The Washington herald., 1921-06-12
Social Season Runs Strong,
With No Sign of Letting Up
AsSummerM Months Advance
By EVELYN C. HUNT.

1.-THE scene. Not all Of the men were
lin uniform. Many of them were
ACCOMPANIED by their mothers,
wives or sisters. and some even by
their small children. Many of the
army nurses wore their dark blue
suits and sailor hats. a pretty uni
form; some of them were all in
white, worn under their blue capes,
| showing the bright red Innings:
others were in the bright blue
frock with white caps; some in grey
or white with the flowing wells,
which are always becoming and pic
Ituresque-all sorts of uniforms, not
4 omitting the trig uniform of the
volunteer ambulance drivers. Some
of the sailors were in blue and 9TH
ers in white; there was also the
olive drab of the marines and the
| 7. NJ C. A. workers.
HEART-sTIRRING SCENE
ON WHITE HOUSE LAWN.
THOSE who could strolled about:
others sat in the chairs scat
i tered for their comfort about
the lawn, while others were in their
wheel chairs and were rolled about
and fed and entertained by their
attendants Those not accustomed
to the sight of the MANNED, stood
, about with tears in their eyes or
1 chokingly tried to talk to or feed
some of the boys 1t was amusing
to see those who could look out for
themselves unconsciously form a
long line in front of the refresh
ment tents just as they would do
at messtime while in service. Some
of them were so young, too. And
they were not all boys, either;
there were a number of women, for
merly nurses. 1 suppose, who were
| blind, while / saw at least two in
rolling chairs: one had been gassed;
the other seemed to have lost at
least one leg, IL not both. And she
was so pretty. lying back in her
chair with a film lace shawl about
her shoulders, a bright pink and
becoming silk hat on her head, and
a beaming smile playing about her
| lips She was very pretty and
looked so cheerful - and 1 choked
back the tears. And to think. the
worse cases were not there; those
confined to their beds couldn't 60,
of course
It was such . lovely idea of Mrs.
Harding to give that party. Just
think what It meant to all of them
to get out to a real party like that:
just the kind they have read OF so
often as being given for society
or official people. Then so many of
them live far from Washington and
were thrilled by just the idea OF
seeing and actually shaking the
hand Of the President and of his
wife, ana on the White house lawn.
too Think of the Joy that gave
lthemi We, who live so near to
washington can't entirely appreci-
ate it, for we see the President and
his family so frequently that we get
quite blase about II. don't you know.
| And not only did President and
Mrs. Harding grasp each hand-and
there were about 1900 there in all
firmly, as though each hand was
the one particular hand they had
wished to shake, and some pleasant
word to each guest, but after that
long line ended (and they looked
tired enough to drop) they strolled
about the lawn. FIRST joining one
group and then another. chatting
with their guests in a friendly man.
ncr. asking and answering ques-
lions. They greeted the babies
nodded to their acquaintances, and
sometimes had real long talks with
some Of the boys.
| noticed that Mrs. Harding had
to use her left hand toward the
end of the party; her right one
\ looked SO limp. Her glove - she
wore long. cream color chamois
gloves-was soaking wet And her
poor ankles-they were swollen
from standing so much. She stands
so many hours of each day shaking
hands with one group or another.
I noticed while in line every once
in a while she would raise hrst one
foot and then another, as though
they fairly ached. But she never
stopped smiling nor failed to give
every guest a CHEEKY word of well
come. Both the President and Mrs.
Harding won many a heart-and
many a vote-on Wednesday after
noon.
ARMY AND NAVY HEADS
WE'RE THERE.