Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-19

circiet of virgin gold, in the historic
East room Of the White House at 13
minutes after l. o'clock Saturday Alice
Lee Roosevelt, eldest daughter of the
President of the United Stares. and
Nlchoias Lcngworth, the representa-
i've IN Congress from the first district
Oh ONO, We're united in marriage.
Ihe ceremony, che of the most i'm
pressive ever performed in the Execu-
live mansion, was according to the lit
ufSy of the Protestant Episcopal
church, of which the bride is a MEM
Der. IL was solemnized by the Right
ReV. Henry Y. Satterlee, bishop of
Washington, and was attended by all
the solemn state of grand official
junction and by the devotional beauty
of cathedral service.
Probably no ceremony of similar
Kind ever was witnessed by more dis
tinguished assemblage. There were
present as guests not only. the most
eminent representatives Of the Amer
lean government, but the personal mis-
| s.oners of the kings and potentiates
OF the powers of the civilized world.
halo of a hundred years of roman
| tic White House history hung over the
12th bride, according to accepted au-
thoritieS, to plight her troth within its
classic walls and the identical spot
where she Saturday Joined hands with
the husband of her choice, for better,
! for worse" is hallowed in the memory
| of another White House bride, Nellie"
| Grant, who 81 years ago on that same
! SPOT became the wife of an English
! man, Alsernon c. F. Sartoris. Tender,
| indeed, must have been the recollec-
! tions of Mrs. SartoriS of that day,
| now long ago, for she was one of the
witnesses of Miss RooSevelt's wedding.
While the bride herself and the Pres
| iient and Mrs. Roosevelt had desired
that the ceremony of the marriage
| should be as quiet and simple as possi-
bic, it WIS found impracticable to linn
| it the function, as was intended at
| first, TO immediate relatives of the
| bride and bridegroom. 1t became neceS-
sary to include among the guests in
vited certain official classes and per-
! soIial friends of Miss Roosevelt and
Mr.. Longworth and in all the people
| hidden to the ceremony numbered =
! thousand.
The ceremony took place in the East
room, made famous by Il century Of
| brilliant social functions. but no event
| III the history evc- was so brilliant ana
beautiful as that of today. The classic
| Snlenu0r of the great apartment was
| enhanced by exquisite and artistic dec
| orations and the brilliant sunlight of
| a gorgeous day lent added beauty to
| the setting Of the wedding.
1t had been intended to light the
| magnificent East room with the hun
/ dreds OF softly shaded electric lamps
| OF the great crystal chandeliers. but
| Will. artificial lights were utilized
| throughout the remainder of the White
| House. il WAS determined to Hood the
marriage scene with sunlight.
1t was a beautiful conceit. founded
| upon the pretty provcrb: Happy is
| the bride the sun shines on
no more auspicious day for we'd
| ding could have been imagined.
At 4 minutes after II O'Clock, Mrs
| Roosevelt, on the arm Of her eldest
| son. Theodore, Jr., descended the main
| staircase and entered the East room
by the west door She was preceded by
| MaJo" Charles McCawlcy and other
military aides and was escorted 10 a
| point 1T the left Of the platform where
| the Wedding ceremony was to take
| place. The mother and sisters OF the
bridegroom and other designated mem
| bcrs OF his family already had assumed
| their places at the right of the plat
| form. That a way might be Kept clear
| for the approach to the eXtemporlEed
altar, twisted white satin ropes were
stretched from each side of the nam
| entrance to the Fast room to points Oh
the cast wall Of the apartment on the
north and south sides of the floral
| bower.
Mrs. Roosevelt was followed by her
son Kermit and her daughter Etnei
and her sons Archie and Quentin in
couples The children stood with their
| mother on the north side of the altar
/ platform.
AS she entered the East room, Mrs
Roosevelt graciouSly acknowledged the
| greetings of friends. She wore a su-
perb gown of cream Colored Drocade
| heavy and richly designed on which
were figures of blue and brown inter-
| laced with threads of gold. The dress
was cut III princess style with long
| train Of the same brocadeed material
II VAS trimmed in brown chiffon, en-
| bodied in blue and gold. The yoke OF
the bodice was formed of embroidered
| chiffon. as were the trimmings of the
| elbow sleeves. IL" skirt. exquisitely
| assigned. was paneled in blue and gold
| embroidery. She wore long white un-
| dressed kid gloves and ornaments of
| diamonds. =,
| scarcely had the bridegroom entered
tho East room. when the doors of the
| St,te dining room ct the west entrance
of the main corridor We're flung open
and the bridal procession started for
The exteinporized altar. The President
a,,d Miss Roosevelt had descended from
The upper apartments of the White
nassed into the private dining room
I'd thence into the State dining room.
a. Mn roosevelt and Mr.. Shaw led the
:.,, rrocession. Following the ushers
a ol,u President ami the bride. her hand
lightly within the Drosession ros s5a5 1rm oveS o3