The herald., 1897-02-17
AD|OS TO MRS. CLEVELAND
Preparations to Fit From the
White House
THE "OLD WASHlNGTONlANS"
Form No Special Attachment TO "0ffi.
ciaI Society
An Interesting Sketch Of "The First Lady's"
THE "OLD WASHINGTONlANS"
An Interesting Sketch Of "The First Lady's"
Industry and Kindly Nature-Four
Years Accommodations

| Especial Correspondence to The Herald J
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-Nowhere
are the caprices of fickle fortune so ap-
| parent as in the kaleidoscope society of
the nations capital. Besides the ordi-
nary chances and changes of life, every
fourth year with the completed whirl of
her wheel, all the familiar faces in the
higher circle suddenly disappear and
new ones take their places. Therefore
"old Washingtonians" have adopted
two rules of conduct-irst to form no
| special attachments in official society,
| because their speedy severance is inev-
table; and, second, never to slight or
| ignore anybody. for who can say what
obscure individual may be tossed on top
| by the next whirl of the wheel?
OBSCURITY AND FAME.
AS everybody knows, the highest Of
| fees have frequently been filled by men
whom nobody had hitherto suspected of
latent greatness-shy NJ C's, whose
voices were never heard in the house be-
yond an occasional aye or nay on strict
party lines, farmers, country merchants
who took their exalted positions as
COIL pldCcHtly1 DIS IL DOTH 10 Tie
and some of the most conspicuous wom-
en- of the ultra exclusive set, whose
functions" and costumes are gushingly
described by the penny-a liners, are ex-
schoolma'am or treasury "countesses,"
or belonged erstwhile to that honora bue
class of rural housewives who do their
own work" BY the same token. many
who ride the topmost wave today may
tomorrow be lost in the level of common
fOlLx Tho 70 of Of ha1 bftrH
office seems to spoil the average man for
any useful occupation. When his turn
comes to be laid on the political shelf.
he finds 1t impossible to tear himself
loose, but cling, barnacle- wise, to the
scenes of his former power, though for
him their glory has departed. Wash
ington is full of ex-officials and their
families, fiuttering like moths around
the flame that singed their wings.
THE LOBBY AND THE SWIM"
Upheld by the hope thae"springs eter-
nal' for something in the way of politi-
cal preferment to turn up in their favor,
they lobby a little for their friends or
dabble temporarily in real estate, or
turn pension attorneys; while their
wives and daughters, padding lamely
along the edge of "the SWIM" have
many a secret cross to bear of lost pres
tige and shortened income. The wives
of many deposed congressman have
joined the army of boarding house keep
ers with which Washington is infested,
preferring to serve Tom, Dick and Har-
ry in a menial capacity rather than live
anywhere else. The departments are
crowded with the widows and daughters
of former statesmen, officers of the army
and navy, supreme court justices, and
others once high in position; and some
find the road thorny enough. with cal
nd for hai w a
eating the bread of independence. An
example of this may be found in the
Louise home for aged women, endowed
and named in honor of his wife by the
late millionaire philanthropist, Mr. w.
w. Corcoran-where a White House
bride, once as beautiful and envied as
Mrs. Cleveland is ending her days in
poverty and loneliness.
"A WOMAN'S WOMAN"
Speaking of the present First Lady"
no mistress of the White House was
ever less spoiled by her social elevation,
or retired from the historic mansion
more universally regretted. Mrs. Cleve-
land is so essentially woman's woman
that nothing can ever destroy her place
in their estimation. Especially to young
women she is the perfect ideal, and the
first is yet to be found who, favored
with her acquaintance. does not adore
NeT. IHOuSH OCCupy lilS Tie very ulSH-
est position in the land, with her an old
friend is an old friend still, and those of
her mates who were chums at school
are no less chums now. The fact that
some of them have gone out into the,
world to earn their own living has made
no difference.
FAITHFUL TO OLD FRIENDS.
There is Jane Welch, the historical
lecturer who has received many cour-
tesies from her old college friend, Mrs.
Cleveland, whenever she has visited
the capital on professional tours. Miss
Welch is always invited to the White
House when here, and the lady thereof
is a constant patron of her lectures.
Miss Johnson, another old friend, and
now professional demonstrator of good
cookery, has also been treated with the
same affectionate consideration; so, too,
has Miss Huddlestone, the fair but i'm
pecunious young cousin to whom Mrs.
Cleveland gave a coming-ou tea in the
White House, and all the debutants and
younger set in Washington society who
have been constant recipients of her fa-
vor. Even the gossip who at first criti
cised a school girls marriage to a man
old enough to be her father and attrib-
uted it to ambition alone, are silenced
by the testimony of Mrs Cleveland's
bright and happy face
APPRECIATION Oh CHILDREN.
The most meddlesome must admit
that there is no doubt of her happy
motherhOod-and more motherly
mother was never seen. Not only does
she give personal supervision to the ed
ucation and welfare of her trio of little
girls in every particular, notwithstand-
ing nurses and governesses, and SER
wants galore, but she is interested in all
children. The White House kinder
garten and similar institutions in this
city and in New York testify enthusiasts
ticaIly to her intelligent interest in child
life and happiness. In the White
House kindergarten were assembled
daily the children from the cabinet and
few other households to take the first
step in the path of learning with Ruth
and Esther guided by a competent
young woman instructor-who was also
a school friend of Mrs. Cleveland. The
present administration, by the way, has
been noted for the exceptional number
OF little people in its home circles-chtl-
dren or grandchildren in every house to
keep their elders young and sweet 1t
has made children in the house" a fash
ionable fad in Washington society,
which, let us hope, will not die out with
the coming almost childless administra-
ton. The secretary of war had three
little maids to send to the White House
kindergarten; the secretary OF the navy,
a small grandson; the secretary of state,
the acknowledged most beautiful child
of the circle; Private Secretary Thur
ber, three rollicking boys, and so on to
tho pumher of twenty. One of the pret-