Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-11
THE SOCIAL WORLD
The First White House Levee of the
Winter.
BRILLIANT GATHERING OF NOfABLES
Diplomatic Corps the Guests of the
Event.
9TH r. HOSPITALITIES

President and Mrs. Mckinley'S first levee
of the winter a brilliant event. The
| function last night brought together not
| only a representative assemblage of the
| leading persons at the moment in official
| and diplomatic life, but was also attended
| by the new movers in the social life at the
| capital, of whom much is expected during
| the next few years. With this latter con-
| tingent the enjoyment of a scene in which
| they formed such a conspicuous element
! was contagious, and contributed to the
pleasure of the hundred of others to whom
| the pageant was an oft-told tale and al
| most incapable of arousing new impress
sion. The company was early in assem-
| bling, and half of the total arrivals were
! in the mansion by o'clock Only few
stragglers came after 10, when the line APP
| preaching the east room had its finish in
! the family dining room. Before IL the
| President and Mrs. Mckinley, with the
| cabinet families, Were upstairs again, haN-
| ing made a circuit of the rooms and corri-
| dor, and being therefore again brought
| face to face again with the brilliant gath
ering which had passed in review before
| them in the blue room.
According to the old custom. the Presi-
| dent and his wife took supper with their
assistants, while down stairs the guests,
| complacant and gratitied by their participa-
/ ton in the opening reception of the season,
! were rapidly leaving the mansion More
| than the usual number of guests walked to
| and fro last night, the pleasant weather
| agreeing perfectly with this plan, which
| greatly facilitates easy lngress ana De
| parture. The Marine Band, in two sec
| lions, enlivened the evening, the part as
| signed to the conservatory perhaps con-
| tributing more to the pleasure OF the prom
| enaderS in the corridor than the section
| performing in the east passage. This lat
| ter assisted materially in causing CONVERSE
| ton in that quarter to become series OF
| shrieks during the rendition of a selection
Ix.-hir h distance
| been more appreciated.
| The diplomatic corps We're the special
| guests of the evening, and with The pune
tillious etiquette which obtains IN that
BODY its members were all assembled IN
| the red parlor before the President came
| down stairs. The receiving party was leu
| by Col Bingham and Maj. McCaWley, the
| former making the introductions to the
President and the latter to Mrs. Mckinley
after the presentations of the diplomats
which service was rendered by the Secre-
| tary of State.
The ladies assisting Mrs. Mckinley were
| Mrs. Hay. Mrs. Gage, Mrs. Root, Mrs;
| Smith and Mrs. Hitchcock. Mrs. Long Will
| not often take part in social events this
| winter and Mrs Griggs is detained at home
bv her mothers illness. Miss Wilson has
not been we'll for several days and, al
| though much better. thought II pest mol
to go out last night
Mrs. Mckinley was gowned in white bro
| caded satin. that had cascades of point
| lace flounces down the front OF the SKIRT
Silver and pearl paSSerlenterle e'iSeu lhe
| lace the bodice and formed the collarr
around which was also claSped her dla-
| mond necklace. Mrs. Hays dress was OF
| Chantilly lace and had touches of turquoise
velvet in its trimming. Ropes OF pearls
| and diamond ornaments were worn Mrs.
Gage wore white satin, trimmed with pink
| velvet, and many fine jewels. Mrs Root
| wore Iow-necked dress of white liberty
! satin that had a deep girdle and long tabs
hanging to the hem in front of pale blue
satin. Her diamond necklace is one of the
| finest in Washington. Mrs. Smith was also
| in white deliberately trimmed with lace, ana
Mrs. Hitchcock Wore white satin and lace
| and diamond necklace against neck
| band of black velvet.
The British ambassador, Lord Paunce
fote with Lady Pauncefote and their
daughters were first received by the Presi-
dent. Lady Pauncefote's gown was of tur-
quoise velvet, with bodice of lace. and
with it she wore a number of diamond
corsage ornaments. a diamond coronet and
necklace. Lieut.. Col. Lee and his bride, the
latter beautifully gowned in white lace
and wearing splendid diamonds; Capt. and
Mrs. Ottley and the members OF Ihe EN-
bassy staff, Mr.. Eliot Mr.. Max Muller. Mr.
Robert Bromley and Mr.. Humphreys-Owen
followed Lord Pauncefote. The Italian am
| bassador, Baron Fava, was accompanied by
his embassy staff. The German ambaSSa-
DOR in superb uniform. and the members
of his staff. in military uniforms of rich
design, were followed by the French charge
d affaires. Mr. Eugene Thiebaut with Capt.
and Mrs. Vigual and other representatives
of the French republic. Count CaSsini,
Russian ambassador, was followed by Mr..
Gregoire de Wollant and his wife, the lat
ter in a dainty clinging gown OF white
crepe festooned with roses and foliage, and
Baron and Baroness Fersen and the at
tacheS of the embassy. With the ambaSSa-
dor of Mexico, Mr. Azpiroz, was his wife,
elegantly gowned in black Spanish lace
over white satin, and wearing diamond and
pearl ornaments, and Mrs. Perez. their
daughter, in jetted lace over black satin,
| II AIr-
Mr.. Rodrigo de AZpiroZ. Mr.. SantebaneZ
and Mr.. Jose Romero were also in line. OF
the ministers accompanied by ladies there
We're present the Austrian Hungarian min
lister, whose wife was gowned in gOld-em-
broidered white satin: the Spanish minister,
the Duchess d ARGOS wearing mauve satin,
trimmed with lace
Her diamond ornaments We're striking.
Several stars cleaned in the corsage and
a string of solitaires formed her necklace.
The Belgian minister and Countess Lich-
tervelde, the latter in striped blue satin,
with a necklace of strands of large pearls;
the Swiss minister and Mrs. Pioda, the lat
ter gowned in turquoise satin, with fine
jewels, and the Portuguese minister and
Viscountess Santo Thryso, the latter in
jetted lace, were conspicuous in the line,
with the Chinese minister and Mrs. WI,
the Corean minister and Mrs. Ye, the Hay
tan minister. with Mrs. Leger, the latter
elegantly gowned in white satin, with
flower garniture; the Brazilian minister and
Mrs. Brasil and the Colombian minister
Those especially invited to the reception,
and who if they had all been present had,
with the members of the diplomatic corps,
the privilege of the territory behind the
line" which number. of course included
the cabinet and members of their families,
were as follows Mr.. John Addison Porter,
Mrs. Porter Mr.. and Mrs. 7. Tileston
Wells. Mrs T. A. Bingham. the chief JUS
tice. Mrs Fuller. Miss Fuller. Mrs. Aubery,
Justice Harlan, Mrs. Harlan, the Misses
Harlan. Justice Gray, Mrs. Gray, Justice
Brewer. Miss Brewer, Mr.. and Mrs. Kar-
rick. Justice Brown. Mrs. Brown, Miss
Dumont. Miss Goodwin. Justice Shiras,
Mrs Shiras, Justice White, Mrs. White.
Justice Peckham. Mrs. Peckham, Justice
McKenna. Mrs. McKenna, the Misses Nc
Kenna. Miss Waite. Mrs. Field, Mrs. STAN
ley Matthews, Mrs. Samuel F. Miller, the
Misses Strong, Senator Frye, Mrs. Frye.
the Speaker of the House Mrs. Henderson,
Miss Henderson, the admiral of the navy,
Mrs Dewey. Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles,
Mrs Miles, Miss Miles, Brig. Gen. H. c.
Corbin. Mr.. and Mrs. Parsons, Mr.. ]. K.
Richards. Mrs. Richards, Mrs. S. B. Steece,
Controller and Mrs. Dawes Miss Dawes
Mrs. NJ. B. Dawes, Senator and Mrs.