The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-24

what SnOulu ana SnOulQ not De done.
1t is said that when she first went to
Albany and found that public recep-
tons devolved upon her formal hand
shaking she announced her intention OF
not shaking hands with any one. 1t
was wondered how she would avoid it,
but when the time came for Mrs.
Roosevelt's first public reception she
was there to greet her guests in the
most charmingly affable fashion, but
her hands tightly grasped a large
bouquet. No one could feel offended
at the gracious manner and the sweet
smile and the few pleasant words of
greeting. and there were few who
noticed that the handshake was omit
ted.
She has recognized that it is impos-
sible to give out to everybody and
consequently reserves as much
strength as she can. She rarely visits
away from home, and although she is
by no means a recluse, as both she and
the President are fond of going about,
she never stays late at any entertain
ment and is invariably the first guest
to leave after a dinner.
No matter how busy and how full her
life may be, some portion of the day
is always put apart for absolute quiet,
and certain hours are devoted eX-
probably the tenderest care and atten-
ton that have ever been lavished upon
children in their position in life. Their
interests are hers and she is more like
an elder sister than mother to them,
while in time of illness, no matter how
good a trained nurse she may have,
the greater part of the nursing falls
upon her.
An ideal wife and mother she was
often called, and rightly, at the time
of the Spanish war. She never made
any complaint, never showed any signs
of anxiety excepting that those who
knew her intimately saw her grow
visibly paler and thinner, but she new
er broke down until after her husband
had returned from the war, and dur
ing that time she was entirely with her
children, her one endeavor seeming to
be to prevent any sadness coming to
them.
of Modest Means.
AS is we'll known, President and
Mrs. Roosevelt have not been people
of large means, and have certainly
never lived beyond those means. Last
winter when his term of governor was
over and before the Inauguration, in
March, they kept the house open at
oyster Bay, although all their neigh
bors had long since gone into town.
The children attended school then and
the governess was retained, but the
home life went on exactly as though
it was from choice that they stayed
there, and to-day the verdict of the
children is that there never was a
pleasanter winter.
The Roosevelt turnout is most
democratic one. The coachman is GER
tainly not up to the accepted standards
of smart society, for he has a mus
tache, and there is no footman or sec
ond man. 1t has always pleased both
Mr.. and Mrs. Roosevelt to live their
lives independent of any changes OF
fashion or of popular feel
ing, and the home has been
from time immemorial the typi-
cal American home, in the best sense
of the word, and yet there is no doubt
that when at the White House, with
the necessary Formally that the po-
sition must needs bring, the President
and Mrs. Roosevelt will carry out in
every detail the social as well as the
political demands made upon them.
Always Social FavOrite.
The first lady of the land comes
from a long line of ancestors well ac-
customed to social life, and as
young girl she was a great favorite
in society not only in this country but
abroad. She is thoroughly we'll posted
as to social etiquette, and there Will
never be a mistake made as to the
order of precedence. but the formally
that must needs rule will be much
mitigated by the indescribable charm
of the home life which will dominate
everything, as it always has done.
When it was first planned to intro
duce Miss Roosevelt in Washington
this winter all the details of her debut
were most carefully planned. These
will of necessity be somewhat changed,
but an effort will be made as far as
possible to follow the lines that were
laid down, and one may be sure that
Mrs Roosevelt intends to fulfil to the
letter her duties as chaperon and
mother.
Miss Roosevelt Introduction.
OF course, there is no time set as to
when the formal Introduction of Miss
Roosevelt will take place, but it may
safely be assumed that she will have
an unusually brilliant winter for
debutante, and Mrs. Roosevelt has
most carefully planned her trousseau,
which now will simply need some adj
ditions. Already what Miss Roosevelt
is to be is being talked over, show
ing that the personal interest is not to
be lost sight of in the sudden accession
of public interest that must needs
come in such a tremendous change of
circumstances.
The world at large will have little
opportunity to cavil now at American
social life. There has come to an end
with the recent tragedy a most Won
derful exhibition of a husbands love
and tenderness, a devotion rarely If
ever equalled, but now as leading lord
and lady of the land are a married
couple whose devotion to one another
and to their children has been to every
one who knew them an example of the
happiest possible married life and of
how a woman can sink herself in her
husbands aims without at the same
time losing her own individuality.
President and Mrs. Roosevelt are
the youngest couple who have ever &C.
cupled the. White House, and they
with their children, will unquestiona-
bly, transform it in many ways. But
as a nation we cannot fail to be glad
that the office has fallen to a man and
woman whose aims are high and whose
earnest love for one another has been
known to all their friends.
No Sweeping Innovations.
Mrs. Roosevelt will not, so say her
friends. advocate any sweeping limo
vations at the White House, but there
will be Just as much to learn from the
way in which she performs her duties
as leading lady as in the very recent
times when, as hostess at Albany or
at the summer house at oyster Bay
she lived her own life, quite unmoved