The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-12-27

N~~'r>T|NNNN&'
THE EXIT THROUGH THE WINDOW.
arrived, for they are next in order. Chief
Justice Fuller, looking pygmylike beside
the stalwart Harlan or the broad Shout
dered Gray, occupies the place of honor.
He presents his colleagues to the president,
Justice Field in the van, and they pass
down the receiving line and into the red
parlor and the east parlor beyond 1t. A
few of the diplomats have gone through
the parlors, but most of them have slipped
behind the receiving line to greet their
friends and wish them happy New Year
The senate and house follow the men,
bers of the supreme court. And here tho
regularity of the reception is broken, for
among SO many it is difficult to keep any
order of precedence, and senators and
members become hopelessly mixed. The
vice president or the president pro tenn
pore of the senate makes the introductions
of the senators, and the speaker introduces
the members of the house. But there are
always stragglers, and the members of the
house pop up singly and in pairs at inter-
walls all through the remainder of the re-
ception time.
Then come the army and navy officers,
General Miles leading the one corps and
the senior admiral the other. And the
odor of moth balls follows in their trail.
Secretary Lamont will introduce the Off
GERS of the army, and Secretary Herbert
will perform like duty for the officers of
the navy. Many of these will go behind
the receiving line, for the potency of brass
buttons is no less in Washington than in
the veriest American village. /,
Now come the department. officials, dna
the superintendent of public buildings,
Colonel John M. Wilson, takes his place
at the presidents right, while younger
army officer lieutenant, stands between
the president and Mrs. Cleveland to repeat
the presentations. There is no recognized
order of precedence among these depart
ment people. Assistant secretaries and
second assistant secretaries are all jumbled
together and of equal Importance. Then
follow the Associated Veterans of the Dis
trict of Columbia and other local organi-
cations, and finally the Oldest 1nhabt-
ants association appropriately closes tho
column of recognized guests. The doors
of the reception room are closed for little
while, and the president and his assistants
take much needed rest.
In the East Parlor.
In the east parlor the scene has been
brilliant and Kaleidoscope. The mingling
of gaudy diplomats, brass buttoned officers
and gorgeously gowned women under the
electric light, with the palms and the flow
ers for a background, makes one of tho
most brilliant scenes that official Wash
| ington knows from one years end to an
| other The crowd in this room and in
the adjoining hallway is thickest after the
army and navy officers have gone through.
| A little later it begins to empty itself
| through the window east of the entrance,
which is an improvised exit, and before
the public is admitted to the mansion the
prettiest part of the spectacle has van
! ished.
And the disintegration is not alone in
the east parlor. The receiving party be-
gins to thin out as soon as the official Wis
, itors have been received. The wife of the
secretary of state must return to her homo
to assist her husband in the entertainment
of the diplomats, who invariably breakfast
with him after the receptions. The other
cabinet women have receptions at their
own homes usually, and this is invariably
true of the representatives of the secretary
| of war and the secretary Of the navy, for
unwritten social law requires that the Off
|
of war and the officers of the navy on the
secretary of the navy. So most of the re-
ceiving party withdraws before the public
| is admitted. This time the withdrawal
will be simplified by an improvised door
way which has been cut from the blue
parlor into the red parlor.
When the president is ready for the or
deal, the doors are opened, and the public
is admitted. The long line without the
| White House grounds comes in in Install
ments at the discretion of the officer in
charge of the gate The attendants keep
| it moving rapidly through the hallway
into the red parlor and the blue parlor
| and on to the east parlor, where, II he
wishes, the visitor may linger for time.
| But few of those who come in the public
line care for more than a glimpse OF the
reception rooms and a quick grasp OF the
presidents hand.
1t Is 1890 when the line is started. The
doors of the mansion are to be closed at /
| O'Clock. On the last reception given dur
| ing the first administration of Mr.. Cleve-
land it was necessary to open the doors
| after the usual hour TO take in several
| hundred people who were at the end of the
| line. On that occasion the president shook
hands with 5000 people. The usual num-
Der is about 3, 300, and as most of the new
congressman are Republicans this winter
and Mr.. Cleveland's party friends are not
,trong in Washington il y altogether
likely that the coming reception will not
equal the record breaker of his former
term. GEORGE GRANTHAM BAN.