The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06
GOSSIP OF WASHINGTON,
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Washington, D. c., Dec. 4.-Rip's
celebrated query And are we then so
soon forgot" recurs often to mind.
The period of mourning that is being
observed by the President and his
family for the death of the formers
uncle, Mr. James X. Grade, of New
York. closes the White House to all
social affairs for a couple of weeks,
and also retires Miss Roosevelt from
society for the same brief period. Be
cause of the passing of her great I'M
Gle, whom she has seldom seen, Miss
Alice was compelled to cancel her en-
gagement to serve as bridesmaid at the
wedding of her young friend, although
she had cut short her visit to Chicago
and come home to Washington for the
purpose, bringing with her a special
ly prepared and expensive gown, hat,
etc. for the occasion. At the eleventh
hour another bridesmaid had to be
secured to take her place, although
there was hardly time enough left to
get UP the necessary outfit. AS the
ldSL IIlGIllODtu yOuIlE Aduy - % NANNi
sizes larger than Miss Roosevelt the
bridesmaids gown, made to match the
five others and of course never to be
worn on any occasion but the we'd
ding, could not be stretched to mt the
new bridesmaid though the hat and
a few minor, details of the exquisite
toilette were made to do duty. The
Roosevelts period Of mourning is sup
posed to expire Dec. II, when the so
cial season at the White House will
be formally opened by a dinner in hon
or of the members of the cabinet, and
will also include many additional
guests. on such occasions the hospl-
tally of the President and Mrs. Roose-
welt is limited only by the four walls
of the great state dining room, as it
used to be limited by the supply of
dishes By the way, it is said regard
ing White House etiquette that when
President Roosevelt desires to be par
ticularly civil to a visitor in Washing
ton he invites him to luncheon. When
he wants to be particularly polite to
him in formal way, he asks him to
dinner. When he feels particularly
friendly and wants to be chummy and
chatty without any Formally about it,
ne asks him to breakfast.
Death has also invaded the family
of the Secretary of the Treasury and
curtailed their social pleasures. On ac-
count of the sudden death of Secre-
baCy Ehaw's brother, away out in
Iowa, the debut of Miss Enid, for
which a large number of invitations
were ready to be issued, is indefn-
nitely postponed. Secretary and Mrs.
Shaw left for the West on Saturday
to attend the funeral. The whole fam
fly may be retired from society for
the winter on account of this bereave-
ment..
Mrs. Hay is still in New York, where
she went to spend Thanksgiving week
with her eldest daughter, Mrs. Payne
Whitney, who entertained a family
party for the first time in her new
home. Mrs. Hay has already announc-
ed her intention to take no part in
the social life of the capital this win
ter.
The other cabinet families are all in
town for the winter, but none of them
will inaugurate a regular lat home"
day until after Jan. l. By the un-
written law of former administrations
the weekly cabinet receptions never
begin before the first day of the New
Year, and come to a close the last
week of the season. That leaves only
six weeks this year for official visit
ing The youngest hostess in the cab
met circle, Miss Flora Wilson, daugh-
ter of the Secretary of Agriculture, has
had by far the longest experience in
official life. and is often called upon
by newcomers to give a veterans ad-
vice on mooted questions of etiquette.
She came to Washington direct from
college, during the first Mckinley adj
ministration, and has thus been the
head of her fathers household some
thing over six years.
The new British ambassador and
Lady Durand are considerably older
than their predecessors, Sir Michael
and Lady Herbert. The Durands cele-
brated their twenty-eig wedding