The National tribune., 1903-01-08
STATE
DUNNO R0W

Re WHITE HOUSE.
| form of their rank, most Of them with
yellow sashes. and seemed to feel as well
acquainted with if as though they had
| worn it always. They had jolly time
greeting each other in the great East
Room, ard held reception of their own
after the! got past the receiving line.
But the young fellows, the kids from West
Point, nearly fell over backwards in their
efforts to assume an attitude common
surate with the glory of gilt braid and the
red and yellow and blue stripes on their
trousers. 1t was funny. They were dy-
ing to get among the pretty girls, who
| were scattered about the East Room, and
have real chummy time, but a chummy
time and that new uniform kain't met
yet, 30 they stood round and put on airs
20 New Years Days hence.
OF course, the women wore their hand
soonest gowns. They always do Time
was when the New Years Levee" ut the
White House was the day when the
ladies appeared in the one new
gown that they expected to get that
season, and it was to do till Eas.
ter gave chance to sport the latest
fort to get to the reception just to study
the styles which were imported, and then
| FASTENED to make their own '.stuff'' gowns
along the same prim lines. Today one
society woman scorns to wear a dress that
in any way copies that Of her neighbor.
Time changes all. Mrs. Rooseyelt's gown
was beautiful, as all her gowns are. 1t
was of blue gauze and white lace, built on
foundation of pale blue silk; she wore
rIc and tiamnpdc ha ;oJ
great bouquet of white roses. The other
toilets were on the same splendid lines.
white, light blue and pink prevailing.
Miss Alice Roosevelt was in white Rus
sian lace, worn over white taffeta.
Formerly, the only way Of getting out
of the White House was through the big
window in the little hall where the marble
| stairs now leads to the basement. The ar
rangements are much better than former
ly, however, and, after passing into the
East Room, the guests descend into the
basement, where there are commodious
dressing rooms, and then pass out at the
east side toward the Treasury Building.
The Presidents taste in colors is as siren
nons as all his other tastes. The Red
ParlOr is the reddest blood-red that ever
flowed. Its walls are hung with red vel
vet and the damask window hangings are
the same shade. The furniture is COW
cred with red damask, which is Just
enough not the shade of the velvet to be
inharmoniOus. The Blue Farlor seems
never TO have lived up to its name before.
Mrs. Harrison, who loved all things dainty
and bright, had the walls hung in pale
blue damask, and the carpets and furni-
are now covered with blue velvet, but you
never will know just what "blue" is till
you see it. 1t is deeply, darkly blue, but
not beautifully" SO. 1t is just blue. The
window hangings are the same shade Of
velvet and have a border In gold Greek
design. Above them from q wreath of
gold hangs a sort of lambrequin, caught in
folds, and this is dotted with gilt stars.
beautiful golden eagle perches above
the center Of each window. On the floor
| was blue rug. and the furniture is COW
cred with blue damask. The only really
beautiful thing In that awfully blue room
is the chandelier, which is mass of
"draped crystal"
The Green Room is just hung in a queer
| shade OF green velvet and is commonplace.
But the East Room! That long, beauti-
ful parl0r and reception room, in which
have gathered during its 100 years of ex-
isfence all the great people of the world
who have paid us the honor to set foot on
American soil. where every President of
| the United States but one has entertained
his guests. where the great Lincoln lay in
1 state; where President Grants favorite
| child was married; where GSrield's body
| rested-the room which of all others in
the White House is best known and the
most dearly loved. is no longer the old
| East Room. 1t belongs to q new era. Its
ceiling is not as lofty as it once was. Its
walls Of dead white look cheap. In four
! places in the room are four hideous man
tells Of notified brown marble, no two
aiike, and each little ugliar than the
other. The window hangings are yellow
damask. The carpet or drugget is Yellow
and brown, and the effect is intended to be
| Colonial. Those dreadful marble mantels
leave 1t nondescript. About the walls. in
stead OF the roOmy couches and big arm
chairs that once lined them, are lot of
long wooden benches. with a cover and
valance Of yellow stuff. No backs, no
arms, no cushions. II Abigail Adams were
to come back, she would have no compunc-
tions of conscience at hanging her clothes
| IN that barn OF a room. The chandeliers
are OF jewe! cut glass, and they are su-
perb.
The flowers, too. were missing. In the
| old days, nearly all the old days, too. the
nantes and mirror rests were banked
smilax and other greens half hid the cell
\ ing and walls. One single little old not
OF some kind Of dwarf evergreen or ferns
| decorated each mantei In the East Room.
and huge basket Of all kinds Of flowers,
roses, orchids. carnations. yioiets, lilies.
and ferns stood In each OF the parlors.
strung around on these baskets was some
The greenhouses where Mn. Harrison and
ME1, Mckinley used To sif and ~ hid,