Evening star., 1925-05-03

II ~ "
tragedy, have not been the only
l. events of compelling interest
that have marked the hundred
and nd.twenty-five-year history of the
White House There has also been
romance. Fourteen blushing brides
have stood beneath the historic walls
of this great American institution
which houses the Presidents and
| their families.
came in the royal reign of Queen
Dolly" Madison, whose brilliant figure
and scintillating levees lent to the
first years of the last century A
gayety and romance never quite
equaled in the later. buster days that
saw the little capital in the wilder
ness" blossom into a complicated city.
The bride of the occasion was another
demure Quaker maid, such as Mis-.
tress Madison had been in her quiet
Virginia and Philadelphia life before
she met the great little Madison"
and put aside her gray bonnet for
crimson headdress with dancing tas-
sells and bright bird of paradise
feathers.
Lucy Payne Washington, Dolly's
sister, the widow of a nephew of
Gen. Washington, at first protest
ed against the gay display proposed
oughly sophisticated older sister in
sisted and the bride finally consented
to leave all arrangements in Dolly's
hands. Accordingly, nothing that
could add luster to the occasion was
omitted, for upon such food and
drink did Queen Dolly live and have
her being.
The bridegroom was the noted ju-
rist of his time. Judge Thomas Todd
Of Kentucky. The wedding took place
on March IL, 1911, and everybody
who was anybody was present in his
and her most elaborate attire, with
Mistress Madison. rather than the
bride, the center of attraction-a posi-
ton proudly accorded that gracious
lady on every occasion throughout
her whole brilliant career in Wash
ington.
Queen Dolly also presided at the
second wedding in the White House,
a year later, when another colorful
display marked the marriage of her
cousin Miss Anna Todd, of Philadel-
phia, to Representative Edward B..
Jackson of Virginia.
Vastly different was the third
White House wedding, in 1920, when
Miss Maria Hester Monroe, the daugh-
ter of President and Mrs. Monroe,
was married to Samuel Lawrence
Gouverneur, a son of the aristocratic
Gouverneur family of New York.
When it was announced that the
daughter of the White House was
to be welded, the diplomats were
thrown into q fiutter of excitement.
Mrs Monroe, an invalid throughout
her eight years, as chatelaine of the
Executive Mansion had abandoned
the custom of making calls which
had been religiously followed by
Lady" Washington, Mrs John
Adams and Dolly Madison. She had
never called on the foreign contin-
gent, and therefore they did not know
whether they would be expected" at
the marriage ceremonies, which
caused John Quincy Adams, then
Secretary of State, to jot down in
that voluminous, invaluable diary of
his the following observation:
There has been some further
question of etiquette on this occa-
sion. The foreign ministers are un-
certain whether 1t was expected they
should pay their compliments on the
marriage or not, and Poletica. the
Russian minister. made the inquiry
of Mrs. Adams. She applied to Mrs.
Hay, the Presidents eldest daughter,
who has lived in his house ever since
he has been President but never visits
at the houses of any Of the foreign
ministers because their ladies do not
pay her first visits.
MRS. Hay thought her younger Sis
ter could not receive and return visits
which she herself could not recipro-
cate and therefore that the foreign
ministers should take no notice of
the marriage, which was accordingly
communicated to them"
Nevertheless, a week later the
White House was thrown open, and
grand reception was given in honor
of the bride and groom. All official
dom was there and the occasion
lacked nothing in brilliance. 1t was
quickly followed by the Decatur
ball" given by the beautiful, charm.
ing and popular young wife of the