The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-02-01
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
A FEW LITTLE FOLKS WHO ARE
BEING ENTERTAINED,

Roosevelt Preparing to Spend the
Carnival Season in New Orleans.
A Trip Among the Gulf Islands
Planned for Her-SOme of the En-
tertainments That Are Attracting
Attention other Matters of
Special Interest.
Washington, D. c., JAM S0.-The spe-
cial guests of honor in Washington
this week are Lady Mimic, wife of the
governor general of Canada, and her
sister, the Countess of Antrim, who
are making a visit of several days to
the British ambassador and Lady Her
bert. OF course they are being lavishly
entertained everywhere, for we of this
inconsistent republic do love titles,
whatever we may say to the contrary.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt set
the pace on Monday by giving them
luncheon in the White House, the 9TH
er guests being Secretary Hay, Secre-
tary Root, Senator and Mrs. Lodge
and Mr.. VanDyke. The same night the
British ambassador and Lady Herbert
gave them a brilliant reception in the
British embassy, which was attended
by Everybody as is anybody" at the
capital. Everybody is familiar with the
personality of Lady Minto as she has
been here several times before. She
is a very agreeable and unaffected
woman, as typically English as can
possibly be imagined, even to stout,
heelless shoes, angular shoulders and
oil he Of fhaf ~t1ir
to the British Isle. She is a compare
lively young woman, considerably
younger than her sister Lady Antrim,
otherwise known as Lady Aileen Eliot.
The latter has a daughter with her,
girl in her early teens, Lady Elsie
Eliot. Lord Melgrund is also visiting
at the British embassy, and unaccus-
toned American callers, among so
many lords and ladies, have to tax
their memories severely in order to
be guilty of the dreadful error of ad-
dressing some titled parsonage as plain
Mr.. or Mrs. Tuesday night the Brit
sh ambassador and Lady Herbert
gave a dinner in honor of their dis
tinguished Canadian guests, and at 10
o'clock the dinner company of twelve
was augmented by fifty others. In the
ambassadors library were tables for
bridge whist and cribbage, for those
inclined to that sort of amusement,
and a collation. was served at mid
night.
At Mrs. Roosevelt's last weekly mu-
sicale $50 delighted guests listened to
the new grand piano in its gold-finish-
ed case, upheld by spread-eagles,
which was recently presented to the
White House. Everybody who has
heard this masterpiece of the piano
makers art declares that for tone and
volume, sweetness. and strength of
harmony, it has hardly an equal in the
world, and certainly no superiors. On
this occasion Mrs. Roosevelt was
handsomely gowned. in trailing white
poplin, trimmed with lace.
The chief functions of the present
week in the White House was the
third and last of the series of state
dinners, in honor of the judiciary, and
the Friday evening musicale, preced-
ed as usual by small dinner party
Invitations to these musicales are for
10 p. m. There are only two more
card receptions on the official calen-
dar-that of Feb. for the congress
sonal families (who of late years are
generally conspicuous by their. alb
sence), and the army and navy recep-
ton on Feb. II. which is supposed to
close the official season in a blaze of
glory. l am exceedingly sorry to say
there will be no public reception what
ever in the White House this season
The Roosevelts are very lavish enter
tainers; but their efforts in that line,
have, so far, been confined to the priv
LEGGED few who stand on the topmost
round of the social ladder-eXcept the
two or three public afternoon recep-
lions for ladies which Mrs. Roosevelt
gave last year. There is no doubt
that "the dear public" now so rigor-
ously excluded, feels rather sore about
1t. There are a good many respectable
citizens, who are neither of the hoi
polloi nor in fashionable society, who
would like to see something of the
Presidents family, and to be afforded
chance to inspect the changes that
have taken place in the sacred old
mansion wherein they used to be well
coined now and then. For many years
all the ladies of the White House, from
Mrs, Grant down to frail, gentle Mrs.
Mckinley held weekly or semi-month-
ly afternoon receptions, to which
special cards of invitation were not
issued. The public deeply appreciated
those opportunities to meet the first
lady" and the privilege was never
abused. Mrs. Cleveland was especially
kind in that respect, and received every
other Saturday, never failing to shake
hands cordially with every conner. Mrs.
Mckinley, despite her feebleness of
health never forgot "the common peo-
pie" from whose ranks she, and most
Of her predecessors, sprang.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt
who are in the midst of the custom
airy series of cabinet dinners, were the
guests of the Attorney General and
Mrs. Knox the other evening. The
company to meet them included the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Treasury and Mrs. Shaw, the Postmas-
ter General and Mrs. Payne, the Secre-
tary of Agriculture and Miss Wilson,
Senator and Mrs. Lodge, Senator
Spooner, Senator Beveridge, Mrs. Hen
ry G. Prick of Pittsburg, Mrs Mather
of Cleveland, Miss Kean, Miss Knox
and Mr.. Reed Knox.
Miss Alice Roosevelt is contemplate
ing visit to New Orleans for the gay
carnival season that is always observed
in that city. The present programme
is that she will arrive in New Orleans
on. Feb. 20 to be the guest for one
week of Mr.. and Mrs. McIlhenny. The
latter are arranging for tour of the
volcanic islands in the Gulf of Mexico
for Miss Roosevelt's entertainment.
The Italian Ambassador and Nine.
Mayor des Planches, preceded their
usual Monday reception by small
dinner, as has been the rule in most
fashionable houses during the last
month"; the dinner-guests remaining to
the large reception which followed,
and perhaps attending two or three
other receptions later in the night.
The evening guests at the italian en-
bassy included the entire diplomatic
Corns fha "a hiuet and SuDreme Court