The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-03-04

were excluded unless lney wore tne re"
quired dress. Access was not easy. and
GignItied stateliness reigned. In the
second year of that administration the
seat of government was removed 10
Philadelphia, where Washington took
q house on Market street. between Fifth
and Sixth streets. Mrs. Washington
held her drawing-roomso on Friday even
ings of each week, the company assem-
bling early and retiring before lO:3O
p. m. The lady of the mansion always
sat. The president had his hair pow
dered and did not shake hands with
anyone.
Although all these things have under
gone a great change, the regulations
which Martha Washington adopted are
to a great extent in force to-day.
Though she was not, probably. wom-
an Of remarkabl intellect. her social
influence and wealth were great help
to the Father of His Country. and it is
not surprising that David Burns, when
Washington was bargaining with him
for a piece of land south of the white
house. should have remarked derisive-
ly: Where would you be if it had not
been for the Widow Custis?"
Abigail. the wife of President John
Adams, lived in Washington only four
months, preferring TO reside al Quincy.
Mass, where she could take care of her
husbands estate. She complained that
there was no comfort to be had in the
white house, because it was ION such q
grand and superb scale, requiring at
least 80 servants tC attend to it," While
occupying it, she could not get wood
enough to keep the mansion warm, and
the most convenient use she found for
the East room. then UNFINISHED. was
to hang her clothes to dry in it. She
was by all odds the most heroic figure
of the revolution. and her letters to
Jefferson were so admirable that they
have become historic.
jefferson had no liking for social
ceremonial, but, becoming convinced
that it was necessary for him to be-
stow some attention on such matters,
he asked Mrs. Madison. the wife of his
secretary of state, to act as mistress of
the executive mansion, assisted by his
daughter. He was a widower. Thus the
never-to-be- forgotten Dolly Madison
took the place of first lady in the land
which position she continued to occupy
for 16 years, her husband succeeding
Jefferson. Under her regime, the
formal etiquette which had made the
drawing-roomso of Mrs. Washington and
Mrs. Adams dull and tedious was laid
aside, and no stiffness was permitted.
For all this a cheerful Virginia hos
pitality was substituted. On one occa-
SION. the abundance and size of Mrs.
D., Il; H.
ridicule by foreign minister. but she
was indifferent to such criticism. She
used rouge to some extent and was
very fond of snuff. AT the first in
auguration Of her husband she wore a
dress of buff velvet, Paris turban with
q bird-of-pa radise plume. and pearls on
her neck and arms. Withal she was the
most popular woman in the United
States. and she never forgot the name
of person who had been introduced to
her. The senate granted her seat on
the floor of that body-an honor which
has never been accorded to any other
person Of her sex.
1t is generally regretted in our social
circles that Mrs. Mckinley cannot en-
tertain at the white house as her prede-
cessors have done. The little lady has
been an invalid nearly all of her life.
and her physical strength is very
meager.
During. the past 20 years the giving
of ladies' luncheons has become an inn
portant part of entertaining at the
executive mansion. Mrs. Harrison and
Mrs. Cleveland gave many such
"spreads." Both women made numerous
calls on friends. though etiquette did
not oblige them to do SO. for the presI-
dents wife need never return . visit,