The Washington times., 1917-03-04

them, charming folks who have en-
deared themselves to Washington res
idents. are not going to return.
These be parlous times for Con-
gressmen. who are torn between their
duty as statesmen on the Hill and
their pleasure in various hospitable
homes At the other end of town. And
they be parlous times for hostesses
honor of departing Congressionals.
and are likely to have one or more of
their honor guests torn away as the
lsoup steams in front of them by a hor-
rid sergeant-at-arms.
He Gave the Dinner,
But Wasn't There.
One reads of dinners in honor of
Senator and Mrs. Blank-and one
knows full well that whatever Sens-
tor Blanks inclination may have been
| he certainly was not at that dinner.
when the Senate was voting on some
big bill that simply must get through
or that his duty to his party requir-
ed him to obstruct to the best OF his
ability its passage.
No hostess really knows how many
of her guests will show up when the
butlen announces that dinner is
served. One woman of the Congress
sional set told me two weeks ago that
they had let their cook go. as they
had dinners on for every night Until
after Inauguration. and she Ead
luncheon engagements every day. But
she didn't see how her husband was
going to keep HIS dinner dates, when
he simply could not get away from
the Capitol. And the other night, Up
/ at the Chevy Chase Club, / saw two
| Congressman who confided to me that
they had simply hidden and sneaked
tout there. They ought to be at the
Capitol. and they might be discovered
at any minute.
On the other hand there are ever
SO many women OF the Congressional
| set who wanted to get away i'm
mediately or sooner after the Fourth
of March, who having been ready to
go have been refusing Invitations be-
cause their clothes were all packed.
and they have been having nervous
chflls at the idea of an extra session
right away quick. They are feeling
rather better now, as the prospect of
an immediate extra session seem to
be evaporating-though most OF them
expect to have to come back--un-
less they send their husbands alone
just about when Washington Is get
ting good and hot"
-
HusbandIess Wives and
Wifeless Husbands.
The big dinners OF the last two
weeks have been funny things any,
how. One might think from the num-
ber OF husbandless wives and WIFE
less husbands one meets that Wash
| ington society was all disrupted, and
all sorts Of domestic difficulties were
| in progress. For aside from the men
who are dragged of to the Capitol
by ruthless sergeants at arms. there
are any number-of. both men and
women who are laid up with grippe,
or other things, and only one-half
! OF entirely united married couples
shows up at many of the fashionable
dinners.
The ladies, God bless 'em, are add
ing considerably to the gayety of ma
| tions these days. There are the suffs
both organization-very, very busy.
The Congressional Union is fairly run
ming around in circles, what with its
picketing at the White House for the
last six weeks; it's convention for the
last three days, winding up with a
banquet Saturday night. and its con-
| templated big drive" on the EXecu-
tive Mansion this Sunday afternoon.
Both organizations are keeping open
house during this inaugural season,
And both have such perfectly delight
full houses.
There are the antis-also keeping
| open house, but in nothing like so at
I fraPfiUa AaIF
dozen clubs-including the Washing
ton and the Congressional, likewise
keeping open house. So there are
plenty of houses "open" to the femi-
mine contingent of the inaugural
visitors.
ID. A. r.. Preparing to
Elect President:
And there is the D. A. r. preparing
| for its biennial election-one might
almost say its quadrennial election,
for it nearly always reflects its pres
ident general, and that is the only
election that really stirs things up.
There are four candidates in the field
now-all OF them on the field, each
in turn giving a party, which all the
others attend, il only to see how they
can improve on ii when they give
theirs. This week il was Mrs. Horton
and she always does things up
gracefully and thoroughly, and GER
tainly she is one of the most orna-
mental figures that has frequented
the "alley" at the Willard in recent
years. There was one feature of her
party that deserves to be widely
copied. That was the tables-half a
dozen nice, unObtrusive tables, not
getting under your feet, you know.
but right there when you wanted a
rest for your wobbly coffee cup or
your plate OF melting ice cream.
Mrs. Guernsey gave her party last
week at the Washington Club-and it
was a most successful one. Mrs.
Squires has given several nice, init.
mate little affairs, but not as yet a
big "crush." And Mrs. James Hamil-
ton Lewis may be relied upon. when
she does it at all, to quite outdo all
the others. And the daughters-why,
all of them so to all the parties, of
] course.
| =
Admit the Sad Loss
OF Two BacheIOrs