Evening star., 1923-08-09
BN ROBERT Il. SMALL.


the White House today. Overhead
the sky was leaden. few curious
persons idled in and out of the drive
ways and walked under the great
porte -cochere. for the White House
gates still are open.
The home OF the Presidents, stately
and serene, has never appeared more
immaculate. 1t was being painted
and polished for Il season of wonder
tul gayety. for the Hardings liked
.nat sort of thing. But now for a
period ii must be a house Of official
mourning. There yet remains the
4;,Iue~t OF tasks TO be faced by the
widow Of the dead I'rs>ident--the
:, s,stheriug together ot the many little
personal belongings Of the departed:
iAe packing up ii her own triukets
and possessions: tee tinal move away
from the White House to make room
I"r the new first family OF the land.
n" Know Boys Again.
The ola White House has seen a
world of joyousneSs aud sorrow.
t'thin its mute walls there has been
''Nrt& human emotion. The gamut
q been run not once. but many
tiifeS- The mansion Is about TO en-
t"td another happy American family.
Il j.. about to know young folES
,'gain-thc first boys since Charley
T~fl "ompcd through the halls and
chambers. aA tn. Roosevelt boys had
Irmpcd before him.
The two Couli1@,. lad ar, uut OF
the >am' temperament. however, as
~" Roosevelt and Tat boy They
srt rather Sulenn OF D.i,H. like their
.nstriouS rather Tney seem 10 have
'rHrrIted !1ttl@. ii amy, 81 the NINacltE
,t:d warmth OF feeling OF their moth
-. The nation that has paused III
sorrow at the death Of Warren Hard
-.ng - praying today that TIA" new
White House family may drink only
"I the cup Of happiness while Fate
ho'us them within The White House
portals.
so White House family in decades
n"t been quite 50 much alone as the
itarditgS. Their union was not
blessed with children. The relatives
vino occasionally visited them were
row n-1p~. Two little grandchi!drsn
o. hr~. Harding. offspring OF her lir~t
H.;.'I..,-'. VIII he at the rnet@ry i'll
Aar:ou Friday afternoon. they never
ttnIc IL Washington.
Has Had Tragic Histor,.r
During, the last quarter OF Il Get
tI3ry the White House has had a par
tlcularly tragic history. 1t is a quar-
ter 81 Il century OF varied memories
10 tn older attaches. like Rudolph
been there since Mckinley took the
first oath OF uftiCe.
Cleyeiand'S last administration had
been a happy one He had married in
III" White House and Baby Ruth was
born there.
For four years Maj. Mckinley also
MAS happy. II is. true his wife was
:tu Invalid aud she was unable to en-
tertain very much, but her President
husband always was with her and
their tjte was pitched on high plane
ut domestic felicity. JUS: after the
beginning Of his second term the
hand OF fate appeared to turn against
Mckinley. He, too, took 4 trip to
his wife's health gave away and she
was extremely i'll. At nn-, time he@
life was despaired Of. That vas in
A7pril 1901. Five. months later, at
the fanatical Czolgosz. The bitter
ness of Mrs. Mckinley's grief was in
tense as she once more crossed the
threshold OF the White House.
Regime of Roosevelts.
Followed seven years OF the Hoose-
yelts. 1t was a roistering seven
years. The colonel never ceased TO
have "a bully time" He adored the
presidency. He liked the big stick it
placed in his hands to crack the patcs
of all knaVes, of all "undesirahlss,
of all "malefactors Of great wealth.
Ananfas Club The colonel swung the
big stick with great gusto. His
reign was perhaps the happiest the
White House has ever known. The
wedding of princess Alice" TO Mick"
Longworth was one of it's most drill
liant functions.
The Tafts, too, had a very happy
time in the White House. but this
administration was not without a
threat of sadness. Soon after She
became the first lady of the land.
Mrs Taft's health gave way and vir-
tually the entire social program Of
one season was Cancelled. Mrs. Taft
later regained much of her strength,
however and the silver wedding ami