The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-22
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SOCIAL EVENTS ON THE EVE OF
LENT.

The State Levee in Honor of the
Army and Navy Was n Brilliant
Affair - A Description of Mrs.
ROosevelt's GOwn-A Band of In
diRns Conspicuous Feature of
the Entertainment-The Impress
sion Made by the Indian Chief
JOseph-New Home of the Russian
Ambassador-SOme other Matters
of General Interest.
Washington, D. c., Feb. 20.-Mrs.
Roosevelt, who has been confined to
her room for several days by slight
illness, is so much improved that she
went to Philadelphia yesterday for d
brief visit to her friends, Mr.. and Mrs.
John W. Brook. Her physician, DR..
Rixey, says that all she needs is rest
from the social strain. Happily, Lent
will soon bring that, for month at
least. The absence of both Mrs. and
Miss Roosevelt (the latter having gone
to New Orleans with Miss Root, closes
the White House to formal entertaining
for several days. Mrs. Roosevelt,
however, has invitations out for two
more musicals, on Friday afternoon,
Feb. 20, and Tuesday evening, Feb. "a.
She also intends giving half a dozen
more personal dinner parties.
The last of the state levees, given In
honor of the army and navy and Ma
rine Corps, was one of the most bril-
liant functions ever given in the White
House, although the official heads of
both branches of our national defense
were absent. Admiral Dewey was con-
fined to his home by a severe cold, and
Gen. Miles was on the high seas"
nearing New York. The flags of the
Secretary of War and the Secretary of
the Navy were conspicuous in the cor
rider, but the o1d-time display of the
national colors and emblems, hereto
fore, always so prominently in evidence
at this special reception, was entirely
lacking. So also were the maSSed
palms in the corners, the banks of flow
ers on the mantels and the double lines
of potted azalias along the corridor
only here and there a fragrant bunch
of roses, in tall vase on table or man
tel, in the way of floral decoration.
Eight officers in Respondent uniform es-
corted the receiving party to the Blue
Room, to the music of Hail to the
Chief" rendered by the full Marine
Band. The ladies in line were all IN
white, excepting Mrs. Hay, who wore
a most becoming gown of black tulle
over lusterless black silk, with tiara OF
diamonds.
Mrs. Roosevelt's dress was of heavy
white satin, and she carried a bouquet
of lilies of the valley, to obviate the ne
cessity of shaking hands-an example
followed by all her associates. An I'M
usually large company was invited to
the Blue Room-"behind the liners"
they are called-including a number of
visitors from other cities. All these
were presented f1rst-a ceremony which
took up fully twenty minutes; and
meanwhile the ostensable guests Of
honor, the army and navy contingent,
were standing impatiently in line,
counting la grippe in the draughty cor
ridor All the military guests were in
full uniform, and so were the military
and naval attaches Of the various lega-
tons. The most conscientious group In
the distinguished company was a bevy
of Indians. Chief Joseph, head of the
Nez Perces, and three of his warriors,
in picturesque tribal attire. They are
on a visit to Washington, to make one
last effort to recover their beloved Wal
Iowa Valley from white squatters who
have no business there, it having been
given to them by solemn treaty with
the United States government, "as long
as grass grows and water runs" They
called upon the President on the morn
ing of the reception, and he invited
them all to be his special guests for