The New York herald., 1922-01-08

TT was the gayest New Years
Day-and that prelude to the
= gayest New Years week-that
Washington has known for q long
time, and certainly looked to the old
time Washingtonian like really and
truly getting back to nor1nalcy." For
one thing the White House was func-
tioning as usual--or even as one man
said enthusiastically, "as usual-and
then some!" There was the old time
hospitable "open house" In most Of the
Cabinet homes. a good many Of the ex
elusive private residences. and the
clubs-both mems and women's. Even
though that did not mean the old time
hospitable open bottle. the welcome
was there, If expressed in nothing
stronger than grape juice; and there
was the ball for the Children's Country
Home-one Of the smartest of the
winters charity balls-which usually
winds up the merry Christmas" fin
ishing a "happy New Year" celebra-
ton in the traditional "blaze of glory"
The revival of the time honored
New Year Day reception at the White
House got the official crowd out early
(for the official reception was sched-
uled for the morning) and filed the
streets with swift moving motors. filled
with men in glittering, and often color
full, uniforms, "all trimmed up like
Christmas trees" with medals and
decorations and things like that, and
women In their stunningest of day
time" clothes-and in many instances
but little behind the men in the matter
of decorations.
All roads led to the White House that
morning. The entire city official and
non-official seemed delighted at the
chance once more accorded of wishing
the President and the First Lady
Happy New Year. That New Years
Day levee at the White House is a ira
dition around which great deal or
popular sentiment exists.
1 was fortunate enough to get bit OF
green pasteboard signed by Mr.. Chris
tian, secretary to the President author
izing ell the sundry to admit me to the
White House at 10 :45--fifteen minutes
before the show began. so to speak-so
that there was ample opportunity to look
through the state apartments and get
the mise-en-scene The little group that
had been authorized to come early and
look around bit was met by the First
Lady--"all dressed for the party" She
greeted
offered to us the pleasure Of a personally
conducted tour.
Wore q One Piece Costume.
Mrs. Harding had chosen a graceful
modish afternoon dress of brown satin
OF heavy lustrous quality for this first
great popular reception. and she looked
very well in It. 1t was apparently
one piece costume on straight lines.
slightly draped. as to the skirt and as
to tho 'superstructure," cut with loose
sleeves to the elbow, and collar that
stood up around the back OF the neck
and tapered gracefully into not very
deep square cut decolletage In front.
Narrow bands of skunk seemed TO be the
{ only trimming, and they were not at
/, all overdone. At that time she had not
: put on the long white gloves that later
/. wrinkled UP to meet the elbow sleeves
She wore the velvet band around her
throat, with diamond slides and pendant,
. which she nearly always does wear.
: Naturally. a good many other people are
: wearing a velvet band nowadays who
. never used to wear anything of the sort
Even the buds, and the sub-debs many
q of them seem to feel that they are not
j. quite dressed without their "fossy
h clings," as they call them, because
y they're fiossy and they cling. and Mrs.
: Harding's maiden name was Florence
: King" one pretty little fapper ex-
= planned, evidently thinking It needed a
= diagram.
I Mrs. Harding looked into each of the
state apartments. vividly interested IN
every detail OF the arrangements, touch
J. ing the flowers here and there with low
: ing and effective hand. throwing a dis
= arrning word or smile over her shoulder
!. at the attendants. She seemed In the
l-ito Nd
: ! she at all realized the ordeal that was
: ahead of her. For II is an ordeal to
!. stand practically on one spot for four
= or five hours, even with an hours in
. Permission, and shake hands with sew
:, !. eral thousand people. It Is a physical
= strain which no one who has not been
through II can even guess. Most OF us
have had some experience in standing,
but Il Is tho hand shaking that be-
comes after while something akin
: to torture. And that's the truth
Late in the afternoon, when the citi-
j. zens' reception was "gping strong" the
writer had a few words with Miss Har-
Ian and asked II Mrs. Harding would
8 not be about dead" by night. And the
n admission came that she would be
z pretty tired" tomorrow but that she
>. was enjoying II and would not realize
= how exhausting II was until the fol-
= lowing day. We heard stories the next
day that she had pegged out before
: the end, but Il was not much before
- the end when / was last at the White
House, and some OF the newspaper men
who stuck to the bitter end reported
J. that she shook hands with them all
II around--by way OF showing that she
still could--and wished them all pros
porous New Year. before admitting that
= while IL had been a wonderful day she
e was about ready to go home"
;. And no wonder BY official count
y 6,756 men, women and children---all
= sorts and conditions. regardless of race.
u color or previous condition OF servitude--
= had passed through the White House.
y and there was the same friendly greet
o ing for them ALL
There were several innovations In the
details Of the arrangements Tor the re-
=. ception. The vice-President and Mrs.
Coolidge. and the entire personnel OF the
: Cabinet circle were received up on the
= second floor--the private residence quar-
2 ters of the President and Mrs. Harding.
u And they descended the grand stairway
!. with them. And by the same token that
stairway was lovely with great Jars Of
cut flowers--pink roses and snap drag
: en-, and some feathery white stuff-prot-
ably stevia--about every other step
n Cabinet Ladies' Wore Their Hats.
- SO far Il was quite according to
"A. v.Fk ,s.I