The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-06
CooidgeS Break
Charity Ball
Rule

1otSlIAIQOESS+ where IQSy at
tended the charity ball at
the Lyric Theater last night, the
Vice President and Mrs. Coolidge
are making plans to take in the
Charity Ball, here on Monday
night-the annual bali for the
benefit of the Children's Hos
pital, which for thirty years has
been THE Charity BAH.
Which is rather a ''headliner''
Of an event in view OF the fact
that Vice President and Mrs.
Coolidge have not before attended
a charity ball since the night OF
March 4, 1920. when they made
their first public appearances in
Washington.
That was at the great bali Or
ganized by Mrs. John Allen
Daugherty and q group OF her
fellow workers for the benefit az
the Child Welfare Society and
certain other appealing charities
and designed to take. the place
in some measure Of the inaugural
ball, which had been cancelled BY.
President Harding. The powers
that be had tried to persuade the
newly inaugurated President to
attend and had failed, but the
Vice President and Mrs. Coolidge
had promised to be present, and
some of the new Cabinet, coming
on from the ball which Mr.. and
Mrs. Edward Beale Mclean were
giving at their home in / street
Preparations had been made for
committee to meet the new vice
President and his wife On their
arrival, and to escort them to
their box. They. we're, in fact, to
be greeted with much pomp and
ceremony, their arrival announced
by the playing Of '.The star
Spangled Banner. . But, all Of 4
sudden. down among the crowd.
on the ballroom floor someone
spied the man who had that
morning been sworn in as Vice
President Of the United states
and little lady in gown Of
rose and gold brocade. whose love
~ and winning smile was to en-
dear her to all Washington. The
Coolidges had stolen march on
the committee. slipping up the
back way unannounced, and were
making rather tilnid inquiries as
to where to find the box reserved
for them. .
7 CINCE that time Vice President
~ and Mrs. CoOlidge have not
attended a charity ball in Wash.
Z ington. The demands on their
time and interest are heavier than.
they can possibly meet; and, since
the Vice President does not dance,
they don't go to many balls any
way. So they have made prac-
tice of refusing invitations to all
of the big benefit dances with
which Washington's social calen-
dar is thick starred.
But-well, the Children's Hos
pital bali is just q little bit diff
ferent. It is, perhaps, the oldest
of Washington's benefit balls, dat
ing back to the time when it used
to be given in the old Arlington
Hotel and when the ladies of the
committee made the chicken salad
with their own hands. Moreover,
it Is an event which the Presi-
dent of the United States has made
a point of attending whenever pos
sible az far back as the present
generation Of society editors can
remember. So Vice President and
Mrs. Coolidge. have consented to
divide with the Secretary Of State
and Mrs. Hughes the pleasant duty
of representing President and Mrs.
Harding, who are unable to be
present on account Of Mrs. Hard
ing's allness, on Monday night.
Commissioner and Mrs. Cuno Ru-
dolph are giving a dinner for them
before the ball.
AS for the party in Baltimore
last night-well, that, too, was a
rather special occasion, as Balti-
more doesn't boast the number of
charity balls that Washington does.
1t was given for the benefit Of the
Union Hospital, and was very
successful occasion. Before the ball
Mr.. and Mrs. Coolidge were enter
tanned at dinner by Mr.. and Mrs.
Eugene Levering, jr. Governor
Richie of Maryland and General
Pershing were also in the party.
TT was quite like old times to
see Young Heemskerk-By-
sterus Heemskerk, sometime hon.
orary attache of the Netherlands
legation-playing round in Wash
ington, for he was one of the
most sought after young men in
the diplomatic corps when he was