COPY of a Letter to Senator Robert Taft when he was dying of cancer in New York City and people had been requested to write to him.

11 July 1953

Dear Senator Taft;

When I was in Washington recently, I dropped in to see Mildred Reeves in her handsome offices overlooking Farragut Square, and we spoke of you. The location of her offices, and your name, recalled a story about your father, whom I met on my one and only occasion to enter the White House. Mildred said she thought it would interest and please you and asked me to write to you.

I am an old lady now, and find myself thinking back, as older people do, and am surprised to find so many pleasant memories in what I had supposed was an uneventful life.

I came down from Albany, New York, to visit my uncle, just then retired as Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, and living on Farragut Square, next door to Frances Hodgeson Burnett, who wrote LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY, you remember.

My relatives were invited to the Army-Navy reception at the White House, and took me with them. It was a great occasion for me, as you may guess, My Aunt Lily took me to Garfinckle's to purchase my dress for this grand *XXXXXXXXX* event, and I was allowed to select it myself...... a white chiffon with pink roses stencilled on the flounce, and wee pink bows and tiny rosebuds and rinestones on the shoulders and at the neckline. I had never had such a beautiful ( and expensive) dress before, and was quite thrilled over it. With wavy brown hair, and naturally pink cheeks, it must have been becoming. At all events, no Cinderella ever felt more *XXXXXXXXX* glamorous than that little girl did that evening.

But going into the *great* rooms of the White House, she saw so many beautiful ladies in lovely gowns, and so many men in dress uniforms, that the young girl felt swallowed up in all the opulence about her. And soon it was time to be introduced to the Cabinet Ladies. Nobody had told her courtesy or bow to these ladies in the receiving line, so when impressive *Archie Butt* announced her name, she blithely held out her hand to each. And to the credit of the Cabinet Ladies let it be recorded that each one of them smilingly accepted the proffered hand, many with a friendly word.

After refreshments in the State Dining Room, she wandered into the hallway connecting it with the Crystal Room, and seemed to lose sight of her elders. So many groups of people, and nobody that she knew. There seemed to be no young people at all. In those days promotions were slow and one did not see the young men of high rank that are usual today. It seemed suddenly very lonesome.

And then a big man in evening dress turned from a group of officers and their ladies, and said to her,

" And who are you, my dear?"

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She told him that she was the niece of Admiral Daniel Stuart, and last saw her uncle and aunt in the Dining-room.

" Well, my child, let's wait for them here; they will soon be coming this way." And he led her to a small, recessed bench and sat down there with her.

" You are President Taft, aren't you ?"

And from there on, the chat was as natural and friendly as if he had been her uncle. She told him about buying the dress for his party, and the President said,

" It's the prettiest dress I've seen since I came to live in the White House."

That made up for all the eclipse of the earlier evening. And when she told him that it had seemed very lonesome until he talked to her, he nodded and smiled, and appeared to quite understand it. He said that when he had been Chief Justice of the Philippines, he'd uncle was stationed on naval duty there, and he knew her uncle and aunt quite well, having dined and played cards with them many times.

Perhaps no one else at the Reception that night had as long and friendly a chat with the President as the lucky young girl, and it was with regret that she saw her relatives approaching.

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