The Washington times., 1934-12-03
Now
Old Washington Lines
Miss Davidge's Party
A Unique Mansion
M BY Helen EsSary

IS pleasant to come upon a re-
minder Of Old Washington-an
Old Washington easy in it's ira
ditions and happily inclined
toward the new customs.
: Mr.. and Mrs. John Washing
ton Davidge gave a reception
Tor their daughter Martha the
other afternoon that combined
the best of tradition and mod
ernity: Imposing words-these
last ones-but they describe a
special sort of coming-out party.
In the first place, Miss
Davidge is descendant of three
distinguished families. Her
mother is daughter of John
w. Weeks, former Secretary of
War. Her father is a member
Of Viginia's. most famous fami-
Ies-the Washingtons and the
Lees.
The little debutante herself,
as she stood beside her mother
and smiled at the people who
came to welcome her presenta-
ton into a mature society, was
O delicate miniature-a minia.
ture in filmy pink tulle that
would have delighted the same
st. Memins who did the mini
ature in the drawing room of
her Scotch ancestor.
A remarkable st. Memins, by
the way; much smaller than
the artist usually made, and
given to Mr.. Davidge by dis
tant relatives and house guests
of last summertime Earl and
Lady CasiliS. The subject of
the miniature looks quite like
the little deDutante'S brother.
Returning to the party and
its personalities Mr.. John
Davidge's brother, Walter Day.
idge, who was present at his
niece's debut, might have been
George Washington Gin person.
enjoying a fine occasion. He
looks quite like the portraits
Of the first President. And,
with his brother John, is in
deed descended from the John
Washington who, with Angus
tine, the father of George, were
the first Washingtons in Amer
lea.
With such an inheritance, 1t
L; to be expected that Mr.. and
Mrs. John Davidge should live
in a fine big mansion of CO.
1onial architecture on Rock
Greek Drive. Their entrance
hall is particularly wide and
welcoming. Its stairway winds
grandly to the upper floors,
and is not tucked out of sight,
as colonial 5tairwayS were soon
after Thomas Jefferson began
to supervise American architec-
ture.
In the dining room, library
and drawing room are fine pan
elings and ceilings. The pedi.
ments over doorways and win.
dows are broken with the pine
apple, the emblem of hospitality.
Most of the furnishings of the
dining room are heirlooms. The
sideboard and center table Mr..
Davidge inherited from his great
great-grandfather, Richard
Bland Lee, who was the uncle of
Light Horse Harry Lee. George
Washington's decanter and
wine glasses are treasured in an
old cabinet. One of the por-
traits is of Bailey Washington,
q surgeon in the U. S. Navy, who
was awarded a medal for his
work during the engagement of
the Boxer and the Enterprise,
off the coast of Maine.
In the drawing room is a fine
canvas of John w. Weeks and
two old mirrors that belonged
to the Washington family.
Many of the guests at the re-
ception were descended from
the men who built "the Capital
on the Potomac" An ancestor
Of the most was in the first
group of residents of the new
Capital. His grandfather built
one of the first houses in Wash.
tngton.
Representatives from official
and social Washington were
there, too. Mrs. Breckenridge
Long, wife of the ambassador to
Rome, was pouring tea and
looking extremely smart in a
pale blue gown with a small
black velvet hat. Mrs. Long
had her hair cut in Paris. The
style is very becoming to her.
Foot Note (important)- Miss
Martha Davidge, the heroine Of
my story, as soon as her party
was over, hurried away to a din
ner for the pretty young crea-
lures who assisted her. She wore
for this modern party, not the
debutante costume in which she
was as exquisite as the memory
Of ones youth, but sophisticated
black velvet!
After the Ball Was Over
Just about the break of dawn
(middle-agedO. She said:
my dear, he rushed me viO-
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