Evening star., 1921-05-29


C"untry'" writ" story for
YOU 1t is not always bad weather
that keeps him at hone Sometimes
it is something worse than that ON
this occasion it was company No
people have so many foreign Visitors
as Washingtonians. and YOU can un-
derstand without being told in detail
WHY the Rambler had not time to
write the usual Kind of story. Thr
visitors wanted to h" introduced to
the President. and. as all Washing
tonianS are supposed 10 be on terms
Of amity and familiarity with Presi-
dents the Rambler told his country
cousins from Boston that he would
make date with the President. |
got a friend at the White House to
fix it up. and told them that the
President was ticklcd to death to
hear that they were in town. but a
little disappointed that they did not
bring their grips right up to the
White House and make themselves
at home. and that. being boyhood
and lifelong friend and college chum
of mine and member of the same
sunday school class. and all that
sort of thing, he would be happy to
extend the glad hand to them. |
told them that the President usually
dropped around to my house after
Office hours to get my advice on
questions that perplexed him, but,
look the White House over. he
thought it would be better to have
them come over there. | hired an
auto for day. telling them that
my own car was in the shop. having
stuck a nail in its foot and gone
Ion Law hpf =
ing the poor thing to run any dan
ger of lockjaw. had borrowed Gen.
Stif's car and my warm pcrsr"nal
friend. Admiral Bowlcg, had loaned
me his chauffeur.
We went to the hotel to lunch, and
acted as though l patronized that
eating house every day, shook hands
with the head waiter. calling him by
his first name. | told them that |
usually took luncheon at the Metro
politan Club. of which | was a char
ter member. but that sometimes |
liked to be real promiscuous and mix
with ordinary folk. and when in that
humor I generally lunched at one of
the hotels. ] never said a word about
getting my midday meal at a lunch
room week in and week out. They
thought the check was high. but |
smiled indulgently and said that l
never gave thought to such trities.
YOu know how it is when you are
Washington. You do things like this
yourself. The cigars cost wo-for-a-
quarter. and slipped the band of
mine into my vest pocket to show IT
to some fellows just to prove that
could order something higher than
nickel smoke when forced to do it.
WE walked up the Avenue to 18th
w street, and, pointing to a large
low granite building with row Of
futed columns on the 18th street
side. l said: Rather a pleasant
place that--a little dull and quiet since
i Mr. Williams went away Mr.. Mel
| lon. though newcomer in our town.
! is inclined to be quite talkative with
! me. and often sends for me when the
Treasury is little short of funds,
, ! spoke to everybody l met whom
7 thought well dressed enough. ana
| bowed to every lady in good look
! ing machine. My country cousins
/ from Boston wondered why l was not
; a District Commissioner. but | told
| them that for long time it was the
custom not to appoint prominent citi-
custom l had been overlooked.
; Nearly every government clerk |
, met who had on baggy trousers and
F.; every farmer with a wide-brimmed
| hat j addressed and said, Good aft
ernoon, senator My country cous-
sion that | was intimate with the
whole SiXty-seventh Congress. One
! of my cousins. Mrs. Louisa May AL
colt Smith, turned TO her husband
and said Ralph Waldo Emerson
Smith C9th). conjecture that the Ram
! bier has acquaintance with all the cele-
; brities of the capital" Yes said /,
II have great many friends because
when l foEesaw that a diSa strouS drought
i was to fall upon the land and that much
! suffering would ensue l took certain
safety measures"
. Ralph Waldo Emerson Smith (9th)
and his wife. Louisa May Alcott
| Smith. said that visit-to Washing
J ton without paying tribute to the
, glories of art at the Corcoran CAL
! lery would be no visit at all. and they
seemed to know quite as much about
/ the paintings in the gallery as many
! citizens of Washington. While they
; were expressing their rapture over
! the pictures with precision. but with
! a pronunciation that almost required
| the services Of an interpreter. Ralph
Wa lido Emerson Smith f9th) turned
| to me and said: "Of course, you spend
! much time in this wonderful place
| "Of course, of course" said l. Il
come down here every morning after
! breakfast and before going to the
/ office. just for the purpose of tuning
! up my artistic temperament for the
! days work. Nearly all Washington
! people have the same habit. We are
/ a great people for art. literature.
! music and movies. The directors
! never think of spending a hundred
! thousand dollars for picture without
! getting expert advice from me as to
! whether 'the paint was mixed with
; pure linseed oil and white lead"
| AS we passed from the gallery down
, through the Monument lot we met "A
! very handsome man on horseback
! and I said. Good afternoon. senator"
! Louisa May Alcott Smith turned to
! Ralph Waldo Emerson Smith (9th)
! and said: ~ thought the Senate only
had a membership of ninety-six."
NO" said II. w. +. Smith t9th).
| speaking in accents that were either
! Harvard or foreign dialect. the
| Senate does not consist of ninetysix
| members: it consists of Senator
! Henry Cabot Lodge" OH said L..
! NJ. 4. Smith. IT thought he was the
| President" you are both right in
: way" | said. but the gentleman
on horseback is real senator-that
! is. as nearly real as We get 'em now
I
! e. ~
| /