The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-03
THE GOSSIP OF WASHINGTON.
INTERESTING ITEMS OF SOCIAL
AND Personal NATURE.

Mrs. Roosevelt as a HouseIxeeper-Au
Exemplar of the Gospel of Labor.
The Mansions Domestic Service.
Miss RoOsevelt's Debut The
Lodges Newspaper Correspond
ent's Who Have Grown Rich in the
Business.
Washington. Oct. S0.-Among all the
notable housewives who have reigned
in the executive mansion. from Dolly
Madison down, none have eclipsed Mrs.
Roosevelt, who is one of the youngest
of that illustrious number. Like the
woman recommended in Scripture,
"She looketh we'll to the ways of her
household and eateth not the bread of
idleness." To be sure we read that one
of the Presidents wives hung out the
weekly washing with her own hands in
the then unfurnished East Room; that
winter stockings and darned his linen;
and that another thrifty First Lady"
who was a snuff taker, according to
the fashion Of the times, kept two
handkerchiefs always on one hand, one
of which she called her shower and
the other her blower"
Coming dowr to more recent times,
we know that Mrs. Grant in her early
days of obscurity as the wife of tam
ner, did all her own house work; Mrs.
Lincoln cooked for her lawyer husband,
the ex-rail-splitter. and the Springfield
&oII % hor- ofA fattdc
with the milkman and the preambulat-
ing butcher, to whose carts she went
out for the daily supply. Mrs. Gar
field, too, the country school-teacher
and daughter of a poor, unordained
''exhorter," knew well how to perform
every household duty before she ever
saw Washington. and doubtless does to
this day. She was particularly re-
nowned for bread making. and not
many years ago there somehow got
into print extracts of a letter she wrote
from her humble home in Hiram, o., TO
her husband, who was then strug-
Cling congressman in his first term, de-
scribing her success in that line, and
how she made it a religious duty to
perform even the task of bread making
10 the very pest OIL AeT dDlliby.
All these worthy women have had
their day and left an impress for good
upon the country by their unostenta-
tious example. Mrs. Roosevelt, with
her greater modern advantages, is a
no less shining examplar of the gospel
of labor. In her former home she has
put up more fruit with her own hands
for the winter season, and concocked
more jellies and preserves, and otner
dainty things for Teddy's and the chill
dren's taste, than most of us ever saw.
Even in the White House, she careful
ly supervises every detail of the 40
nestle menange. Nothing escapes her
eve nothing is wasted, and her lore
sight and thoughtfulness are marvels
to the servants and attaches who had
become accustomed to the lax regime
of her invalid predecessor. Yet fewer
| changes are evident in the historic
dwelling-place of Presidents than was
ever before observed at the shifting OF
administrations. At the outset, Rres-
ident Roosevelt declared that ne olo
not desire any alteration or enlarge
ment of the White House, and that he
| Intended to carry out all Mckinley
| plans to the latter Mrs. Roosevelt has
| taken the same sensible view, despite
| the fact that the living apartments OF
| the mansion are inadequate to the
needs of her family. The most notable
change is in the government of the
servants. When w. T. Sinclair was
steward of the White House, his rule
was rather a harsh one. Not only DID
he make all purchaces for the Whlte
House larder, but he had the hiring ana
supervision of the servants, and could
discharge them without warning at
his own discretion. Now his turn for
tiolxe+ of leave has come, and Henry
Pinkey Mr.. Roosevelt's former body
servant has been appointed in his
stead. and Mrs. Roosevelt has given
orders that no employee shall be dis
missed without consultation with her.
Hence there is rejoicing among the
servants, from scullion to butler.
lust as the living apartments Tor the
presidential family were insufnclent Tor
i+s needs. Mrs, Roosevelt found the
same cramped condition in the SER
wants quarters. She straightway
made a tour of the mansion, to study
its possibilities: with the result that
three new rooms for female servants
have been constructed in the great at
tie. These rooms are now comfortably
furnished and are really very pretty
their location at the top of the build
ing affording a wide view and plenty
Of ventilation. The wonder is that no
nody ever thought Of utilizing this
waste space before. The men-servants
win remain in their old commodious
rooms in the basement, which is dry
and clean.
The famous East Room is once more
in its winter garb. A new velvet car
pet. with nap so thick that footballs
are inaudible upon 1t, covers the moor.