Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-13

will be much tn the public eye You are
be citizens OF the United States, and as such
are all to be received with equal courtesy.
lou VIII not receive any gifts whatsoever
ana allow no one to approach you on the
subject OF offhse or favors. These words
you viii kindly remember. my children, and
let lt not be eilcurnbent upon me TO speak
them again"
The State Dining Room.
The state dining room in those days was
literally the state dining room" Only once
year were women permitted ut table In
this apartment, and this was on tho occa.
sion OF the Presidents annual dinner to his
cabinet. which was very grand and cere-
nonious AFFAIR. At that time there was a
committee OF three representatives appoint
ed by Congress for the purpose OF locking
AFTER the plate and furnishings In the Pres
ident's house. They visited the White House
every four weeks and went carefully over
every portion of the mansion with an In
Ventory.. Every piece of silver linen china
slass and furniture had to be accounted
Tor and whatever was broken or missing
the committee was informed of and a
record was made of it
Mr.. SeInple was rich man when ha
married Letitia Tyler. He had beautiful
estate in sVirg5nia and sufficient means to
conduct II properly When the civil war
broke out he was In the navy. He al once
resigned and went into the confederate
navy At the close of the war he found
himself with land money and health all
gone. Mrs. semple having no children
went TO Baltimore. where she opened a
young ladies' school leaving Mr. SernpIa AZ
the virginia hDme. which was ali that was
ieft them. Mrs Semple was successful in
her school venture and conducted II for
many years Mr.. Semple died In his sew
entieth year. Some years afterward Mrs
Semple realized she was too feeble 10 longer
properly conduct her large institution she
disposed OF Ii and came to Washington ac-
eordlhg TO promise made TO her old friend,
MI torcOran. long since dead and gone,
tHat should she ever be further reduced In
circumstances she would Become a resident
Oh the beautiful home In Washington dedt-
Gated 10 the memory OF his daughter
Mrs Semple is the last surviving member
Oh her fathers family all of her brothers
ana sisters having been dead MANY vears
She mas. however many nieces and nephews
living In California and I'm the south. all
100 FAR away TO visit her often Her room
is hiied with mementoes of her southern
nome and of her regime in the White
!ioase' Her most beloved possessions arc
lne OLD portraits of her mother and her
three sisters and herself all pa!nted In
their youth and all quaint and beautiful.
Although IL was many months ago that she
gazed upon these beloved relatives for tha
last time she knows the spot where each
hangs. and Ii is with great pride and much
pathos that she points TO each one and re-
lates some little incident of the original
She gazes at the spots as lovingly as though
she actually saw the bright colors and
graceful poise Of these bellies of many
years ago.
1.-The Old Way"
In her occasional drives with attentive
friends her answer to Where shall we 70
today?' is always the same thing. The
old way" This is now the popular park
drive, the road which follows Rock Creek
at the outskirts of the city This. in the
days OF Mrs. Semples social reign in tho
White House, was about the only good road
about Washington, and every afternoon at
four O'Clock the carriage was at the door
of the White House, and the President and
his favorite daughter, Letiua, took this
very drive. Her last visit to the White
House was during the administration OF
President Pierce, whose family were inti-
mate friends Since that time although
invitations have come to her for every
function given there and still coming.
she has paid no attention to them. A touch
of bitterness IS very apparent IN her men,
tton of this. Mrs. Semple Is only one OF
many women whose war memories are too
bitter and still too fresh to allow them TO
accept social attentions from men or women
of the other side.
Mrs. Semple positively refuses to give her
reason for not going TO the White House,
and ends all discussion by saying II have
| never been there since the Pierce admin
istration." Mrs. Semple, at the age Of
eighty-six is both bright and entertaining,
and greatly depleres the fact that she cam
rot afford the comfort of amanuensis
or secretary who could answer her large
number of letters regularly and read TO her
| of the great affairs of the day One OF
her grea test sorrows is that she Is unable
to read the daily papers. 1t is a wise pro-
vision that she lives not so much I'm the
darkness of today in the brlliance OF
the past.