The Washington herald., 1918-12-22
of Women Prominent the Social Life of the Nations Capital

man she was as Mrs. Norman Gait,
a very much more attractive person
in actual contact than in mere per-
spective-and certainly as gracious
chatelaine as the White House has
known within the memory of the
present generation in Washington
with the possible exception of Mrs.
Cleveland. OF whose youth and grace
and charm there are still cherished
traditions. She must be a pleasant
person to live with. and she Is an
entirely personable and dignihed
First Lady. But none the less-ye
Gods! what a career she married!
The reports from the other side tell
OF the President responding in English
to addresses made to him in French,
which he neither understands nor
speaks. One remembers that when
Joffre was here their intercourse had
to be through an interpreter. As to
the statements that Mrs. Wilson
speaks French They are dsscreetly ST.
lent as to what sort of French. She
probably does speak it-after FASH
ion. She had travelled a good deal
N~NA%s NAS staio VI iSA
spent probably part of each year
abroad And she had undoubtedly
picked up working knowledge OF
French, though It Is wonderful how
well one can get along without it IL
one sticks to the broad highways. In
the byways 1t Is more necessary to
speak the language of the country.
But Mrs. Wilson certainly never had
the advantage of French nurses and
Of years of French schooling; and in
later life one rarely acquires ease ana
nuency, to say nothing Of idiom and
accent
Washington is witnessing with sor-
row the passing of the McAdoos.
Without reference to Mr.. McAdoo's
public service, he and his wife hav,
been personally and privately most
popular All his personal attaches In
the Treasury and in the office OF the
United States Railway Administration.
those who have been brought into per
sonal contact with him. have found
him delightful, and are heart-broken
that he is leaving. They seem to have
the greatest admiration and respect
for him, and many of them are leav-
ing also-not because they are at all
likely to lose their Jobs, but because
they don't care for the Jobs without
the boss. They have maintained that
their chief was the best sport ever,
and that his position was to him pure
ly a sporting proposition; that he was
in it for the love OF the game, morv
than for anything he could get out OF
1t, either In influence or in reputation.
They all seem quite heart-broken at
his departure.
Mrs. McAdoo has been having a
couple of farewell at homes, last
Wednesday and the week before.
The first one was given on a per-
fectly impossible day. 1t simply
poured most OF the afternoon, and
when things were at their height
there was an accident at the "Pepco''
plant and suddenly the lights went
out, leaving the party in absolute
darkness-and for the moment
startled into silence-until the SER
wants brought candles, after which
tongues wagged merrily once more.
In spite Of the weather the draw
ing rooms were well filled all that
afternoon, though IT, as I'm told,
Mrs. McAdoo had provided for 1000.
IL seems possible that the family had
since in these days of conservation
a la mode we are realizing the whole
awfulness of the situation described
in the old nursery rhyme-"and
what they did not eat that night.
the queen next morning fried" Last
Wednesday was, however, q lovely
day, and everybody in Washington
seemed to be trying to get into the
McAdoo house on Sixteenth street.
There is a good deal Of rather quiet
entertaining for them going on-all
sorts OF P. P. C. parties that as they
are being given as unostentatiously as
possible must be regarded as express
sions OF real personal feeling rather
than as a mere perfunctoTy going
through the motions. The only big
party as yet announced is the dinner
John Shelton Williams and Mrs. VIII
liams are giving for them Monday
night in the Red Room Of the Willard.
That promises to be a very brilliant
affair. and from Mr.. Williams official
connection as Controller of the Treas
ury, may be regarded rather in the
light of an official send-off.
1t is understood that the McAdoos
will spend Christmas-and the holi-
dayS-in Washington, leaving town
about January 5. for Southern Cali
fornia, where Mr.. McAdoo will loaf
and invite the soul, getting the rest
he hasn't been able to take for several
years, before settling down to the job
of recouping his personal fortunes,
presumably in New York. One rather
wonders whether Mrs. McAdoo will
feel that the business of making
Christmas merry for a number OF
people in whom thee President and
Mrs Wilson were interested is IN tn