The Washington herald., 1910-10-16
"AUNT DELLA" TORREY
Presidents Tafts Favore Relative Whose Pies Made Her
Famous.

Miss Della Torrey is the favorite aunt,
/ indeed, the favorite relative, OF President
William II Taft That portion Of the
American public which with the proven
bial disregard Of dignity. Is wont to refer
| 20 the present Chief Executive as Bit
has come to think OF Miss Torrey as
| Aunt Della
| She is very much Ike a character
vitalized from the pages OF one Of the
novels OF Mary z wilkins Freeman. says
/ Harper Bazaar But despite the national
| prominence which she has attained, over
night. as II were. her surrounding have
not been changed.
Old friends and new acquaintance ac-
/ quired as the result OF her rapid rise 10
| fame may still ind her 70 the BETTING
! environment OF a quaint old-fashioned
New England village. MnIhury is a long
I established community with all the Gus
| toms and traditional characteristics OF
such a historic setting and with as much
1 isolation as may be obtained In this day
| Of the universal trolley car.
! President Taft has on many occasions
! eulogized Aunt Della IN public speech and
| private conversation. The tribute he has
/ paid 10 her cookery has been so heartfelt
as 10 admit OF no doubt of its grateful
4 sincerity. and in his laudation Of Aunt
! Dela's apple pies-dear 10 memory. as
well as present day realization-he really
/ provided the vehicle for her sudden rise
| 10 fame.
! But speaking In all seriousness. II may
| be stated that Miss Torrey has eXerted
| for many years no inCOnsiderable influ-
snce upon President Taft. The person.
aIty. character. and life work of this
/ maiden aunt have afforded the inspiration
| for those various addresses delivered by
| President Taft, principally at collegeE for
women, in which he has admonished his
fair auditors that no girl should look upon
! marriage as the sole aim Of life.
! AL of Miss Torrey's' visitors are enter
! tanned in what might 0e denominated the
ancestral home Of the family-the stately
| old house which has been home 10 Miss
| Torrey ever since she was six years of
age
| A fine example OF the New England
| colonial design with the distinctive col
umns supporting the two-story portico
and the typical white and green coloring.
| II is set in spacious grounds and shaded
! by majestic old trees. The house contains
| priceless old mahogany and interesting
china and other heirloOms. All about are
| flower gardens in which the time-hOnored
vivid hued posies mingle with the later
| favorites Of fashion. \ place of honor
is accorded to a splendid Killarney rose
transplanted from the White House
| grounds.
Miss Torrey IS as vigorous. alert, and
active as most women a score of years
her junior. For years she has been an In
satiable reader. and her breadth OF lit
erary vision may be surmised from the
fact that in her home she finds the cur
rent magazines and a liberal representa-
ton Of metropolitan newspapers. These
share the library space with those stand
ard works which might be expected i'm the
| home OF q woman whose grandfather
twice declined the presidency OF Harvard
| College.
It is the latitude of reading, combined
with her propensity for travelling and
visiting, that has enabled Miss Torrey 10
show such keen insight and keener philos-
| ophy. She IS constantly interviewed on
all manner of subjects. from cookery to