Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-30

presidential manson. One evening In
October theater party was given It
was In no sense to mark the comins
out of Ethel. but 1t was a step in the
direction Of that event. She was In
the presidential box with her father
and mother and few guests. It was
her first appearance in public In full
dress. Two things in the life of every
man and woman never die. In the
case of a man he never forgets when
he 1rst put on trousers. No girl lives
enough years to forget the night she
wore long dress to social function.
Ethel Roosevelt's fondness for out
door sport and her playful nature
have not interfered with her desire for
more practical affairs. 1t is not known
when she was obsessed wit. the idea
Of getting books. Her library in the
White House is a credit to her intelli-
gence. 1t is filled with many volumes
which one would scarcely expect to
find In a young woman's collection.
Whatever the cabinet contains. except
the books that were given to her, she
bought. Her preferable presents are
books.
For one of her age and for ono
whose time has been taken up with 30
many other affairs she Is a skilled
musician. She talks fiuently and
without affectation. To use a coinage
of the day. she is "well read" She
speaks correctly English. German and
French. With brush and pen she is
very clever. Her needlework has re-
ceived favorable commentator wher-
ever 1t has been exhibited. Some of II
has been on sale at church fairs and
at Other places.
| Debut In the White House.
! When Ethel first went 20 the White
House she occupied the nook In the
northwest corner which Mrs Cleve-
land had for her boudoir. After the
marriage of Alice Roosevelt Ethel fell
heir to the blue room. which had been
known as "Alices room" Ethel went to
New York and purchased the furnish
ings Of the rooms. They stand there
today The bookcase in the room.
which is of unique design. was plan
ned by Ethel
When the time came to talk about
the formal coming out of Ethel Roose-
welt. to the surprise of her family and
her friends. she demurred. She shrunk
from thu event because she seemed to
fear that IT would interfere with her
I freedom. In the age where It Is the
tendency OF girls to long for the time
when they may be fancy free 1t Is a
pretty compliment to the common
sense of one brought up in the garish
light of conventionality that Ethel
chung to the days when she was q
girl.
Finally the day came. The society
OF the whole land had been waiting
1t occurred in the east room of the
White House on the night Of the 2Sth
Of last December. The membership oi
the younger set at Washington wa.
there. A party went down from New
York. A contingent from Chicago
came on. People whose names f1gur,
in statecraft and fashion were pres
ent. The atmosphere of the old room
was laden with the perfume of tn
4 choicest growth of the hothouse OF tn
q mansion. Flowers had been sent Il
profusion from other cities. 1t wa
, laughingly said that the president 70
d the first time since he had lived IN tn
Il White House had to play second I'D
: die The dance began at In tn
e evening The bells were ringing mid
night when IT ended The onl
daughter of President and Mrs. Roose
It welt had been given to society at tn
= age of seventeen years and thre
le months. FRANK H. BROOKS.