Evening star., 1945-02-23


Mr.. Ellis was a State official In
Ohio before becoming Assistant
Attorney General, which brought
him to Washington some 25 or
more wears ago.
Mr.. Ellis knew Rippon Lodge was
in Virginia and near place called
Dumphries, but not until he was
prosecuting case for the Govern
ment at Lorton during the Great
War did he find its location. One
OF the witnesses in the trial men,
toned Dumphries, and after the
court adjourned he sought the wit
ness to learn more of that village.
Through one of the oldest inhabit-
ants of that place, he found Rip
pom Lodge, which he later purchased
and restored 1t now is one of the
very interesting and beautiful
estates in that part of Virginia.
The house was built in l725, before
the birth of the illustrious General
of the Revolutionary Army and the
Father of his country.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ellis received their
several hundred guests in the hall at
the top of the stairs in the Sulgrave
Club, and those who called during
the appointed hours were represent
ative of the many circles which
make up Capital society. There
was very large number of those
from resident circles, for after Mr..
Ellis retired from his official post in
the Department of Justice he and
Mrs. Ellis continued to live in their
comfortable and attractive home on
Massachusetts, avenue at the corner
OF Fifteenth street. An etching Of
the house as it looks in heavy snow
storm was on the card which bore
the invitation for the party yester-
day.
Mrs. Ellis wore a particularly be-
coming frock of pearl gray crepe
embroidered with tiny cut-steel
beads an dabout her throat several
strings of pearls. Suspended from
a fine platinum chain about her
neck was delicate flligree silver
lavalier studded with diamonds. On
her shoulder she wore spray OF
gardenias and carried a cluster Of
gardenias surrounded with violets.
The prettily-appointed tea table
In small ballroom of the club was
lighted by a silver candelabra which
the hosts purchased in London and
which formerly was used in Devon
shire House, now the home of the
English Speaking Union. Featured
among the refreshments were gin
gerbread and eggnogg, both favor
ties of General Washington, gin
gerbread being the special dish al
ways prepared for him by Mrs.
Washington, the famous Martha
Washington.
Alternating at the tea table yes
terday were Mrs. Harlan Fiske
Stone, Mrs. Owen j. Roberts, Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson, Mrs. Robert A.
Taft, Mrs. Harold H. Burton, Mrs.
Arthur H. Vandenberg. Mrs. Owen
Brewster, Mrs. Thomas Connally,
Mrs. j. Hamilton Lewis. Representa-
tive Frances P. Bolton, Mrs. William
H. King, Mrs. Frank T. Hines, Mrs.
William D. Connor, Mrs. Arthur
Macarthur, Mrs. James NJ Beck,
Mrs. George Maurice Morris, Mrs.
Edward Everett Gam, Mrs. VIII
liam S. Culbertson, Lady Lewis and
Mrs. B. B. Jones.
Generally assisting the hostess
we're Mrs. Stanley K. Hornbeck.
Mrs. Emil Hurja, Mrs Robert Hen
derson, Mrs. Emlen Knight Davies,
Mrs. John Allan Dougherty, Mrs.
McCeney Werlich, Mrs. Woodson p.
Houghton, Mrs. T. T. Ansberry, Miss
Ann Madison Washington, Mrs.
Frederick Mitchell Gould, Mrs.
Loren Johnson, Mrs. Walter A.
Bloedorn, Mrs. Wilton j. Lambert,
Mrs. Cloyd Heck Marvin, Mrs.
Frank Bohn, Mrs. Huston Thomp-
son, Mrs. Parker West, and Miss
Luella P. Chase, sister of the hostess.