Evening star., 1932-10-23

daily contact with her guests is, of course,
intermittent, the most domestic people
are homesick when they leave her and
go back to their own environment.
She entertainS easily and naturally,
whether the party be formal or just i'm
promptu. Any one who has ever sat in
on her arrangements of happen-chance
party laughs when he remembers it. It's
so wonderfully, genially off-hand, from
the moment when she bursts in with
glowing eyes to propose it, to the mo-
ment when she starts off, calling back
last messages to the household. 1t is
harder to catch her arranging her formal
parties. Everything goes with smooth
ness which conceals her art. She plans
most carefully, and in detail
Her careful planning is not for show.
And yet she loves the parade and pageant
of formal party and mourns over any
staging which fails to bring out the
essence of an occasion She OrcheStrateS
a party-even when the unexpected
throws some instrument little out OF
tune. wish I might have been pres
ent when the King and Queen of Siam
rived as White House guests at the same
time! 1 am sure she arranged things SO
that each was the guest of proper honor.
An out-of doors woman, she is fas-
cinated by all animals, wild or tame.
Last Spring she was taking twilight
walk about the gardens when she came
upon a pair of infant owls which had
just tumbled out of their nest on their
first flight and were kissing on the drive
way. Things promptly began to happen.
Weegee, the Norwegian wolfhound, had
his introduction to chivalry toward in
fancy-a peck on the nose helping lot.
Mrs Hoover ordered that the baby owls
should remain undiSturbed until they
found their way in the world. She en-
listed the White House police as owl
keepers Every one breathed sigh OF
relief when they at last took to the
branches.
4 ARS. HOOVER accepts dogs as person.
N' alities; and they accept her on the
same terms She feeds her own par
ticular dogs herself. When Peter and
Peggy Ann, the White House babies, come
a-visiting they always attend this cere-
mony. Weegee and the big police dog
like to chase balls; and almost any fine
day the White House police see her in
the garden, indulging their mania.
may have produced the impression
that Lou Hoover only plays She makes
so little fuss about the essentials OF her
life that perhaps she would like that i'm
preston. But as matter OF fact, she
works hard every day of her life; and
it is a long day. For instance, she has
taken upon herself burden of corre-
spondence equal almost to that of the
President; besides all the details OF man
aging house with 800 employees, direct
and indirect, and of two or three great
or sizable social affairs every week. She
is what men call "a sweet worker"-crisp,
intelligent, accommodating and with a
desire for perfection of finish. The dis
treSs in the country has, of course, struck
hard upon her wide sympathies; on some
days she is working with heavy heart.
But she never takes that out on the peo-
pie around her, she is too much of q
thoroughbred.
Every one VINO knew ner pIedklaSt Idpie
of the old years remembers her casual
inquiry, What can I do for you today,
daddy?" (He is Bert to her when she
is crisp and businesslike, and daddy"
when she is domestic and tender) She
has the same attitude toward him now,
SUPPOSE she is backing up her husband.
Perhaps I've been writing about her on
the surface only. But there are superb
depths about Lou Henry which, think,
few have ever plumbed Somehow it
seems appropriate that she took" ge-