The Washington times., 1914-01-18

to be stolen. Of course, the takers" en-
joyed the joke immensely, and suppose the
other folks have put them down in their
little book as lot of crooks. This sense of
humor that some folks have works wonders
in many directions sometimes.
The question of what gown to wear" is
a problem that confronts the Cabinet host
esses of the new Administration and is quite
as all-absorbing and dstracting as the call
ing" question ever was.
In the present regime, there are few
hosteSSes who are rich women, and most of
them do not have rich husbands. Now, to
be able to dress we'll enough to mingle with
the richly dressed women in other circles of
society and not to appear in the same gown
too often is certainly matter that requires
expert executive ability.
During the. season the social obligations
of the official hostesses make it necessary
for them to appear in evening apparel about
seven nights a week, to say nothing of morn
ing and afternoon dress. And now that the
official entertaining season is on, scarcely
a night goes by without several of the Cab
met members being invited to the same
party. Every woman in the circle is dis.
traught with the idea of how she is going to
change her costume so that she will not
always wear the same.
One Cabinet hostess, in chatting with
me the other day on this subject, said that
she was not allowing it to bother her one
speck. Her idea is trying to imagine that
her several gowns are uniforms. She said
no one ever thought anything about soldier
appearing in the same uniform. She is right,
too, think.
Another woman said that if other folks
did not take in the details any more closely
than she, they would break about even. If
the effect was good, she dfd not think Ii
made any difference how often it was en-
cored
remember when Margaret Draper made
her debut saw her wardrobe, which she had
purchased abroad for her first season. She
had so many gowns that it would seem i'm
possible for her to find occasions to wear
them all even once. And slippers-wny they
were in dozens of every shade and sort. 1t
impressed me more than anything else of
that nature ever had before-or since. Now
that is only one example of the kind of dress
ing that our officials have to stand along
side Of" and it is no easy matter
| suppose people have doubles" every
where. Margaret Britton and Marcia Muir
dock certainly are doubles. AS we'll as |
always thought knew the former, to see her
at any rate, certainly must admit that at
the White House reception Tuesday night
was all confused when met Marcia Muir
dock, the young daughter of Congressman
Victor Murdock and Mrs. Murdock, of Kan
sas. Marcia really belongs to the debutante
set, although she is not having formal
coming-out this season. She has wonderful
curly hair that is just as red as it is beautiful
and much the same shade as Margaret Brit
tons. Her features and general style is so
like Miss Brittons that folks call them the
Auburn Twins" The girls constantly are be-
ing taken for each other and they have loads
of fun about it, and each one is quite as
complimented as the other. They should be,
for in my mind they are just about the pref
test girls in their set Of course, know my
weakness for Titan tresses must be taken
into consideration, or will be, by you, at
least
The dance which Mr.. and Mrs Alexander
G. Bentley gave at the Highlands Wednes-
day evening for Margaret Fechteler was de-
lightful in every way. The decorations which
were chiefly of pink roses and azaleas were
so pretty and the music was great. There
we're about seventy-fve couples and they
were chiefly from the younger army, navy,
and diplomatic set.
Mrs. Bentley looked charming in gown
of turquoise blue brocade made with a bodice
and minaret of gold lace, and Margaret wore
a dainty white satin gown trimmed with
lace.
A tempting little spread at midnight in
the dining-rooms added much to the JOY of
the occasion, too.
Everyone was so sorry to say good-by to
Louise Whatey and Emma Kate Amorous,