Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-12
THE SOCIAL WORLD
A Notable Gathering at the White
House Last Night.
The DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION
Some of the Handsome Toilets
and Some of the Guests.
OTHER SOCIAL GAYETI ES

The diplomatic reception last nlght at the
Executive Mansion was brilliant event.
presenting a scene of unexampled interest
to those who watched it for the first time,
and fulfilling the expectations of those to
whom diplomatic and all other receptions
are an old story. AS usual, the mansion
was made bright and beautiful with flowers
and lights. and little novelty was intro
duced into the palm decoration of the east
room by the ingenuity of Mr.. Hoover, the
electric light man. who had placed amid the
| shining green's a number of starry lights
| under red. white and blue globes. The idea
| was taken from the effect produced on
Baby Ruth's Christmas tree, and was much
admired
The reception began promptly at
O'Clock. At that hour the red parlor was
packed with the members of the diplomatic
CORPS and the corridor and east room with
other guests. In all the history of evening
levees it is doubtful il ever before the COM
pany arrived a half and in many cases
three-quarters of an hour beforehand.
Col. Wilson and Capt. Pitcher led the
| way for the presidential party down TO the
blue room. President and Mrs. Cleveland
walking together, followed by the Vice
President and Mrs. Stevenson and the
members of the cabinet and the ladies who
accompanied Them
After the receiving party had taken their
positions the British ambassador paid his
respects to the President. followed by Lady
Pauncefote, the other three ambassadors
and ladies' or the members of their emDas-
sizes and then the ministers and their par
ties passed in swift succession down the
! line. The snowy uniforms of the gentle
men, the splendid toilets of the ladies made
a hril he ma N
view before the ladies of the cabinet I'm
til the corps had passed behind the line the
Vice President and the cabinet officers were
alone there, save for the presence of Mrs.
! Clevelands guests, DR.. Wood and Miss
Helen Benedict. Owing to the fact that
Mr. Thurber stood on guard at the end of
the line the blue room did not become
crowded at any time during the reception,
although the company there kept constant
ly changing.
The most brilliant part of the reception
was without doubt in the east room, where
during the evening nearly every person or
note or prominence at some moment held a
levee. Here fine uniforms and elegant toll
cts and flashing gems showed to some adj
vantage, where at times the crowd was not
too dense to allow promenading around and
where in every corner the chairs and d.
vans wera pulled together by those so for
tunate as to reach them first, and in the
possession of which found themselves very
much envied
From until ten minutes of II President
and Mrs. Cleveland shook hands almost
without interruption except the few halts
now and then for minutes rest. The
temperature of the house was'very agree
able. though the President evidently found
ii hot work, inaSmuch as the perSplratlon
frequently rolled down his face. The wife
of the Vice President and the cabinet la
dies shook hands with every one who offer
ed theirs. Just before the clock In the hall
pointed to IL the President. offering his
arm to Mrs. Cleveland, escorted her
through the green parlor, followed by the
rest of the receiving party. and made
circuit of the east room and then through
the corridor upstairs.
1t was long past midnight when the last
of the guests left the house. not entirely be-
cause they wanted to stay that long, but
because IL was impossible to reach their car
riages any sooner. The diplomatic corps.
the cabinet, the justices, &c, came to the
mansion by the southeast gate and were
quickly whirled away again from the south
portico.
The weather, that had seemed anything
but propitious early in the evening, i'm
proved, and the guests either walked or
were driven home under a starlit sky.
1t was white night so far as ladies'
gowns were concerned, many CT the more
elegant toilets being in that cola and of
variety of materials. Mrs. Cleveland wore
white satin, trimmed with fine duchess
lace. The waist ndQ tne low, eIltCt
about the shoulders. and a wide bow of
white satin nearly covered the front.
Sleeves of point lace were draped over the
dropping satin puffs, and cascades of the
lace fell from waist to hem on each side of
the front breadth of the skirt. She wore a
diamond bandeau of solitaires and. in the
center, a diamond star. A diamond rose
cleaned in the twist of hair at the back.
Mrs. Stevenson also wore white MORE
antique with sleeves of magenta vel
vet ard bertha of point lace, and some
fine diamond ornaments.
Mrs Gresham was in white MORE with
gold lace insertions. Mrs. Carlisle wore
be liotrope, brocade- trimmed. with rose
point; Srs. Lamont was in white MORE an
tique with trimmings of geranium velvet.
and a ruffied bertha of point lace; Mrs. Bis
sell wore pale blue brocaded satin and
sleeves and waist trimming of deep pink
chiffon; Miss Herbert was in white satin
that had a deep bertha effect of chiffon Dor
dered with pale blue ribbons around the
shoulders; Mrs. Smith wore light blue bro
cade with silver braid and point lace trim
ming, and Miss Herbert was in black moire
antique with point lace
Among the ladies of the diplomatic corps
whose toilets were noticeably elegant were
Lady Pauncefote, whose gown of olive vel
vet was dashed with panels of light bro
cade: Baroness Fava, black MORE with deep
shoulder trimming of orange velvet en-