The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-22
SOME GOSSIP ON
 SILVER WEDDING How It Looked To the Aver
 age Citizen THOUSANDS PRESENT Made a Man Thankful for the Vine clad Cottages and Simplicity
 Characterizing Average
 American Life
THOUSANDS PRESENT
By WALTER HARPER


 Washington, June 1s.-(special Cor respondence )-I have just come down from the White House where President and Mrs. William Taft are celebrating their silver wedding. It was decidedly the most brilliant social affair ever pulled off at the home of the President of the United States.
 was an invited guest. I was mum Der about 1000. but when l got shufflec up in the crowd that made but little difference. Nobody was tagged.
 New, l am not boasting that l wa; there. Any one of my fellow farmers of Alabama would have perhaps beer just as welcome. It was pronouncedlS democratic and the kind of reception that should be held at the home of the President of this free republic.
 There was no examination of ere dentials at the gate. You were not even called upon to show your card; indeed the officer standing there to keep down the congestion waved you inside be- fore you had time to get your card out of that miserable frock tail or tux edo or simple sensible sack coat.
 I wore the plain old sack suit that I wear every day on the farms ot Ala bama hoeing my turnips or scrioollng in the press gallery at the capitol. II made no difference at the White House of the United States.
 I indulged in the extravaganza of white silk tie but discovered that had committed an unnecessary act oi vanity. There were all kinds of clothes on the lawn from the richest q do no' know what to call them) down to the sl5 sacks.
 Every state in the union was rep resented. The high ambassadors of for eign countries were there but there was none of the insane fopishness anc extravaganza that characterizes the cor onation of the chief executive or llt' tle country across the Atlantic.
 Before the President and Mrs. Tai came down to the lawn from the from balcony of the White House the people stood about in groups on the lawn ahe gossiped about their neighbors, aoou 1 the latest fashions and other small mat ters of like nature just as they oo a church social in East Lake. l During the march of the central hg ures in the performance across th' 1 lawn down the avenue of eager suest' there was lull in the chatter but eV | cry woman present was busy studylnt | the cut and fabric of the dresses "orl | by Mrs. Taft and the other ladies lh th' parade while the men busied themselve working up sympathy for Mir, Taft wh' seemed about as much embarrassed a he must have been 25 years ago tonlgh when he laid the predicate for thi | great blowout.
 Mrs. Taft was as calm as bucket O syrup and smiled at everybody
 She looked the part of a prlde In hei stately beauty
 part of his nature) but that grin tha all YOU married men can remember wal there and he did not seem able to con l trol 1t.
 l When he passed in elbow reach of mt was tempted to whisper word oi brotherly comfort in his ear reminding him that the worst would soon be over but I remembered that he was some older than myself, had been married few years longer and ought to be able | to face the music.
 But 1t was brilliant aftair.
 Cries of ecstacy went up from al parts of the grounds Gorgeously dressed women from every corner of the country | promenaded from one clump Of fashlor | bouuuets to another, exchanging most | hideous explosions of delight. The local newspapers in the morning will devote two and three pages to the affair going into even the detail of what the different women wore for the occasion Thousands upon thousands of words are now scorching the telegraphic wires to every big paper in the coun- | try
 More than 10000 people who did not receive cards of invitation hung about the gates and along the border of the White House grounds from early even- | ing till midnight Almost as many of- | ficers as are required to police the city l of Birmingham were required to keer order in this crowd and open passage ways for the guests. It looked like a democratic majority on election day in Alabama
 l The White House grounds and the building itself were magnficently illum- mated with streamers of electric lights There was soft brillancy everywhere while big searchlights from the roof poured volcanoes of silver and sparkling ruby into the fountain playing on the front lawn, over Washington monument towering to the south and on the gay gowns of the women promenading thith- CT and yon.
 l It was indeed a experimentation of so- cial briliancy. All degrees were repre- l sented. They found their levels and drifted naturally into their distinctive channels. I drifted over to interview | the gardener and Pauline, the Presiden- | tial Cow quietly chewing her cud neal the southwest corner of the lawn. Here was one suggestion of peace and natural ness amid that wild turmoil of unna- turalness.
 | Looking with weariness on the con | fusing sham of artificiality and strained attempt at personal superiority I was more than ever impressed with the beau ty of simplicity I thanked God in my heart for the blessing of the vine-clad cottages, mothers and wives who love | their children and their homes and the l contentment of the simple life where artificiality is despised.