The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-01-03
lHE SOCIAL SEASON.
WOMEN IN THEIR GLORY AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.

NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Sweets Of omcisi sooisty-Personai Gossip
Concerning the Presidsnt-A Sample Of
Society rwsddis-Ths Cost Of Serving
Ones Country.
WASHINGTON. Jan 1.-[Special We
are now right at the beginning Of the SO.
cial season IN the national capital and the
women are once more In their glory Re.
cent political changes have brought 90 the
city an unusually large number of women
who never before tasted the sweets of Off
cial society. and they are all eager for the
fray They have heard so much about the
charms of Washington society that they
imagine great treat Is In store for them
The presidents New Years reception Is
the opening ball of this social engagement,
and after that the fun becomes fast and
furious The president, as usual. will
give series of receptions In the evening,
and on alternate weeks will have cabinet
or other official dinners. hear that the
president has become quite fond of dining.
and that he really enjoys even his official
banquets, where more or less formality
prevails. The men who are near TO Mr.
more enjoyment out of che White House
than he did formerly. He is rather in.
tense by nature. and, once engaged upon
a task finds it impossible TO relax his ap
plication till 1t shall have been finished
Employees of the executive mansion who
have been quarter of century in the
building say Mr. Cleveland Is the most in.
dustrious of all the presidents they have
known. He has for years made 1t his
habit TO sit up till midnight. and often
till or 2 o'clock. at work at his desk
Now, however. he is learning to take life
more easily. and during the social season
will find II absolutely necessary TO devote
fewer hours TO his desk.
He Was Built That Way.
A member of the cabinet tells me q
story illustrating Mr.. Cleveland's pen.
chant for wanting TO know everything him
self, and his disinclination to trust TO the
Judgment of others. "Mr Cleveland Is
a queer man in some things" said this
cabinet officer. He always wants to feel
his feet on the rocks. He puts himself to
o great deal Of unnecessary labor in trying
always to know things from his own in
vestigations, without letting the informa-
ton of others answer the purpose.
matter involving a point of law. He
had every confidence in my Judgment
as to the right thing to be done
but he was afraid / had not looked up
the statutes carefully. / assured him l
had done so and could almost quote the
section word for word. Nevertheless he
left his desk, hunted up the statutes,
fumbled around till he had found the Sec
In nd ha catt sfia h
He found 1t exactly as had indicated. /
suppose / am foolish to be so particular
about these little things, he said to me
But can't help it. 1t is a habit formed
years ago to make sure of all my facts l
don't mean any disrespect to you, you
know it IS just the way am built And
so l have found 1t on many occasions,
The president works altogether too hard,
and / am sorry he does so. If he did not
have the constitution of a horse he would
have broken down long ago. i"
Women who expect to get great deal
of pleasure out of the social season are
doomed to disappointment i have OBJ
served that every year shows new crop of
social aspirants In the Capital City The
experienced ladies drop out after season
or two. They discover the uselessness and
hollowness of the thing in "a short time
and are glad to make their escape. or
course cabinet officers wives and the wives
OF some of the senators and representa-
tives think 1t their duty to remain in the
swim in order to help their ambitious hus-
bands. but they do il reluctantly and as
martyrs in good cause Nothing more
empty and unsatisfactory than "a seasons
round in Washington official society could
well be imagined, but there are always a
lot of new recruits, eager and enthusiastic
coming in to take the places of those who
have improved the first opportunity TO
step aside.
Smile and a Smirk.
A society woman who has had a great
deal Of experience and who is compelled
by force of circumstances to remain in har-
ness, so to speak, gives me graphic de-
scription of the round of pleasure which
she has in gay society. II hear the same
sentences and same phrases, see the same
smiles and smirks, about 1000 times a
day. The conversation usually runs some
thing like this: oh, Mrs. Smith, am so
glad TO see you You are looking just
splendid My day is Thursday Won't
you come to see me on my dayY Ii will
be so good of you. Goodbyl' Why Mrs.
Jones, how do you do? Isn't IL warm in
the drawing roomP What a pretty rose
you hsvel My day is Thursday Won't
you come to see mep Thank you very
much And your day is-oh, yes, Friday
I'll call sure. Goodbyl' And in this way
we keep going all day long, drumming up
trade, as 1t were. You know our success
as social lions depends upon the number
of cards we have in our baskets and the
Importance of the people who drop them
there So we have to bring the principles
of reciprocity into play in order to secure
quantity, while for quality we depend
upon all sorts of ingenuity and schemes.
And when 1t is all over 1t represents moth
ing but a tired back hot eyes, husky
tongues and the recollection-the very in.
distinct recollection-of a lot Of people
who were as sadly bored as ourselves -
Poor and Honest.
New members of congress are astonished
to find that General Henderson of illinois,
who was for 20 years a member Of the
house and an unsuccessful candidate for
clerk, is now very poor man Though
that fact speaks we'll for his honesty, the
new statesmen cannot understand why he
has nor saved q cou fortahle comnatapcv