The Washington times., 1915-01-03
JEAN ELIOTT
LETTER

week that belongs by right to the holi-
y-making crowd Of boys aAnd girls
who descend upon us at this season.
First ir Importance, Of course, Is the
announcement OF Genevieve C1ark's en-
gagement to James M. Thomson, of
New Orleans, though the only part Of
1t that was news was THE Speaker
and Mrs. Clark announce There Is a
pretty general impression that they
might just as we'll have done it months
ago. and | have n "hunch' that the
engagement dates from the little lady's
visit to New Orleans at Mardi Gras
time.
BE that AS it may. the town may now
60 about the pleasant business Of wish
ing the Speakers daughter happiness
and congratulating the young man. to
which it will bring great enthusiasm,
Tor there is no more popular girl in
Washington. indeed in the country, than
the same Miss Genevieve Clark.
This New Year season takes one
back to January /. just a year ago.
when Miss Clark made her debut, II a
girl who has never been in may be said
TO come out. At any rate the reception
ht which she made her first formal
appearance stands unique in the annals
of Washington society," for the Speaker
and Mrs. Clark kept open house and
Eeverybody-literally everybody-cams to
wish the debutante luck.
Since then she has been in great de-
mand. not only in the younger set. but
among the grown-ups.- at the most for
NAL sort of official functions. brilliant
diplomatic dinners. and Senatorial
feasts. And rumor has made her
bridesmaid SO many times that she has
put we'll behind her the old hoodoo,
three times bridesmaid. never a
BRIDE and passed the seventh time
that breaks the hoodoo. Not once dur
ing her career as wedding attendant
did she seem afraid Of the spell. not
even when she seemed fated to cut the
thinlble or the wishbone in every
brides cake-but perhaps she had in
side information to sustain her.
Young Thomson. judging from the
time he has spent in Washington Of
late, must have neglected his newspa-
per frightfully. But then every man
has a right to neglect business once In
the course of his life. and he has stuck
close enough to his job to do some
rather spectacular things with the New
Orleans Item. He comes Of an old
Virginia family.
Think Of an early June marriage-for
II seems that the wedding probably will
take place in June-at 'Honeyshuck."
Doesn't 1t sound allurlng? And yet it
hardly seems fair to Washington for
the bride to slip off to Bowling Green
; for her marriage, when she is SO en-
phatically part and parcel Of Washing
ton life. Her father has been in Con-
gress continuously pretty much all her
life. and Genevieve tells as a great joke
that the only time he ever failed of re-
election was in the year of her birth.
At that. ! don't believe he regarded it
a. his unlucky year.
-
Again, no surprise. but flutter Of
interest was caused by the announce
ment OF pink" Harrington's engage
ment to Eleanor Reyburn. The court
ship began the year Eleanor came out
when Lieutenant Harrington. then not
long out OF West Point. was stationed
at Washington Barracks. and Dame
Rumor has been whispering of their
engagement over since.
Eleanor Is most attractive some
body, and Lieutenant Harrington IL a
brilliant young officer. He graduated
second in his class, which, considering
the unusual record of the class Of 1909.
was something Of an achievement
Hero. too. Washington will be cheated
ont OF an ATTRACTIVE wcddins-the ccre-
monv iH to take place at the Reyburns'
country home in Connccticut-and
again probably in the case of Elizabeth
Kent, daughter of Congressman and
Mrs. William Kent. and George STAN
leigh Arnold, tho date for whose we'd
ding has not yet been set.
-
Another recent engagement which
has aroused widespread interest in
Washington. as we'll as through the
South. is that of Elaine Pujo and Will
liam Boatncr Reilly. jr., OF New Or
leans. Miss 1ufo. who is the daughter
Of former Congressman and Mrs. Ar
senc Pujo. who was educated in WASH
fngton and spent much time here dur
ing her fathers term in Congress, Is
fast becoming belle In smart younger
circles in New Orleans where she is
spending the winter with her mother.
MIR. Reily's frequent visits to the diff
fercnt places where the Pujo family
have been since last winter had but
served to set his friends guessing. when
almost ahead of the ruTor came the
announcement of the engagement. Mr..
Reilly Is a well-known clubman and
prominent in business circles IN New
Orleans No date has been set for this
wedding.
And speaking of engagements. Robert
Fleming was telling me the other day
of the attractive way in which his be-
t, ,uthal to Ida Won Iengerke, Of Orange
II. j.. was announced. 1t seems he had
begun his counting when he lived ir
Orange several years ago. but had man.
aged it quietly, and somehow even his
frequent trips from Washington had
failed to excite comment. Consequently
rome of Ida's friends dreamed Of the
romance. and when they arrived at the
house for the tea, which her father
.ldstus Won LenGerke. gave on Saturday
last to announce the engagement. they
bad no idea of what was in store. Al
~ door each was handed a tiny white
silk bag aud inside was found littl.
toy pussy. with the announcement tieC
HDOut its neck. A cunning way of lettinI
III" cat out Of the bag. wasn't 1t?
Everybody was tickled when Rober
End Jack Sterrett. both Washington