The Washington herald., 1920-11-07
BY CONSTANCE DRExEL.

All hail the next mistress OF the
White House!
Much has been written OF the
personality of Mrs. Harding, but
in view of the undoubted impor-
tance Of the role women will play
in the new administration, nothing
that throws light on the subject is
superfiuous. The following observa-
tions are based on a day spent at
Marion-October lS-much OF it at
the Harding home. and on about
an hours private conversation with
Mrs. Harding herself.
To sum up Mrs. Harding in a nut
shell. it may be said that unless
the President elects wife reverses
herself entirely after entering the
White House, We shall have First
Lady of the Land who embodies
within herself what one might con-
slider the new type of American
woman.
Mrs. Harding is a woman who is
a forceful. Independent personality
In herself. She would make a splen-
did success as a business woman
or in any executive position ION
her own" but she throws this un-
doubted ability into teamwork with
her husband
Be IL said, all to the honor of our
future President, that he is the first
to acknowledge this situation. All
close friends of the Hardings say
that Mrs. Harding compliments her
husbands personality. As some
one said in describing them:
Friend Describes Them.
MFR. Harding is the kind who
wounded dog, but his wife would
gently tap him on the arm to re-
mind him: Warren, you know we
won't get to that important en-
gagement il you stop here; some
body else can do this but We have
got to get to that place by a GER
tain time
And instead of resenting this as
interference or as any evidence that
his wife is too 'strong-minded.' Mr..
Harding would appreciate the sug-
gestion and the result would be
beneficial to the affairs on hand"
said my informant.
Yes, Mrs. Harding has decidedly
practical turn of mind which adds
just the needed punch" to Mr..
Harding's makeup. This, in my
estimation, is added assurance that
the American people have made a
wise choice in selecting Senator
Harding as chief of state. With
Mrs. Harding's help he will steer
a straight course in the turbulent
seas which are always ready to en-
gulf a man in SO responsible a po-
sition.
Has Girlish Figure.
In appearance. Mrs. Harding is
about five feet six inches tall, slen-
der and girlish in figure. She might
be anywhere from 40 to so years OF
age. Her hair. carefully coiffed
under net, Is turning gray, but
attractive with its marcel wave.
She is fair in complexion with a
nice clear skin and good teeth.
Her most striking feature Is the
straightness of her nose as 1t blends
with the forehead. This is in con-
trast to the decidedly Roman nose
OF the senator.
There were a colored butler and
a colored maid. but the entire house.
keeping arrangements were being
managed by the wife of the Har-
dings' chauffeur This was due to
Mrs. Harding's good sense, for she
felt that she must be free at every
moment to greet the hundreds OF
people who poured into Marion al
most every day, wanting to catch a
glimpse of the Hardings. The SEN
ator might be busy in his Office in
the house next door. but he always
knew that Mrs. Harding was on
hand to come out of the front door
to the porch.
Front Porch Huge.
The porch" at the Harding house
is a huge covered veranda, with a
decided rotunda effect on one sics.
No doubt that in other years on
summer days. 1t has been. .tastefully
furnished with wicker furniture. but
this summer 1t has been bare, maxi
ing room for the hundreds of people
who climbed to it on front porch
days"
In personal conversation. Mrs
Harding struck phiiosophic note
when she declared that she thought
women had not yet realized how
much they can accomplish in the
world through the medium OF the
home
There isn't a bit of douht b,,t