The herald., 1897-03-28

IN OLDEN DAYS
State Ceremony at the
White House
THE C0URTLY RECEPTIONS
MODELLED AFTER THE COURT OF
FRANCE
HE C0URTLY RECEPTIONS
Elaborate Dress of the Men--Goh
Lace, Silk Stockings, Ruff1es
and Wigs

Those who find cause for censure In
the elaborateness of the recent cere-
monies of Washington should go back
to the days when thirteen stars were on
our flag and the Puritan element was
contending with the tendency to aris-
tocracy and Martha Washington was
first lady in the land"
We are told by careful biographers
that when Mrs. Washington was hostess
of America she received from eight to
| ten every Friday evening. Afternoon
receptions were not in vogue then. Her
| levees-we are further told-were nu-
merously attended by all in fashionable
and elegant society. But a curious
clause is added to this sentence: There
was no place for the intrusion of the rab-
BILE in crowds, or for the more coarse and
boisterous partisan, the vulgar election
eer or the impudent place hunter, with
boots, frock-coats, or roundabouts, or
with patched knees and holes at both
| elbows" To this is added: "On the con-
| trary they were more select and court!y
than any receptions given by any Of the
first presidents successors"
Mrs. Washington founded our first re-
publican drawing-room after the only
model then known, the court of France.
None were permitted to attend except
| those who had high social and diplo-
| matte rank. And, writes the historian,
full dress was required of all who passed
the ordeal of social inspection"
At one of Mrs. Washington's Friday
evening drawing-rooms an amusing ac-
ot1 y ntrnf Of "a ary
low ceiling ard very high feather head
dress, of which Miss Mary McEvers, a
F., distinguished New York belle, was the
| victim. In passing a chandelier the
high feather garniture of Miss McEvers
took fire from the light and caused
scene of alarm and confusion. Major
| Jackson, aid de camp to the PRESIDENT
extinguished the flames by clapping the
burning plumes between his hands.
At Mrs. Washington's drawing-rooms
| Mrs. Morris always sat at her right
hand, and at all dinners, whether pub
lie or private, the venerable Robert Nor
ris was placed nearest to the hostess"
Mrs. John Quincy Adams had retired
| from society on account OF ill-health
when called upon to fill the position OF
first lady Of the land. She could only
preside at public functions, saving her
strength for those occasions. Her man
ners were elegant, and she had received
all the benefit Of foreign travel, as weit
as the best education that could be CIV
en- at that day. When her husbands s
term of office expired, Mrf- Adams left
social life forever and detoted the rest
of her days to domestic pursuits.
$50.
OF the first ladies" here mentioned
three were of southern birth and ante
cedents. 1t is worth noting that while
each presided with dignity and filed the
| high office satisfactorily, each was glad
to return to private life. Mrs. Washing
| ton always referred to her life at that
period as her "lost days"
There was no lack of social splendor,
| and six horses were not considered too
many in those days to convey presi-
| dent and his family from one scene OF
festivity to another. There was much
closer line drawn in regard to ran5
than there is at present, in spite OF the
clever remark of brilliant society wo-
man of that day. that 'the only rank in
America was rank mutton" The eff
| feet of a social gathering was made more
brilliant than it is by the dress OF the
men, who followed the style of the court
Of France. Imagine light blue French
coat with high collar, broad lapels and
large gilt buttons; a double breasted
| Marseiles vest nankeen -colored cassl-
mere breeches with white silk stock
ings, shining pumps and full lace rur-
fies on the shirt bosom and wrists, with
a white cravat inflated with pudding
as it was called" A powdered wig and
q gold-laced coat of ruby velvet was
| worn by another one of the cavaliers or
the first ladies of the land
The hospitality Of the table was con-
sidered paramount, and what the cui-
sine lacked in quality it made up in
quantity. Airy nothings formed no part
of a southern woman's diet then, and
the wife of a foreign minister stigma
tized Dolly Madson's table as "some-
thing like harvest home supper But
the liberal hospitality of Virginia de-
lighted in a profusely spread table.
When the wife of a president "Aunt
| Rachel" as Mrs. Jackson was calle1s
| had her niece, Mrs. Donelson, to help her
entertain. Mrs jackson was not So
cial leader, and did not care to be. Sne
| was unfortunately, between two fac
tions and when she went to Washing-
| ton she had been so maligned as to her
| appearance by the anti-Jackson faction
| that she was looked upon as farmers
| wife who could not dress herself intelli-
| gently. The ladies who suggested re-
| arrangement Of her wardrobe were re-
ceived with so much dignity that they
| forgot their errand, and it is probable
| saw their mistake, as her portrait shows
| her a handsome woman in white satin,
| topaz jewelry, low corsage and short
| sleevese She wrote clever letters and
was devoted to her military husband,
who in turn was very fond of his bonny
| brown wife" Mrs. Jackson was bru-
nette.-M. L. Rayne in Chicago Times