Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-09
LIDE
Continued From Pare D.,

ringing.
Mrs. Mclean always slept
until ( in the afternoon. As
soon as she awoke I told her
the news and she came down.
stairs in her pajamas." Miss
Chase relates. I'VE sat on the
floor toget,, er in the drawing
room. wi.1. the charts spread
out In front Of US. As one
after another dropped out, We
rearranged the seating and
were still there when the first
guests started to arrive. I
remember Mrs. Mclean told
someone to herd them into
the bar so they wouldn't see
US.
In the meantime, my sister
Emily had brought some
clothes for me to wear to the
dinner. Then she helped put
the piacecards around while
! changed and. after borrow
ing q string Of pearls from
Mrs. McIean's maid, was ready
for my first party at Friend
ship.
Not Smooth
That was the only dinner
Mrs, Mclean ever gave that
didn't 60 Oh smoothly.
And the date was to mark
Q change from peacetime to
wartime entertaining.
The Capitals leading hos
tess continued her sunday
dinners every two weeks, and
she stiil gave the Easter SUM
day and Thanksgiving Day
breakfasts that had been o
tradition with her mother in.
law. Mrs. John Il. Mclean.
With wartime allsterity the
watchword. there was some
criticism Of these parties.
Mrs. Mclean cut down her
dinner menus to three courses
but she insisted that. In days
Of such stress. IL was more i'm
portant than ever to gather
people together for q relaxing
evening"" Miss Chase recalls.
"As in World War !, her real
interests turned to the
wounded and she decided to
do. what she could for the
amputees at Walter Reed
Hospital.
'She went to Gen. Shelley
Marietta fthen commanding
general Of the Army Medical
Center and persuaded him to
let her give o ward party for
the amputees every Wednes-
day afternoon--and that took
o lot Of persuasion.
Found luke Boxes
"She moved heaven and earth
to get some juke boxes TO put
in the wards. They were 90
scarce then It was like looking
for q needle In . haystack.
But she managed It.
And she started giving Sat-
urday night dinner parties et
Friendship for the alnputees
well enough to leave the hos.
pital.
"She always asked Q small
group Of her own friends to
the soldiers dinners. Gen.
Omar Bradley. Gen. Anthony
McAuliffe, Gen. Allen Gullion,
former Senator Henry ASH
urst, Representative Edith
Nourse Rogers and Supreme
Court Justice Frank Murphy
were some who came often.
And the v. /. r. who turned
up his nose at one Of these
invitations never was invited
to her home again!'
Her parties at the hospital
were complete with butler, dis
tinguished guests (sometimes
q movie starr and . three
piece band to keep things
lively.
Mrs. Mclean always wore
her most festive party clothes
and . full complement Of
jewels.
"one Wednesday. she was
III and asked me TO be hostess
for her.. Miss Chase said.
"As / was leaving. she re-
moved the Hope diamond from
her neck. wrapped It In q wad
Of facial tissues and said,
Here. take that along: they
want to see the Hope more
than they want to see me-
Tossed Diamond
$50 I stuffed It In my pock-
etbook. And soon after my
arrival. the boys were tossing
1t from bed to bed. as they
always did when Mrs. Mclean
visited them
For years Mrs. Mclean had
refused to allow anyone to
touch this tabled Jewel which
once belonged to Marie An-
toinette. OF an understandable
blue, legend said 1t brought
Ill fortune to anyone who
handled 1t.
II doubt that she ever really
believed those superstitions,
though" Miss Chase remarked.
mo one was dearer to her
than the soldiers she always
called dear boys and she was
glad for them to handle it."
The diversity Of Mrs. Me-
Leans interests, which In.
cluded q love Of who dun-i ts
and q warm affection for pets,
will be brought out In the
second instalIment Of the In
terview with Miss Chase which
will appear next Sunday.