouDno noU Its 0eoo@
uusssa cs~sunA.>sAl
WxmDusss. LEA l.--fAis = ~
yenrs DAY. sad in wsshingspa ths
Whi1s Hosss . tn center Il insmNst.
Rnssss ths epswds. - ssual-thsosnnds
e psnD0 Il high and lew dsUss. en-
s6sn. judges. adnzLrais. gsnsrais. rspss-
sanon<ivss. department CLERKS. me-.
ehanes. boarding hcsss keepers. lahorsrs.
dizhwsshszs--s motley sskhsring such
- oaly Washington can produce All
sagsr to - the president and the brill
iAnt groap of ladies IN tbs blue room-
WssAingtoa has been going 70 he White
Hesss % New Years DAY fer sonethiAg
lihs SIXTY years. and viii probably con-
tinus 20 80 for thrice SIXTY more. There
10 no dinsinusicn Of pubic interest in
the grand danes Of the cabinet circle.
no lesssaing Of popular coriosisy con-
ceFning the person who may chance 70
be prssident.
As stand in tho main corridor Of the
executive mansion facing che president.
! note that tho disnitaries have al
passed, and that now the crowd - COM
ing - the mob, the common people.
everybody and nobody, their sisters,
their cousins and their aunts. A long
line II them runs around through the
building - the entrance. and away
down tho asphalt walk toward the
street. In ths blue room tho reception
mill Ia grinding at a steady rate.
The president Is saving his strength
now, and his hgndshake. while hearty,
u rot at all profuse. Even the tall mar
shall, Maj. Ernst, wastes no breath in
announcing the names Of the callers. and
is not over particular with his pronun-
citation. Mr.. James, who keeps q gro
Gerry. may be heraldsd as Mr.. Jones, and
Mr.. Simpson. the amiable colored man
who drives a coal cart, as plain M.
Smith-but what matter? What is in
name when the officials are trying to
beat the record Of forty handshakes per
minute. with line OF people fifty yards
long waiting outside:
1t Is very funny to watch the manner
in which people are pushed along.
Name, pleasey (whispered). "Mr. and
Mrs. Williams" Mr.. and Mrs. Viii
son!" lin loud voice.. "Glad to see
ycu," says a short, tired, light haired,
whiskered man, who shakes the hands
Of Mr.. and Mrs. Williams with quiet,
quick touch, and looks up at them with
pleasant dignity. Pass along, please"
exclaims al employee of the executive
I'd T.
pass along, vaguely conscious that they
have shaken the hand of the president,
and that they have had the honor Of
walking quickly past Mrs. Harrison and
the ladies of the cabinet. Time, one
minute.
Dear reader. You think You wouldn't
be SO foolish. But you would. Were
you in Washington today the odds are
ten to one you'd be in the White House
grounds waiting, with more or less i'm
patience, in throng of several thousand
other persons, for this evanescent honor,
this doubtful pleasure. Why, you would
not be able to tell, but here you would
be. AS the two by two line slowly
moves along. taking short step forward
about once in three seconds-and three
seconds is long time when this has been
your rate Of progress for an hour or
more-I accidentally overhear some re-
marks:
"This b my eleventh New Years at
the White House" says tall woman,
with face that told of sleepless nights
with babies and worry about rent day,
''and every year l come vow it'll be the
last. don't know whatever makes me
do it-guess it's sort of annual into1-
cation for me-"
"Tve only been six times" replied her
companion, fat woman with a bad
cough. and thin shoes on her chubby
feet, land to come today had to tell
him fib. Last year stood so long in
the cold that caught dreadful cold,
and he told me If ever came here again
on New Years day he'd The line
moved forward, and / lost the remainder
of her family tale, though guessing, ard
probably rightly, that The" was her hus-
band.
But what are the dignitarics, the
judges. statesmen, admirals, generals
and their wives, doing in the big east
room, gathered in groups. the uniforms
and handsome gowns aud flowers COM
bining in many pretty pictures: Cos
sping. Yes, gossiping under presense
OF paying each other the compliments Of
the season; gossip:ng about Mrs. Har-
rison's costume, the white look On the
presidents face, his obviously increased
weight since last New Years, the wealth
er. the queer uniforms of some of the
diplomatic gentry, and, above all, the
social season now instituted.
This motley gathering at the White