The San Francisco call., 1909-02-28
INAUGURAL BALL
SOCIETY'S MAGNET
Elite of Land Gather in WASH
ingtOn to Attend Function
Marking New Regime
Mrs. Roosevelt Resigns Social
Scepter With Praise for
TactfuI Sway
By Roberta v. Bradshaw
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

lSpectdt DIspdtch 10 + ne NouJ
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2F.LAfter al
most eight years residence in the
White. House Mrs Roosevelt viii re-
tire from the storm center OF the So
-eial life of the nation. carrying with
her the sincere admiration and good
will of practically every one with
whom She came in contact during her
regime as first: lady of the land. Quite
in keeping with her character is the
delicate compliment she pays her sue
cessor in making the last act of her Of
fetal career festal dinner given in
honor. of the. head of the incoming
administration and Mrs. Taft
BY a curious good fortune Mrs.
Roosevelt, who. at the outset of her
career came in for all sorts of eriti-
cisrn. leaves the White House with a
pean of praise ringing in her ears.
For the last six years the usual bick-
erings and ,jeaIodsies. the envy, hatred
and malice which are the bane of of
fleiaT: life had little part in Mrs. Roose-
.velt,s day by day existence.
Just how Mrs. Roosevelt has sue
.ceeded- in retaining the good opinion
of the public and. having her own way
in an things of: moment is one Of
the. secrets of happy life Mrs. Roose-
yelt axes with her when she cheer
frlfy withdraws from the range of
spotlight It is a matter of history
that Mrs. Roosevelts opinions and Mrs.
RooseVeTt's desires carried" nine times
out of ten. and that she epgendered no
enmity in forwarding her purposes
is pronounced tribute TO her clever
ness
To the disinterested onlooker. Mrs
Roesevelt's most potent weapons are
her smile and her voice. She has the
most spontaneous smile imaginable,
and It overspreads her face like a
burst of sunshine. AS for her voice. it
IS soft and musical, 1t has timbre and
back OF 1T is a transparent sincerity
Moreover, Mrs. Roosevelt has the tre-
mendous charm that none but a CON
tented and perfectly happy woman ever
attains. She never does anything for
effect and no matter where she may
be she always has the air of being
thoroughly in touch with the situation
SOCIETY ~THRoNGS WASHINGTON
The arrival of the battIeship fleet
the departure OF the Roosevelts and the
incoming Of the Tafts are topics which
ia akes precedence over the usual title
tattle of the gossiping tea tables Army
women have joined their sisters of the
navy circle and for three weeks past
Washington has been the rendezvous of
the wives and daughters and sisters
and mothers of the sailor lads who
IA months ago set OF to encirele the
globe.
. The sound of the hammer is now
adays the most prominent thing in
town unless. possibly, it be the voice
Of the modiste giving hurryup orders
of inauguration ball gowns. With
large contingent of brand new diplomats
anxious and willing to appear at their
best advantage at the great national
society women from all the states to
reckon with, Washington is preparing
to witness an inaugural ball without
precedent. in the annals of the city.
President Roosevelt's courteous rec
ognition of the fact that his successor
should be the lion of the hour is not
the least gracious thing which marks
his history as chief executive. No
body doubts for a second that should
he follow the time honored custom
and ride from the capitol to the White
House with the new president, such a
Roosevelt howl" would go UP from
the assembled onIookers as would
greatly diminish the rightful glory Of
the new White House occupant
Practically every home OF any i'm
portance- in the city is making ready
for its quota of guests, and all things
considered. the moment is most aus
picious for a series of notable enter
tainments March the president and
Mrs. Roosevelt are to give a dinner
for the president elect and Mrs Taft
the function bringing to a conclusion
one Of the most brilliant social regimes
in the history of the country The
White House fete will be the last, too.
in the list of things down on the So
cial schedule as preinauguration enter
tainments. with the entire Taft
family in the city, fianked by the fam
lilies of those who will surround the
council table of the new executive,
there will be every incentive for am
bilious DANES to spread themselves In
a grand effort to make good" with
the new administration.
SHERMANS ARE ENTERTAINED
Meantime hosts have been exceed
ingly generous to the vice president
elect and Mrs. Sherman who have been
dining out every day and taking lunch
cons and breakfasts with notable per-
sonages between times. Quite the
most elaborate affair among the en-
tertainments for the Shermans was
the reception given by the senior SEN
ator from New York and Mrs. Depews
The members of the senate in toto, the
New York delegation In the house. the
justices Of the United States supreme
court, members of the ambassadorial
colony, members of the cabinet circle.
all with their wives and daughters,
gathered to do honor to the new pre-
siding officer of the senate
A close second in interest to all the
gorgeous affairs of state and govern
mental ceremony are the society we'd
dings. One of the most attractive GER
emonies Of many a day was that of
Miss Shelby Converse, daughter Of
Rear Admiral and Mrs. G.. A. Converse
and Huntington Wolcott jackson.
Practically all of resident and official