Evening star., 1953-01-15
By lsobeIIe Shelton

Things were happening fast
and furiously yesterday morning
in the attractive Spring Valley
home of Vice President-elect
Richard M. Nixon.
The living room was overrun
with reporters and photogra-
pliers, the latter busily taking
pictures of the Veep-elect's
pretty wife. Pat. in the gown she
will wear to the inaugural ball.
It's lovely confection of aqua
and silver. The four-layered full
net skirt is aqua. with the inside
layer a much darker shade than
the others. The long fitted
bodice is of silver brocade, with
small pale pink and aqua
flowers outlined with seed pearls,
rhineStones, sequins and crystal
beads. The gown has a high neck
with standing collar and just
the suggestion of a cap sleeve.
With it Mrs. Nixon will wear
long aqua kid gloves reaching
well above the elbow, a small
bag of matching brocade, and
silver shoes. She plans not to
wear any flowers. as she thinks
they will spoil the effect of the
dress, but she is having hard
time persuading some of her
friends not to send her orchids.
Dress Pinned On
Mrs. Nixon was pinned into
her dress (Which is still far from
completely well before 10 o'clock,
when the first crew of photogra-
pliers was scheduled to arrive.
Her pale, delicate face was
deftly made up, and she was
wearing silver and diamond drop
earrings and a matching brace
let.
From 10 to we'll after II she
was agreeable to numerous
camera understanding, sitting,
walking. in front of the fireplace,
in front of the big picture win
dow. in a chair and sitting
on the long circular sofa which
winds around one corner of the
living room.
She was trying to answer re-
porters' questions at the same
time she followed the photog-
raphers' peremptory directions:
PUT your hand on your hip,
lift your chin, turn your head
this way, fluff out your dress"
Meanwhile, the telephone was
ringing insistently. The maid,
who had opened the door earlier,
seemed to have disappeared.
Photographers didn't want Mrs.
Nixon to leave the spot where
they had so carefully placed her.
Finally a reporter offered to
answer the phone. Mrs. Nixon
accepted gratefully.
"It's your friend --," the
newswoman came back to re-
port. "She says to stop worrying
about that hat you want for
the inaugural. She guarantees
to find you just the thing, by
Friday.
The Vice President-elect's wife
conf1ded that she had been
looking all over town for a
winter white hat" to wear with
the dark oxford gray suit she
plans to wear Inauguration day.
DoorbeII, Too
At that point the doorbell
rang. This time the reporter
didn't even wait to ask Mrs.
Nixon. She just walked over
and opened the door.
It was an elderly white-haired
gentleman selling rose bushes
and other assorted nursery
plants. He spoke with particu-
lar pride OF a red iris which he
had just developed. He obvi-
ously had no idea he had rung
the doorbell of the Vice Presi-
dent-elect, and seemed consid-
erably puzzled at all the con-
fusion going on inside.
The reporter told him she was
sure the lady of the house didn't
want any plants today and he
went on his way.
The photographers, who had
been just about to pack up their
equipment when the doorbell
rang. decided that there was
much better light with the front
door open. So the picture TAX
ing started all over again, while
everybody - particularly Mrs.
Nixon-froze.
Finally every photographer