The Washington times., 1914-03-08
EAR SUSAN:

stopping the cars. Everything went on as
usual; and considering that this is Lent
there was great deal going on all week.
Frances Elward Smith looked at the sun
and smiled, for it came out just few min
utes before her wedding to Lieut.. Harry A.
Baldridge, of the navy, at noon Last even
ing, when it was showing so hard, she said she
did hope that today would be bright. Happy
is the bride the sun shines on and she is
one of them. Her wedding was lovely, like
all service weddings, and the handsome uni
forms of the bridegroom and his attendants
with the beautiful charmeuse and silver bro
>cade of the bride and the green and white
chiffon gowns of the matron and maid OF
honor all went to make beautiful picture as
they stood at the altar in St. Thomas Church.
Susan, even if | never have been to a
Cabinet dinner, | know how one looked.
Friday evening about o'clock Doris and
| were passing through Peacock alley in the
New Willard to meet some friends, when we
saw the most tremendous lot of roses being
to take a peep. The table was being ar
ranged for the Cabinet birthday dinner party.
We just got close to one of the tall palms and
stayed until the last candle was lighted and
saw it all. In the center was huge mound
of Radiance roses and white lilacs, with a
vase as tall as am rising from the center.
The vase was filled with the same glorious
pink roses and lilacs and they fell from the
edge like fountain of flowers. Two more
beautiful clusters of roses and lilacS adorned
the table on either side of the main decora-
uons and at each place were corsage and
boutonnier bouquets for the guests. Palms
and ferns banked the red room and huge
clusters of American Beauty roses were piled
at both ends Of the table. The Marine Band
was stationed in the balcony.
In the blue parlor the hosts, who included
each of the members of the Cabinet except
the Secretary of agriculture and Mrs. Hous-
ton, stood to receive their quests, who were
The President the Misses Wilson, Miss
Bones, and Secretary and Mrs. Tumulty. On
account of the bad fall Mrs. Wilson had re-
Gently, she was unable to attend. Secretary
Houston is quite i'll with grippe. Of course
you know that this party was in celebration
OF the fact that one year has passed since the
first meeting of the President and his CAB
met. What happy family it has been.
There is one other happy official family |
know of in Washington, and that is the Iowa
delegation in Congress. There may be
othelo quite as happy, but | do not know
about them. The Iowans meet so often and
are all real friends.
But, goin, back to the dinner party, |
must 1T fort to tell about tine dear little
spring garden that was formed in the anter-
room leading from the recepton-room to
the dining-room. In the reception-room the
decorations were Of palms and clusters of
Richmond roses, jonquils and those tall pic
turesque spring buds. This decoration only
served to prepare the guests for what was to
come, for going from this room into the ante
room one forgot all about the rain and snow
outside land at o'clock, when the guests
began to arrive, there was whole lott. A
rustic arbor had been built and the most COM
fly chairs and corners were arranged beneath
Trailing vines and blosSoming roses en-
twined the arbor and on either side Of the lit
tile pathway countless spring blossoms formed
a real garden. Yellow tulips by the hundred,
jonquls, little white hyacinths, crocuses and
roses galore blossomed in q riot of color
Oh, for once wished was a member of the
Cabinet family. would have been per-
fectly willing to have been the small daugh-
ter who had to wait in the garden while the
dinner was being served.
Pauline Lockett has returned to town
after that wonderful visit of hers in Ashe-
vile. saw her on F street the other 6av;
she was looking charming and had her new
dog with her He is a beauty, but | have
nc idea what breed And, speaking of
breeds why Tom has become so absorbed
in horses that at dinner the other night he
asked what breed oysters we wanted That
was not all, for later, when we went into
the theater, he handed his hat to the check
boy TO be Put with his overcoat. The boy
handed him back the hat and said in man.
ner that was worthy of an English butler:
There is rack under the seat for YOUR hat"