The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-02
CLOSE OF THE SOCIAL SEASON

care. Once seeing an embarrassed
country youth stand against the wall
for half an hour or 30 she went over
eof Sat cup w' st Fl his s' an S na ad b be
Sense, dropped Z tie saae e on tho floor fioor
and thrust tho cup IN Ms trousers
coffee, commenting on the pushing of
tho crowd, and when she went away,
tho flattercd youth drew out the cup
and thought she had never known OF
Ills embarrassment.
There were some warm, times in tho
White House In Jackson's time. Be-
cause he Championed tho gay Peggy
O'Neal. then Mrs. Eaton. wife OF Jack
down tho wrath Of the Cabinet ladies',
and, not being able. to manage these
MS he had managed all other people,
Jackson suffered distress of spirit iin-
til his Cabinet was wellnigh disrupted
and he had sent his niece. Mrs Doncl-
son. the then mistress Of the White
HOUSE mss 1 back to Tennessee in tears,
mistress, eager for additional intellec-
tuai pabulhm, was the one who first,
had books selected for a White House
library. She held Friday evening
leyees,. despite a weak ankle. and d.
vided her home-loving heart with the
public who clainored for receptions.
Poor Mrs. Lincoln, who came at
prevail of soclety by spending much OF
her time shopping In New York when
the other women of the North wero
scraping lint and rolling bandages for
the soldiers at the front, and while
she cut out the state dinners for
economical reasons. she gave a great
$4,000 reception that brought down
even greater censure on her head. 1t
was too difficult a place and too pari.
GUS a time for even the most finished
hostess to find success perched on her
banner. and the lines were hard for
West. Mrs. Hayes. fond Of young girls.
entertained beyies of them at dinners
and had them constantly as house
guests; Mrs. Cleveland began her re-
markably successful regime with q
ball, one OF the last large ones In tha
White House, and Mrs. Mckinley, frail
and delicate. was able to give little
time to social events. but In tho time
she sat in her room patiently combat
| ing pain. she knit hundreds of pairs
of slippers for the poor.
| With tho growth of population and
the increased interest of the country in
Its social life. many changes had to be
made In the official life of the CAPT.
tai Only one day in the year may tho
world and his wife go upbidden to a
New Years Day. On fou7 other days
/ there are evening receptions. by inyi-
4 tation. for the diplomatic corps. the
| judiciary, the army and navy. and tho
1
crowds smaller, these branches could
not be mixed now as In the long ago,
| for class distinction has grown up IN
this, presumably. most democratic court
rate and distinct social circles and
! the Cave Dweuers,n or old George
/ town and Washington residents. form
another, while the band OF new and
very rich that has captured the CAPT
/ tai in the past decade or SO. permeates
| the seyeral strata In proportion TO the
! distances that they as climbers" have
/ gone
The law of precedents, as rigorous as
/ in the older European courts. once
! caused some high judicial lights to
! start home in high dudgeon from a
| judiciary reception because a blum
| ahead of them. Not long ago an Of
| ficer of the navy asked to be excused
from attending banquet to which he
had been asked. on the grounds that
there he would have to meet some
| Congressman on terms of equality. a
thing that did not comport with his
| ideas of his own dignity. And Con-
gress could put him down and out with
a measure or twoi Once daughter
of Judge calmly changed the cards at
La luncheon given lady of the dipio-
matte corps. so that she and not the
4 tonoree sat at the hostess right!
i Washington Is said to be the most
cosmopolitan, yet the most provincial
OF all American cities. The Whit
House uHnCeS OIL 1870 dIe EoiS. liz
first inaugural ball, held by the Wash
ington Dancing Assembly. at Longs
Hotel. on Capitol Hill. on March 4,
1903. and the Garfield inaugural ball
4 at the National Museum. have been fol-
/ lowed by more pretentious, ones at
i the Pension Building Hamilion's snG-
4 gestion that the President return no
Il visits and that he attend no dinners
save those Of an official nature has
been generally followed until to-day.
4 Tudor Hall, the Highlands and the
quaint homes of Cherry Alley no long .,lIs.
!. err attract the gay social crowds
Washington Is becoming the home of
the wealthy Massachusetts Avenue
between Dupont Circle and Sheridan
Circle, is a second edition OF upper
, Fifth Avenue. The Belmonts, Letters,
: WASHES, Ryans and Boardmans have
. made homes here, and the Vanderbilts
make 1t more than temporary abiding
Lplaee. But Lenten resorts are claiming
these as well as the official society
, set The Pavilion of Rest stands open
and the one hundred and eighth Shroye
Tuesday has ended the winters social
l season in Washington.
, -
! To-morrow--The birthday of Florida