Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-14

and brilliancy those of any presidents
wife within the memory of present residents
of Washington and of these the invitation
lists were so restricted that the scramble
to be among those present" has been
correspondingly great. A great many out
of-town persons have been among the
guests invited for such occasions.
They included from time to time repre-
sentatives of the more fashionable sets Of
New York, Boston, Philadelphia n Bal
timore and, in fact, Of all of the principal
cities of the country. These functions were
often dinners OF taste and magnificence.
Often they were teas and perhaps oftener
still they were musicales. Mrs. Roosevelt
is herself very fond OF good music and
has been in a way a patron of that art.
At her musicales the most accomplished
and famous musicians of the world have
exercised their art.
In general 1t is the verdict that during
Mrs. Roosevelt's occupancy of the White
house social conditions have been improved.
Invitations have been much more eagerly
sought and accepted. The a "a gements for
public functions have been more carefully
and effectively made.
Divergent Views on Hospitality.
For many years tea and light refresh
ments have been served for the mob on
such occasions. Mrs. Roosevelt early de-
clared against this apparently on the
theory that 1t was enough TO receive a
horde Of curious strangers without also
furnishing the hospitality of food for a
throng of persons one did not know per-
sonally and pIDbably neve' would. Just
the simple stand up and shake hands re-
ceotion was sufficient, according to Mrs.
Roosevelts notion.
Mrs. Taft, however, did not hold this
view, She persisted in maintaining the
tea table as an adjunct of her Wednesday
receptions given in the quality Of the war
secretary's wife. Mrs. Fairbanks, the
vice presidents wife, and Mrs. Shaw, while
Mr.. Shaw was secretary Of the treasury,
were also of Mrs. Taft's mind, and there
is an impression that this difference of
opinion had a certain II slight effect on the
cordially of tHe social relations existing
between the wife of the incoming president
and the wife OF the outgoing chief execu-
tive.
Mrs. Taft is known generally as a woman
far less formal than Mrs. Roosevelt and
far more accessible, and the difference
IN her character is expected TO be very
clearly reflected in the changes to take
place in the social life of Washington that
radiates from the White House. She is
the daughter OF Judge Heron of Gin
cinnatl. and her fathers family and that
Of the new president have been fTends
for many years, in fact the president and
his wife practically grew up together as
children.
They became engaged not long after
Mr.. Taft was graduated from Yale and
before there was anywhere nearly so much
OF him as there is at present. Mrs. Taft
spent a year in Cincinnati university but
was not graduated. After she left school
she spent a year in teaching a class OF boys
in a Cincinnati private school. as she said
she wanted to see what she could do t.
earn her own living If il ever became
necessary for her to do it.
Mrs. Taft's Many Accomplishment
In Cincinnati the Tafts have never had
the slightest desire 10 be considered socially
exclusive or smart. Al the same time they
have always lived Ike the cultivated and
refined people they are, and their home
wherever Il has been. has always been the
center OF much quiet, Int lectual entertain-
ment.
Mrs. Taft, while well educated alonl
many lines. has a strongly musical turn OF
mind. This Is practical as well as theoret-
zeal. She is in fact an accomplished pianist