The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-22
"OH, THE sun
SHONE BRIGHT"
The Sky Was as Blue as the
Eyes of the Pretty Bride-The
ACKNOWLEDGMENT Wedding
Simply Impressive.

Not 4 cloud in the sky, not a shadow
on the sun last Saturday when at high
noon. which means simply at Il o'clock
sharp. Miss Alice Lee Roosevelt, oldest
daughter and best beloved child of the
President of the United States, became
the wife of Mr.. Nicholas Longworth,
of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Member Of
Congress from that State
Dispute all the talk to the contrary,
the wedding was one of the simplest
that has ever occurred III the White
House. 1t was Invested of all official"
character by the Presidents desire and
that of his daughter. This bonny girl.
who has been for most of her life in
semi-official family, has grown up
under the eyes of the official world
which surrounds her distinguished
father, and seemed to belong to 1t, and
yet, as much as 1t has been possible,
she has always absented herself from
the stately official functions of the
President Of the United States and has
appeared so little a part of the social
life in White House affairs that 1t has
caused more or less comment
The invitations to the wedding We're
IL
not intended that list of these should
be given, but so afraid were hundreds
of these people that they would not be
known to be there, that they took par
ticular pains to let 1t be known to the
newspapers, so that pretty full list
has been made public, although against
the express wish of the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt. This list is comprised
of the Diplomatic Corps the Supreme
Court, Cabinet members, a few Sem
ators. a still smaller number of Rep
IeSentativeS, and a large contingent of
New York, Boston. Philadelphia and
Cincinnati people, with few hundred
scattered through unofficial Washing
ton and the country-at-large
The Decorations.
The decorations of the White House
were simplicity itself. Many a poorer
bride of provincial residence has much
handSomer and more prOfuSe decora-
tions. The big East Room, so feet
long by 40 wide was the scene of the
ceremony. The dais, one foot high. was
erected across the three wide windows
on the center east side of the long
apartment, just where pretty Nellie
Grant stood when her President father
reluctantly gave her to her foreign
husband and a life of unhappiness. The
background was of tall palms, reach
ing almost to the top of the 20-foot
ceiling. AT the outside of the palms
stood two three-foOt vases filled with
Easter lilies. Among the palm foliage
were festoons of Bride roses and far
leyense ferns, the whole effect being
white and green. Over the dais was
flung a priceless Turkish rug in dull
red and browns. This bower was ex-
actly opposite the wide doors leading
from the Red Corridor. and from these
doors to the side of the bower extended
an aisle of white satin ribbon attached
to gilt standards. The guests filled the
space in the two ends of the room out
side of these white ribbons. the Roose-
welt and LOngwOrth families standing
inside the ribbon area close to the dais
The Marine Band in it's rich crimson
uniform occupied the outer corridor,
as always. and the inches in the Red
Corridor were filled with palms.
In the Green Parlor the two or three
vases were filled with pink roses. In
the Blue ParlOr the flowers were pink
roses and carnations. The Red Parior
had a few American Beauty roses and
carnations. The State Dining Room
decorations We're American Beauty and
Bride roses, and in the Private Dining
ferns for green's. For all that vast ex-
panse of House one small wagon load
of flowers was all the floral decoration
and it was enough.
All-Well, not quite, but these We're
not in evidence-the other flowers
matte Corps, from crowned heads OF
Europe, from friends everywhere, to
the wedding couple, as bridal favors,
and these were kept upstairs. There
was nearly a carload Of those flowers,
but, like all the other bridal presents.
they were kept for the eyes of friends
and relatives. The public got not so
much as glimpse of them.
The bridal party entered by way of
the Red Corridor. Mrs. Roosevelt. in
- Io1
and green with threads of gold, came
in with the White House children, Mis-
Ethel Roosevelt, aged Is, and dressed
In simple white null, with bows of
white ribbon tying her hair, Master
Archie and Kermit. They took up their
stand close to the right OF the dais, and
were soon Joined by the rest OF the
Roosevelts and the Longworths. who
ranged themselves on either side OF the
platform.
Mr.. Longworth came I'm at about two
minutes to IL, accompanied by his best
man. Mr.. Thomas Nelson Perkins. At
the platform he was met by Right Rev.
Henry Yates Satterlee, Bishop OF
Washington, in his priestly robes, and
together they waited the arrival OF the
bride.
The Marine Band struck the first
notes OF the world-famed march in
Tannhauser, and preceded by the
ushers. Messrs. Buckner Wallingford,
quincy ADAMS SHAW, Jr., 1IarZ Ander-
son, Guy Norman, Francis X. Bangs
Frederick Winthrop, Viscount Charles
de Chambrun and Theodore Roosevelt
tr., the bride entered the Red Corridor,
and leaning on her fathers arm, paced
the long avenue 10 the East Room all
in perfect step, and entered the white
ribbOned aisle which led to her lover.
who met her at the dais and giving her
his hand she stepped up and the Pres
tdent advanced to her side
The ceremony was some 10 minutes
in length. the couple kneeling part OF
the time upon a white satin pric dieu
made especially for the occasion. Whel.
the Bishop asked who giveth this
woman to be married TO this man.
the President answered it by placing in
Mr.. Longworth's hand the hand OF
Miss Alice, and then he stepped back
beside Mrs. Roosevelt.
After the ceremony the couple faced
about on the dais. and the President
and Mrs. Roosevelt stepped up and
embraced Alice. and shook hands with
Mrs. Longworth; after them came the
Roosevelt children, and then the othes
relatives. After the reception the
guests wandered down into the dining
room, where refreshments of an elab-
Orte character were served, the guests
standing