The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-20

/. MNzAA W. y
MRS. CLEVELAND RECEIVES HER FRIENDS.
6fths of the ladies who attend Mrs.
Cleveland's receptions have sought and
in many cases begged for the little cards
which alone give entree. Every week
hundreds and thousands of applications
for audience are denied Mrs. Cleveland
rightly assumes that she is not required
by her position to submit to the inspec-
ton Of mere curiosity seekers. At least
she is not required to do so at this time.
Naturally there are people who do not
approve Mrs. Cleveland's present policy.
They say she is the wife of the presi-
dent, and it is as much her duty to see
all callers as it is her husbands. These
are the same sort Of people who go to the
White House with a certain sense of
proprietorship. Because it is public
property they cannot see why every
room in the house is not thrown open
for their inspection. They would like
particularly to enter Mr.. Cleveland's,
private apartments, to go into the kitch-
en-, the linen press and to be permitted
to pluck flowers in the conservatory.
A few days ago overheard woman
expostulating with an usher because he
would not admit her to the blue room
and to the main corridor of the house
while Mrs. Cleveland was holding one Of
her receptions. In vain did the usher
explain that his orders were imperative,
and finally he was compelled to say that
Mrs. Cleveland was entitled to some
rights of privacy in her own house.
''Her own house indeedr exclaimed
the woman, with a toss of her head.
perhaps Mrs. Cleveland thinks she
owns the place just because her hus-
band has been elected president. The
people of the United States own this
house, sir, and I'd like to know by what
right the people are denied admittance
to the parlors! It's a perfect shamel"
Many such unreasonable women go to
the White House in the course of week.
They do not go into the private rooms,
or the conservatory, or the dining room,
or the kitchen, but they do manage to
make more or less miserable the lives of
the poor ushers. The people who visit
the executive mansion have to be con-
Stantly watched on account of their craze
for souvenirs or relics. Women carry
scissors with them in order to snip
piece out of curtain if they get chance
Once a woman was seen cutting bit of
ribbon from Mrs. Cleveland's gown.
When detected, she tried to pass the mat
ter off as a joke, but quickly disappeared.
Some of these people manage to get in
vitations to Mrs. Cleveland's receptions.
In the blue room they distinguish them
selves by standing as close to Mrs. Cleve-
land as they possibly can, staring at her
and listening to every word she utters.
They get in the way of new arrivals, and
by their piggish manners make them
selves generally disagreeable. At first
Mrs. Cleveland tried to manage her little
receptions alone, but she soon found it
necessary to call in the assistance of one
of the White House staff. Now Usher
Dubois stands near her constantly, pre-
sents the ladies who are not personally
known to the hostess, and in his quiet
way contrives to prevent too much
crowding about her. It is wonderful
what authority a man is able to exercise
over lot Of women, particularly when
he is the only man in sight and an Off
| cial who knows his business.
Mrs. Clevelands invitation cards are
characteristic. MRS. Cleveland will be
glad" to see So-and-so. Plain, hearty,
Saxon "glad" is the word. The name,
the day of the week and the hour are
| written with pen. The usual hour is
from 10 to l, and the days Tuesday and
Friday. At noon of these days the
crowd assemblies. Most of them come
in carriages. Those who have invita-
| lions know what to do and where to so.
! But at this hour usually hundreds of
| people are visiting the east room, and
as soon as some Of these women see that
other callers are being admitted where
they are not they at once become over
powered with envy and curiosity. Just
Like woman, you know, and quickly
OWNING the facts, as women will, GER
tain proportion at once become imbusd
with the notion that they simply must
see Mrs. Cleveland. They plead and ca
jole and finally some of them go away
only to return in few moments and say
at the door they have forgotten their in.
| vitationsi
Though Mrs. Cleveland receives her
guests at midday, she has all the win
dows of the blue room darkened, and
! the only illumination in the apartment