The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-31

lor door. The president ana his party
enter the reception room; the brass gate
closes behind them and two ushcrs take
Y tiicir stand bcalde H. with eagle eyes open
Ter the ubiquitous crank.
There are q few minutes for converea-
/ tlon. Then the receiving line " arranged
In accordance With timc-honorcd custom
and recognized official etiquette. The
president stands at the doorway between
tho red parior and the blue pnrlor. The
red pnrior Is the ante room. and the state
l dining room beyond ~ used as a dcsposi-
tory for hats and coats. Next the prcsi.
\ dent stands MIr Cleveland. a Younner
/ officer assists Colonel Wilson In the pre-
I nent..tlons and his especial duty ia TO
mako mtroductons. 60 Mrs. Cleveland. On
I Mrs Cicvelaua'a right tx Mrs, stevenson,
| then Mrs. Gresham. the wife OF the sos
rotary OF ntAte. The state department
ranks the other departments OF the gov
crnment IN Importance Then comes Mrs.
! Carlisle. thcp Mrs. Lamont. MlaH Her
/ bert, Mrs oinay, AIRS. kissell, Mrs Smith,
and finally one OF the daughters OF Sec
RETRY Morton. Thus tho order Of Import
ance % the executive departments Is sus-
! tnincd.
An OF tha indics who assist Mrs. Clcve-
| land arc IN reception toilet The ladies be-
! hind tho line. 100. are IN smart gowns,
and very few of them wear hats The
windows are darlsered and the effect OF
| the handsome tpilcSs Is enhanced by bril-
liant electric lights
The frat comers are the members of tho
/ diplomatic corps. They are the guests of
honor az any state function. They arc
mnrahallod hy tho dean Of the corps--tho
member longest Ia service The liuStian
minister was tic dean az the corps for
many years, Now the dean f. Baron Fnvl,
then ambassador from Italy. Thcy are
In court costume, With most or them u
Is uniform. moro or less gaidy, decked
usually With plenty OF gold and silver bull
lion. The uniform OF the British nmbas-
sador A. quite gay In red nnd blue aud
gold Tho Ciilnese wear lonk wlken robcSt
but these are their every day dress. They
4 Jre only n little more gorgeous than usual
ON New Years dhN
The presentation OF the members Of the
diplomatic corps is made by Secretary
Gresham. But tho diplomats are under
the especial cara OF The secretary OF state.
In accordance With the custom Of many
years. he will give them breakfast IN
his apartments at the Arlington hotel
when the reception at the White House
is over,
zach OF the foreign ambassadors or min-
listers bows ng he IL presented and takes
the presidents hand, Then he rasses
down the line, bowling 10 each of tho la
dies hut shaking hands with Mira. Glove
land only. Others OF the diplomats so
behind the line Others no through the
parlor 70 the green pnrlnr beyond There
Il usually a little imnrOnptu reception
party there the wives Of the lesser Of
iicials OF the departments. Bnt no one IN
supposed to bow 20 them or 20 address
them unless he knows them personally.
Beyond the green parlor Il the cost par
lor Herr. the crowd VIII assemble for in
terchangc of social greetings ana pleasant
though vagTant conversation,
The members OF the supreme court
bench who follow the diplomats. are led
by chief Iuatice Fuller They are not in
reFaiio They appear n plain qitsens'
dress. They need no introduction to the
president or any OF the party. The repre-
aoniatlves and senators are scattering and
comparatively few. There are nearly half
a thousand OF Thorn AT the capitol. but a
beggarly hundred Is the usual allowance
mt II New eur's day reception Many of
them take ADVANTAGE OF the adjournment
of congress for the holidays TO go home to
their famiiieH SO thErn are not many OF
them IN WashinRtonh
The Officers of the Army and navy and
OF the marine corps 8rc In full uniform
and the olDr or mothf Falls follows in their
train. lruli uniform u very seldom worn.
The artist who dlnwt on his imagination
10 depict a social gaIhernE in Washlng-
ton usually puts IN N least hnlf a dozen
gay young officers II brass buttons and
ennuleta. In ftct. thk okicers OF The army
ana navy never wcfr their uniforms ex-
cent on un official ofcasiap and the New
Years day reception n SprmHl occasion
hecnuae the president 81 th& nited States
Is commander Of the rmy N navy. The
officers of the army arc prcscVhed by Sec
rotary Lamont. General EchoNAll Is the
first OF them ana they taper m%epm him
to the second lieutenant or recenf%kcubn-
iart Secretary Herbert presents the9Agyy
officers and the officers OF tho maNAe
corpg
Thcn follow the lesser officials who aref
presented In their turn by Colonel Wilson.
Some Of them need no presentntion They
are old personal acqunint tnecs Of the pres
tdent, Some Il Them thoughthey are hia
Hppointees, arc comparatively strangers 10
him.
The veterans OF the Grand Army felt
more ut homo with President Harrifon.
becnuse they could call him ''comrade;'
but they turn out Loyalty to pay sheir res-
pectE 10 the commander OF the army ana I
ragy. The oldest inhabitants are growing |
pretty old; many OF them can look back
10 the White House receptions Of iifty |
years ago. They trg ige along IN couplea, /
make their bows and escape
Iheu comes The public. which has boon |
waiting patiently az tie outer gates for
many hours. The ushers let little sections I
OF the column into the grounds and the
doorltcepers marshal them into the White
HouHe door. They pass the Marine band,
cross tie rctunda ana then the hnli at
a shuffling gait pass through the state
dining room and rho red parlor aud
before they know IL almost are IN front
Of age. color or sex and the only bar 70
admiitagce Is uheleanlinaf8. 50 the coli
umn Is somewhat naked. There IS no easy
lf-confidence about the visitors. They
are FAITHFULLY and evidently embarrassed.
some OF them have shaken hands with the
president before but the memory gives
them no greater courage Some look down
at tho ground or az the hand which Is ox-
tended 10 them and then hurry on With
out seeing the reception party at all
Others become utterly bewildered and be-
fore they know that they have reached
the blue parlor the crowd behind gently
pushes them ON. Often they turn as they
go down the line. looking bnck with a
haifregretful expression ~ the hand that
they failed to shake The president shakes
hands with ali ~ them who VIII, he has
10 take a rest occasionally, ana az intet-
walls the column rs stopped and the pgesl-
dental party sits down lsnt Il IA only
FOR minute Presently the line Is re
formed and ne coienu starts again and
the hand sinking proceeds,
Long before the public has gone through
80, r.rnixiufr FnFty has hasrttrt Ia hr.a~tt x l