The Washington times., 1921-03-20
HaAs
; sFestivity For
$ Passion Week
ENr. LENr' Oh, yes I saw


N that advertised" The. sac
xui%A rilegious one. who had evi-
hNeksy been reading the piacards an
SdHcing the MILDLY LenteR services.
s#esbably represents the extreme elc-
yAnsht. Most of us have heard of Lent.
-t0bwe have even made q brave effort
sM;the observance thereof. But. with
&gns inauguration to be celebrated, a
! afvw Administration to be welcomed,
spd a parting Administration to be
--sped; there has naturally been very
ffttfe slackenng of the social pace. =
Holy Week, however. will tell q
different story There is. very little
entertaining scheduled for the next
seven days and smart motor cars will
crowd about the doors OF the churches
rather than of the thsaters.
The established orrlcial set is large
ly scattered, snatching a brief vaca-
tion before Congress Is called back to
work in = special session. which will
begin early next month. The new
fomers are trying to get settled--do-
NHNticaIly-before they really have
-tdsget down to business-officially.
The new Administration is learning
the ropes, and getting good grip
on the tiller-both politically and So
: cially.
Mrs. Harding, who put in the first
1week after the Inauguration enter
{raining q dwindling house party, and
S1he next making a rather exhaustive
IIryey of the White House. and tenta-
f8tG.:pians for her social campaign
~ has really started in to try cut
N6If16. of the theories.
6ki8kT4ThmUh she iponre ono n
\ 80yif who. having made up her mind.
f4NlM go ahead decidedly on the
SSpFSe she had mapped out, she is
lat present rather in the attitude
ES8f the bather testing the temperature
lg1f the water before plunging in. She
k4h h43feceived in the last ten days any
yn8t#ther of afternoon callers, by ap-
&fHtment. But, so rar as I know. her
Hfmal at-home for the ladies of
~ ~ Supreme Court circle last
was her first official hos
3tAiity, followed on Thursday by a
4 much more formal Sreception--in
&kh the President also participated
sVHktfthe Diplomatic Corps. She has
sA66Eas yet attempted Cabinet
rzPa9eS"-if for no other reason, be-
NcahA the Cabinet women mostly left
S&E &sh gton Immediately after the
sHAnkuration. to get their households
Il bafked and ready for the move to
hthe Capital. -#5s
" Mfs. Harding seems to have started
cut on a career of cordial hospitality,
ixMhout extravaganza. She and Mr..
fHHtding are agreed that this is no
Dpe- for lavish expenditure-and II
Is said that she has decided that they
can get along without any such ex-
tensive refurnishing and -redecorat-
ing of the private apartments. as Con-
gress would be perfectly willing--fol-
lowing it's usual custom with a new
mistress Of the White House--to, pay
for. Mrs. Harding seemsSto think she
can get along with things as they
are-with certain additions from their
Wyoming avenue home here. and some
of their household goods from Marion
az decision which will probably save
.tincle Sam something like $4,000.
THAT, of course, when one considers
the huge sums that Congress ap-
ptopriates without batting an eyelash
is, truly "a mere begatelle"-but still
e2sry little bit helps, and the First
.Lsdy's decision in mater Of this
sort sets an example which Is likely
othave far-reaching influence.
One hears all sorts OF reports as To
Mrs. Harding's plans-for garden
parties. musicales receptions of all
sotts--inclVding Saturday morning
receptions "for persons OF prom
ineHce"--which may or may not
eveHtuate. and which are after all
very much part of the normal White
House regime and would merely in
dicate return to normally socially
as well as politically and econom-
ieally. without any definite and de-
tailed announcement of White
House social program, however, there