The National tribune., 1909-01-28

MRS. ROOSEVELT AND MISS ETHEL.
about her, and she did. When Jeffer-
son was President, he rather frowned
on such things, but Pretty Dolly Mad
ison," the wife of his Secretary of
State, had things pretty much her own
way, and when she wanted dancing
party she had it. Stately indeed were
the minuets "grandmamma danced in
the White House. Magnificent were the
grand marches, but that was about the
extent of 1t. There was no romping
through two step. no whirling
through waitEes, no round up in Barn
Dances" in Dolly's day. or any other
until after the war period.
Mrs. James K. Polk, who was con-
sidered handsome. and who had cast
iron manners and thought in straight
lines. with "prunes and prisms," puck
cred mouth and severity Of manner
| that repe.led everybody, was shocked
beyond measure when young relative
of hers suggested that the East room
was just the place for a dance.
would you dance in the Presidents
House?" she frigid1y asked the pre-
suming young woman. and she prompt
ly wilted. 1t is recorded that when
the Prince of Wales, now King Ed
ward. was here in Buchanan's time, ne
thought the White House quite pre-
sentable, and automatically intimated
that "the East room would be jolly
good place to take turn or two In"
But he had his trouble for his pains.
Not even for Prince Royal could the
traditions of the White House be
broken.
All the days Of the Lincolns were
sad ones, In the White House, and
there were no young people to dance,
SO, as always, there were just "recep-
tions" and "1evees' without end. When
TD1AA
gave some famous dancing parties for
| her children, but no "grown-ups" took
part. Then the Grants came in and
pretty Nellie Grant had many children's
parties there with dancing FOR them,
and a "grown-up" dance for herself
| just before she married and went
away to unhappiness which had been
foreign to her before that. The Ar
thurs had some children's parties, too,
| but the Clevelands had nothing but
stupid jams called receptions" They
were something awful, those recep-
| tions were. Clothes were torn Off of
| the women, tails of coats gave way in
the melee. shoulderstraps. swords.
spurs of the foreign contingent and
medals of all kinds got tangled up in
| fimy laces and were torn off. The
| floors of the parlors looked the next
| morning after as though there might
| have been Donny-brook fair held
there. And IL was not so very much
| better when the Harrisons came in.
Mrs. Robert James Mckee gave a
| German" in the White House. while
| her father was President and the peo-
pie of the country just rig right up in
| rath" at the i-d-e-e-a Of profaning the
White House in this manner. Yes,
| indeedy, just like that.
! No one ever had the teTaerity to
| suggest another dance in the white
| House uItI the Roosevelts came to
their own. princess Alice" had her
coming out ball in tire White House,
and it is one of the things to remem-
| ber. One of the beautiful beads on
memory's rosary. Nothing more beau
tiful was ever seen in the historic old
pile.
That is, until this Winter.
Six dances at the White House is the
schedule. Six glorious evenings in the
big white ard gold East Room, with
the Marine Band to play for you. Why,
4 g. craven image would certainly get up
and gyrate under such inspiration, but
when there are fully 200 pretty girls
! and as many handsome Army and Navy
fighters in fun aniform, and a pretty
good sprinkling of other men in evening
| clothes, and matrons in not much
clothes to speak of-well. If you please,
Fairyland simply isn't in it.
| Mrs Washington Martha, you know,
drawing rooms" which. of course. was
not in the Whits House. that 1.-The Gen
eral retires at 8, and l usually precede
him.
Think of that, will you?
i And then gaze on this: MRS. Roose-
Welt requests the pleasure of the COM
pany of Mrs. Blank on Friday even
ing, Jan. 20, at 10 o'clock. Dancing"
i You see, you are not supposed to put
in an appearance at the White House
until an hour after the first President
of the United States has gone to bed
But you go. Oh, yes, indeed! You
would go at 10 o'clock in the morning
or at midnight, If that precious bit OF
pasteboard came with your name on il
II and designated such hours. You would
go any time set in any hour of the "a;
that is what you would do il hidden to
i a dance at the White House, for 1t is
just the prettiest. most wholesome and
thorOly delightful event OF the season.
When you see the terraces all aslow
with lights in between the bay and
Evergreen trees you may know that Mrs.
Roosevelt is having one OF her dancing
a parties for Miss Ethel. the debutante
daughter of the house.
u You go at 10 o'clock. just as infor-
n1ally as possible. and you leave al
1880. because at 1880 the Marine