The National tribune., 1908-01-09

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New Years at the White House was
4 long ways from being the awful crush
that it was IN olden times. There was
the same glare and glitter from the
Diplomatic Corps, because the Diplo-
matte Corps has to attend the formal
reception and wear all its gold lace and
tinsel, whether it wants to or not. But
the Army and the Navy was not very
strong. 1t is true that a good portion
of the Navy is on the high seas, but
there is the usual Bureau contingent in
the city, which did not, as it usually
does, get into uniform and call on the
President. The Army was likewise lazy.
The thinning ranks of the veterans was
never more apparent than on New
Years Day. There were scarcely 200
In line, and usually there are 500. The
reception was over and closed at 1:30.
and in the years gone by o'clock found
the line a block long and the door
closed in the faces of hundreds who
could not get in. President Roosevelt
has never permitted the door to be
closed while caller was on the outside
deSirouS of getting in. The receiving
line always dwindles early, because all
of the Cabinet women receive after tho
reception at the Presidents is over, but
President and Mrs. Roosevelt stay to the
very last handshake. OF course, Mrs.
Roosevelt does not shake hands, and
never has felt that she could stand the
strain. With a favored few she touched
hands, but the few could be counted
on her 10 fingers. Mrs. Fairbanks al
ways shakes hands with any who feel
inclined, and she graSpS the hand cor
daily and always has a cordial smile
for all.
Secretary and Mrs. Taft did not ap-
pear at the reception, and will be ou. of
society all Winter on account of the
death of the mother of Secretary Taft,
to whom both were devoted. Mrs.
Roosevelt wore beautiful gown of
bright blue velvet with embroidery in
bow-knot design and carried sweet peas.
Mrs. Fairbanks, whom everybody is
glad to welcome back to society after
an Illness of a year, wore white chiffon
broadcloth, hand-painted in a pink-rose
design. Mrs. Root wore gown of pale
gray chiffon and carried mauve orchids
Mrs Cortelyou wore princess gown of
white satin and carried pink roses. Mrs.
Bonaparte wore white lace over violet
satin; Mrs. Meyer, black and white chif
fon and pink roses; Mrs. Metcalf, pearl
gray striped chiffon over corn-colored
silk with gold embroidery and carried
white roses. Mrs. Garfield wore purple
velvet with white lace, and Mrs Straus
pomegranite pink satin, heavily en-
broidered, and carried white roses. Mrs.
Roosevelt, as she always does, presented
the flowers to the ladies receiving with
her. Miss Cannon wore beautiful pale
pink broadcloth costume
Mrs Roosevelt. Longworth was able
to attend the reception, and looked very
fair and girlish in a trained pearl-gray
satin-made Empire, with lace and tas-
sels OF silver and quantities of beautiful
white lace. Miss Ethel wore a girlish
and demuTe dress of white satin. Mrs.
Fairbanks. mother of the Vice Presi-
dent, was one OIL the guests behind the
line" and had delightful reception all
by herself She wore black satin and
rich white lace.
One of the notable features of the re-
ception was the presence of the de-
scendants of three Presidents-Harri-
SON, Grant and Garfield. Mrs. Mckee,
daughter of President Harrison. who
was herself one of the most interesting
inmates of the White House at one
time, was present with her debutante
daughter. Mrs. Stanley Brown, daugh-
ter of President Garfield, was also pres
ent, and Ulysses Grant Ill, grandson of
President Grant, with his bride
The reception had not many attrac-
tions for the younger set, so Miss Ethel
Roosevelt and a dozen of her young
friends had delightful dance in the
upper corridor of the White House, to
the music of the Marine Band, the
downstairs callers not knowing any
thing about what was going on.
The Senate and House were but
sparsely represented at the reception.
A New Years reception has small at
traction for public men. They see SO
many people every day that they do not
reel ike going where they will be OBJ
hged to be properly cheerful in greeting
several hundred, who simply want to be
able to say that they shook hands with
such and such public official. China
crept little more cut of her SHE'LL and
Tor the first time Nine. Chow, wife of
the Charge d'Affaires of China, was
present at a public function. She has
peen IN Washington for some years, but
never before came to a reception. She
Is tiny creature and might be old tho
she looks like a child, and was quite
the most picturesque figure at the re-
ception- She wore her Chinese dress of
blue embroidered satin over trousers of
red satin. She had great diamond flow
ers on each side of her knot of smooth.
shining black hair and a diamond bar
at the back
The flowers at the White House are
never very much in evidence these davs.
There were American Beauty roses in
the Red Parlor, and their hue fairly
swore at the red reds OF that pre-emi-
nently red room; red carnations in the
Blue Room and pink ones in the Green
Room and the East Room. There was
the usual amount of greenery in the
long corridor. In the State dining room
where luncheon was served to the Ia
dies invited to receive, Richmond roses.
which are twins to American Beauties.
filled a tremendous crystal vase in the
center of the table, and dishes of ferns
were placed at intervals along the ta-
ble's length.
The limit was certainly reached here
the other day when a woman kneit in
prayer in Catholic church and her
costly furs We're stolen before her PRAYER
was completed, taken from the seat on
which she laid them when she knelr
down.
Reforms come slowly, but they come
after time. For many, MANY years
the press of the country has poked fun
at the United States Senate for the queer
things that seem necessary to its com
fort. For instances. there are dainty
manicure sets and pIIffS for nowd ar,,.r