The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-20
! THE BIRMINGHAM AGEsHl lRALD. W
What BOudOir Mirrors
 of Washington Portray

IS dangerous as mixing your drinks,
 remember dinner at Chevy Chase one night, quite an informal affair. Mrs. Sharp, wife of the ex-ambassador in France. had arrived in town unex- pectedly that day and been added to the list at the last moment
 There was half an hours delay, during which everyone tried to smile and not look curious. Eventually we were all seated and dinner proceeded peacefully.
 A week later I heard that the hostess, in a moment of doubt, had called up the state department to know whether the wife of an ex-ambassador should take precedence over a lady of the senate.
 Duty Or Circus
 But to return to the problem of cal ling. Some people regard these off, ficial calls as the discharge of social obligation but many treat it as . free entertainment, circus in fact. Sometimes crowds come, the idly curious, who like to talk familiarity about official homes as if they were on intimate terms. Whole boarding schools are marshalled in now and again, as sort of educational stunt, partic- ularly, to the embassies and legations. It is a sort of cheap foreign tour.
 was porEing tea at house one day when group of eight women from little town in Pennsylvania ar rived. For months they had planned a visit to Washington, so they told me, and decided to make it d Wednesday, in order to do the cabinet rounds. They were so enthusiastic about every thing, So candid, so frank in their com ments and admiration, that one in- stantly forgave their appalling curios- ity. '@
 I listened to them. <
 *Do you think it's an original? I don't" and two inspected . picture.
 Antique! Indeed it isn't, but it is a good copy" came after inspection of the legs of table.
 II paid thirty dollars for pair just like that. .."
 They walked round, lifted the books, felt the curtains, inspected the furniture and took a thoroughly healthy interest in the decorative scheme of their host ess. 'As''S 'SiSs .-s
 Occasionally new members of the con- gressional set are not quite sure of themselves. Their social experience at home has been limited, the circle narrow and a trifle rough-hewn. Con- sciousness of this does not lend ease. Then they may be induced to buy a book on etiquette.4 This invariably breeds panic. They.rea in large type: Do you wish to beca social ,outcast? :? Then dare to take a. drink of any beverage without first touching your lips with your napkin"
 If They Wait To Sec
 But that is nothing to the con. demnation of the watchful walters who don't know which implement to use, the short fat fork or the long thin one, and who delay starting their meal in the hope that they may see what others do. Everyone knows why you are waiting and you are. instantly socially damned. ..s,
 Oh, those books inflict dreadful tor ture on the newcomer who resorts to them.
 One recent arrival read that white kid gloves should be worn in the eve ming. She wore them religiously and seemed to spend her evenings hauling them on and off-long yards of them because the book of etiquette told her that it was wrong to tuck the fingers in at the, wrist. Her hands were large and awkward and they stuck out like At last a friend dropped aher .aahint