The Washington times., 1915-12-18

member OF which has added distinction
ito his nar,e." They have been makers
OF history IN Virginia ard they come
of a good old Yorkshire family which
has hai honored' place in English his
tory for generations.
Mrs. Galts mother, Mrs. Boiling. was
Miss Sallie white, of BEDFORD. Va. Her
father, Judge GollinP. though not
man Of consequence; and In her home ut
Wvthev!llc, the Young Edith Boiling
had the ADVANTAGE of cultivated assoc n
lions and the most refined surroundings.
grew I'D 20 force an. extraordinarily
, uorgenial and untel family. She was
educated in various private schools OF
! Virginia. One Of her sisters. M!as Ger
Gait. OF Washington: and 1t was Will,
| visiting her sister In her new home
| that Miss Edith Boiling met Norman
Cali. a cousin OF her sisters husband.
Mr.. Gait was part owner OF the
Gait Bros. jewelry establishment, which
| came to him by inheritance. and Is one
Of the oldest firms firms in Washington. The
been people Of means and Importance in
Washington for several generations and
| in the old days "befo' de wah" and just
| afterward Galts. then funny old shah
| n club for statesmen passing to and
| from the Capitol and many ambitious
| schemes and measures OF great import
/ were Matched in that little back rCom
, When Norman Gait died eight years
| ago. he left his entire fortune. quoted
as somewhere in the neighborhood OF
100000. to his wife. without any reser-
walton whatsoever. making her "execu-
trix without bond" She bought out the
remaining interest. and is row the sole
owner Of the business, which is run by
her two brothers. Richard Wilmer and
! Randolph Boiling.
The Gait family Of Washington and
the Bollings. of Wytheviile. arc not un-
duly elated at the distinction attained
on visiting terms at the White House
before. During the first Cleveland Ad-
ministration Mr.. and Mrs. William NJ.
! Gait were not only among the close per
| sonal friends of President Cleveland.
but were among the very few guests
at the marriage Of the President and
Miss Frances Folsom. Miss Gertrude
Gait, now Mrs. Richardson. Of Column
at the White House as IL protegc Of
| Mrs. Cleveland
An Excellent Homcmaker.
| A composite picture OF the new Mis-
uess OF tho White House. formed from
the columns that have been written
about her, assumes rather mythical pro
portions. The press would have it that t
she is a cultivated and brilliant musi-
| clan, a student OF history. economics,
and tn" science Of GoroInment. an ON.
! nivorous reader. etc. in short. bit OF
"A blue stocking
! As matter OF fact. the President 8
| bridc-to-be has pleasant voice. and
used to sing a good deal a S n girl when
her sister. Mrs. Maurv. plavcd hcr ac-
! corrhEn'rh' nts. but she T. no stcoent OF
| music Her education. that of IN" tyDi-
cal Southern woman ~ gentle birth and
| breeding. tended more TO the cultivation
or domestic arts and social graces than
'to DEVELOPMENT along Intellectual lines
SEC Is AT 4, .-.'e1' t.usekcoper ana
what Is more important. a homemaker
An ardent churchwoman she has prr.
ferred to make use 0f church charities
as medium for her social and ph'lan.
lthropic activities. Withal she has a
hatred OF notoriety. and in all her good
works takes very SERIOUSLY the mandate
let not your left hand know what your
riPht hand doeth."
In n word. Mrs. Gait Is a gentlcwom,
an. charming product OF the South
whose graces she imbibcd in the NIr
ginia home in which she was born and
grew up. She is fairly tail. with a
graceful figure. and rich brown hair
Her ewes are blue gray. but so shadowet
by long dark lashes that to the casual oh
server they appear black. Her mouth
which Is considered by many her love
llest feature. is graciously curved ant
very expressive. and her face is ami
| mated when she talks
She hasa highly developed social gift
and Is qua ified 10 lend distinction and
charm to the difficult role of first lad>
OF the. land; while those familiar with
social history in the Capital are prophe.
syins for her a degree of personal popu.
larity which has been achieved by no
ichatelaine Of the White house since
Mrs. Cleveland.
Her Part In Social World.
The part which the new Mrs. Wilson
Is to play In the social world of Wash
ington is OF considerable moment tc
society folk. While the wife OF tn,
President is almost as restricted as tn,
; President himself in accepting invita-
tions outside the Cabinet circle. she car
WELD immense influence and set tn,
! pace" for the rest OF the world to fol
: low 1t is on the cards that this Is tt
be a gala season. but it is hardly prob
able that the White House will again
become the pivot about which societ
IN the Capital revolved as it was dur
I ing the Taft regime. Mrs. Taft had no
only wide social experience. but grea
social ambition. and Mrs. Gait woul,
seem to be by no means ambitious
: Moreover. the President seems to car
= not at'all for the social end OF his job
. Probably a salient feature OF the win
; ter will be closer welding OF the off
cisl and residential elements of Wash
Eington. When Mrs. Gait came to Wash
ington she found herself the center o
! cultured. well-bred circle Of men an
women whose forefathers were the pio
neers of the District OF Columbia pco
pie OF intelligence, wealth and influence
who stayed in Washington and fostere,
its financial and commercial welfar
while official dignitaries came and wen
tration. To these "cave dwellers' vii
doubtless come the recognition from tn
White House which they have neve
sought.