Evening star., 1939-01-15

) AS side line in collecting, Mrs.
Sheppard finds time now and then
to add to her store of old snuff
boxes gathered from various points
of the country by her children and
friends. Each of these collections
began more or less accidentally, Mrs
Sheppard explained, but have grown
with the passing of time and with
more and more friends learning OF
her interest in those subjects.
Mrs. John H. Bankhead, I'd,
Favors Gardening.
Mrs. John H. Bankhead, I'd, wife
Of Senator Bankhead of Alabama,
Wistfully remarked that her hobby
is her garden, and she admits that
her potted plants and cut flowers do
not take the place of real garden.
She has quite a large garden at
the Bankhead home in Jasper and
1t must be most distressing to her to
find that her spring flowers have
already blossomed and gone by the
time she returns home from her
Washington stay Mrs. Bankhead
has started that dream of all anna
teur gardeners-a rock garden. Its
not rock garden yet" she said in
her soft Southern voice, but its
going to be one some day."
Mrs. William B. Bankhead. wife
of the Speaker of the House and
slster-in-law of the Senator's wife.
is also from Jasper, but her hobby
is quite different. When asked if
she, too, enjoyed gardening, her
answer was, We'll, I like to have
one, but as far as the manual labor
is concerned I'm not so good" Her
bent is toward painting and sketch
ing and she expects to do a bit of
this while in Washington. At one
time Mrs. Bankhead was an enthu-
siastic golfer, but has not done much
golfing in recent years.
Leaving Gardens Is Hard
For Ardent Flower Lovers,
Gardening, by the way, seems to
be outstanding among the favorite
hobbies of these ladies and manv
and mournful were the comments on
the dlf1erence between their lovely
gardens at home and the barren
pavement in front of their hotel
apartments.
Mrs. James F. Byrnes, wife of
Senator Byrnes of Spartanburg,
S. c., is another who sadly misses
her garden, especially in the sum-
mer and fall and she has learned
from her gardener that some one
helped himself to about a half
dozen of the fine azaleas she set
out just before leaving.
Mrs. George, wife of Senator Wal
ter F. George of Georgia, is more
interested in needlework than in
gardening although she has a gar.
den at home. I'm not at all ex-
pert, she remarked Petit point is
her specially, and in this. we hear,
she really is expert. Knitting, too.
she enjoys, but one can easily see
that her pet hobby is the petit
point.
Mrs. William H. Wheat. wife of
Representative Wheat of Rantoul,
H.. disclaims any particular hobby.
though she, too, admits a liking
for needlepoint.
Many Washingtonians Have
Enjoyed Palm Reading.
Anyone who is familiar with the
many benefits held in Washington
knows of the delightful hobby in
which Mrs. j. Hamilton Lewis, wife
OF Senator Lewis of Illinois, is in
terested. 1t is palm-reading, and
many and intriguing are the for
tunes she predicts for the sake of
charity. No matter how long the
line OF people waiting. Mrs. Lewis
interest in her subject seems as
great as during the first reading.
Mrs. Bennett Champ Clark, wife
OF Senator Clark of Missouri, is
well known as a talented artist,
having won many honors for her
architectural work.
Children, of course, are the chief
interest of all the Congressmen's S
wives who are mothers. Mrs. Clark
Notwithstanding her interest in
architecture, is rearing three sons,
Champ. jr., and the twins, Marsh
and Kimball
Undoubtedly, between their hus-
bands, their children, their official
and unofficial entertainments, and
their hobbies, the wives of Con-
gressmen indeed lead a busy and
interesting life.