Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-02-02

On a small card inclosed were the
letters "R. 8. V. Pr which stand for
the French, "Respondez 81 vous plais,' -
and which, when translated into plain
American, means 'sSend word whether
you r coming or not.r 80 We
responded that, eGod willing, we
would be on hand'' or words 10 that
effect.
We arrived at the White House q
few minutes before eight and were
met at the foot Of the marble portico
by & messenger, who assisted rs to
sllght, and at the door by another,
who showed us in. Another stood at
the foot Of the broad stairway and
Indicated By q deep bow and wave OF
the hand that we we're to ascend,
which we did arm in arm. At the
head 81 the stairs we separated. My
husband was shown to q dressing
room IN the left and /, turning to the
right, descended upon a bevy Of beau
tifulIy dressed young women, who
we're disrobing themselves Of their
outer garments or adding the last I'm
ishing touches to their toilsttes, as
sisted by deft- fingered colored maids,
with nice, kind faces and with soft,
gentle voices that sounded very sweet
and familiar to my ears.
AS we went down to the east room
to meet and greet the President and
Mrs. Mckinley my husband connded
TO me that be was to be q companion
piece at dinner to the Hon. LemueI
Eli Quigg, Of New York. didn't yet
know who was to attend me, but ]
resolved to hold on to the Hon. Lemuel
Eli Qnigg's escort until the unknown
should appear to claim me. The east
room presented a dazzling, beautiful
picture in its white and green floral
decorations, with hundreds of tiny cleo
tric sparks In the national colors glis-
tening among the strands of smilax
that festooned the ceiling and yelled
the mirrored walls. All the mantels
and mirror rests were banked with
ferns and cut flowers.
Mrs. Mckinley received her guests
seated in a throne-like blue velvet
chair. She was dressed in a high
corsaged black velvet gown, with 3
panel effect of white lace. The pres
ident's wife has a classic face, with
Just 8 little touch Of pathos in 1t, re-
minding n of her delicate health;
her beautifully shaped head lie covered
with short, clinging tendrils OF curls.
As for the President, his worst enemy
could not but admit that be Is master
Of the art of sOciability. His bearing
is the perfection Of high-bred courtli-
ness and his infinite tsets cuts every
body At ease. Then, too, his manner
is so natural and unaffected; there is
no suggestion, as lie the case with go
many public men, of posing for poster
ity.
General Brigham and Captain Chas.
McCowley, each In full uniform, made
the presentations to the Secretary Of
State, who in turn presented the
guests to the President. The Secre-
tsry OF State is q person In whom I
have q romantic interest OF long
standing, on account Of some poems
be wrote when he was plain John
Hay, and which, perhaps, because I
read them sin my salad days, when I
was green in judgment" made a deep
impression upon my mind, which stiLl
abides. I have somewhere heard Q
story about John Hsy's poetry which,
while ! cannot vouch for lite anthem
ITCHY, / will give for what it lie worth.
II is said that the subject Of American
literature was introduced At an
authors dinner party In London oRce,
where George Eliot sat At the table.
She, being called upon, pronounced
John Hays slim Bludso" the most
soul stirring poem In the English Ian
guage; furthermore, the story runs,
that at the general request Of the
company, the author of 1.-THE Min on
the Floss stood up and recitsd the
story Of the Prairie Bellies engineer.
and this vas al the religion be had
To trust his engine ven,
Never 70 Be passed % the river,
To mind the plots bell;
And II ever the Prairie Belle took Ere
A thousand tines he suore
He'd hold her nozzle a. il the hank
TIL the last soal got ashore.
But, ] may Is well confess Il, It was
not Of Jim Bludso or George Eliot
that / was thinking as 1 looked In and
saw the Secretary OF State presenting
the diplomats 10 the President. No,
1t was Of a silly, sentimental poem he
wrote ages ago about the wondFous
power Of & vOmsB's love, and which ]
had been silly and detrimental enough
10 think msrvelously fine. II was
published In = newspaper and ran
something Ike this:l