Show j JI 7 i tl t t 7 i 17 1 tl hI il ft I 7 ft I ilij 7 Boudoir Mirrors o of Washington UI 1 E VV 1 Hill Mill H J n Copyright 1924 In in U. U S. S and Canada by Women's News Service Inc Released exclusively by the tho No North h American Newspaper Alli Alli- ance All rights reserved FLORENCE KLING HARDING Continued The used to say often otten that they were Just folks and there many stories told now In affectionate affectionate m memory mory of a n neighborliness ness hitherto unknown among the White House occupants stories that that- how consistently they they- held to that mental attitude of good good ill good will m toward the tho whole world OnE One of ot these is of ot a luncheon given Mrs Harding at a fino old Southern rn homo home In lii Atlanta The truth Is ls that the hostess was somewhat somewhat some some- what disconcerted to le learn that the Lady Fitt Lady had had her luncheon on on the tho train train but but that Isn't the stor story It seems that the guest of honor was much interested In the delectable able dishes served and being a good cook her herself elf she he was Interested Inthe In Inthe Inthe the sheer art of ot the affair from a culinary standpoint When told that the artist was a good old fashIoned fashioned fash fash- negro mammy Mrs Harding expressed a desiro desire to meet her and after luncheon the cook had a distinction distinction dis dis- dis hot usually bestowed besto upon on I cooks cook She was called in and presented presented presented pre pre- to the First Lady Mrs Harding took both of the black hands in her own white gloved ones and just being pleasant pleasnt pleas pleas- ant nt she said How would you ou like to come to the White House and cook f for r the president and me me But the old darkie was frank too No thank you maam ma'am I been raised In Atlanta en Id I'd ruther wo wok k for white folks s las as I 1 knows what kind uv white folks dey cley is isI is I I aint acquainted in Washington And no one enjoyed the joke I I moro more than Mrs Harding THE DARKEY WAITERS TOO On another occasion when she was being entertained in New Now Orleans Orleans Or- Or leans leang she was inter interested sted in the ef efficiency efficiency ef- ef efficiency of the negro waiters walters and concluding her after luncheon speech she said I I dont don't want to leave until I ha have e shaken hands with every everyone one of these boys Being First Lady of ot our great land is a n full time job for anybody and Mrs 1 Harding tried t to put lut in full fult time on it despite the fact that she was never physically strong She was always ready to see people if it was vias at all possible and she gave ga of her time freely freely so so i freely that at last a breakdown forced her to give up all social duties du du- du- du ties A prolonged and serious illness ill illness ill ill- ness hess followed Mrs Harding as long as she was in the White House took toole a aery very ery p personal Interest est in the housekeeping housekeep housekeep- ing affairs of the establishment and never left things entirely to the professionals in charge She liked to have a little preliminary survey to see that things were all right You know the f feeling elIng We women are re all like that I think it was vas George Washington who gave a dinner in New York of which it is recorded that Ho IC said grace and they dined off a boiled leg of mutton Well Veil things are not as simple as that n nOw w. w OPEN DOOR IMPRACTICABLE The Hardings We were e always so gracious and 60 so o cordial and so human human hu lm- hu- hu man that their impulse would probably probably probably ably ha have Vo been to go back to the open door policy polley of other days day at atthe atthe atthe the White House Mrs Harding said that somehow it always i seemed unkind not to see people eople I Iwho who leally eally ally wanted to be seen But the policy of permitting people to inspect the tho White House at th their lr pleasure had to be abandoned some years ag ago My er used to tell len of ol an illiterate old man from the West Vest who came to Washington in President President dent Madison's time He lie had a aI I request to td ma ma-e. ma First Fast he wanted a judgeship On Un n being refused and I convinced that he was not fitted for the position he slid down the scale ending up tip with a petition tobe to tobe tobe be made a federal dog catcher or something of that sort When the president refused even that he I saId Well Vell give e me a pair of j your our old breeches Th They y may not be content with withold withold withold old breeches these days but they are none the less persistent in their demands Because they seemed so democratic the were be besIeged besieged be- be with requests ranging from n froma a cabinet or diplomatic post t to an autographed photo of Laddie LaddiO Boy the dog PROUD OF SMALL TOWN I Mrs Harding was always proud of being a small town woman She never wanted to be anything else Sh She remembered when she didn't have things Vh When n roses loses and carnations car cai- cat cat- nations were four or five live dOllars a boquet from the White House with a gracious messa message e expressed I the understanding of a woman who once Knew what it was to make malte ends meet and arid who liked hiked flowers at her party Cl Choice blooms often went to congressional l homes and her theatre box and motorcar were e constantly at the tho disposal of the less fortunate Th The ThO Harding relatives relatives rela rela- tives didn't fl figure ure in ln the picture as l the Bollings did in tho Wilson Vilson regIme regime regima re- re I gIme gima however Mrs l Harding understood the small town curiosity and the value of a close up of the high spots in the capital when whOn back home she would relate adventures in Wash Wash- ington Wouldn't you like to go up and see sea the other oilier rooms in the White House she asked a Middle Western West West- ern era woman OnO n day I know how mow curious I used to be about it all she admitted frankly It is singular ular that of the last Jast five presidential families Ute tile alone have ha con come through their term without afflic afflic- tion President McKInley's death was a tragic ending to his career and his wife had been an Invalid Mrs Taft who had planned such great social social events for their regime was stricken with illness President nt Wilson who came in in ip vigorous health went out a broken man A HINT WITH A BRASS BAND Many will r i alj aJi the fine day early eaily in th ir first summer at the i White II House use when the l Hardings I threw open the ti-me grounds and held their first garden party It was a suc sucCesS ess The weather I I was vas perfect the thc green lawn a a. vel vel- velI I vet carpet splashed with gay colors the the red uniforms of the tho band the bright frocks and hats and para para- sols It was a distinct distinct- change after fter the seclusion of ot tho the previous administration I 1 think it was Mrs l Pomerene who rel remarked ren Arent things dIffer dif dIf- dif dif- fer ferent nt now now as she looked over the friendly crowd being made mado welcome at the tho White House Mrs Harding tried one Innovation innovation tion that afternoon In order to indicate alo time the of the the party party the band played The End of a Perfect Day However someone had previously previously previously pre pre- announced that this was Mrs Hardings Harding's favorite melody so it was a pointless allusion so faras faras far faras as tho the guests were concerned A second time it was played but the hint hit failed to penetrate In tho ballroom where the time dancing was in progress the end of ot the ti-me party was again proclaimed At last It seemed to dawn on somo that the tho oft repeated tune had a a. suggestion of ot finality and the crowd gradually dispersed Are you going to establish that as a definite custom for the termination termination termination nation of White House one woman asked Not after this said Mrs IlardI harding Ilard- Ilard I ing laughing SHAKING 40 00 HANDS SMILING HANDS SMILING The big receptions at the White House 1 are areta a fearful physical strain physical mental moral moral all all of them tham Just imagine shaking individual hands and providing individual smiles After hours and hours of ot it there must surely come a a. time when it is merely a blur of faces and the mechanical clasping and unclasping of hands Yet Florence Florence Florence Flor Flor- ence Kling Harding bravely went through with wilh such in spite of poor health There was a time of course particularly par par- during the Democratic Jefferson administration when it was held that all social courtesies savored of ot courts and kings But politeness is the universal language and order heavens heaven's first law So it had to come Each official or group is supposed supposed sup sup- supposed posed to have an allotted place inthe in inthe inthe the order of ot precedence and rank length length- of ot service or age are tho the do- do t de-t factors Just between ourselves I may say that the lower I Ithe the rank the more more exacting on pr precedent I When equality is the keynote of ofa t ta a constitution it is difficult t to tomake tomake mal make e these differentiations without resorting to court customs The authorities who made the executive tive J legislative g and judiciary co coequal coequal co equal did not consider the social I aspect I The heads of ot th the three govern 1 mental divisions cannot enter the thedoor thedoor door at the same time time think think of Mr Taft Wouldn't there be a ajam ajam ajam jam Y Yet t each has the right of pf first plate place i I FOUR OFFICIAL RECEPTIONS solution is found in the en entertainment en- en nt of dl f e each ch group separately separate separate- ly That is why the president holds four official receptions each eason In the old days it used to tobe tobo tobo bo be nine But much of or the simplicity simplicity simplicity simpli simpli- city inaugurated by thi th the Wilsons has stayed To tho first are bidden the a ambassadors ambassadors am am- 11 because one must always be polite to visitors The ambassadors ambassadors ambassadors ambas ambas- t take ke rank according to length of service It would never do to try to arrange them them-n in the Order of importance Each is naturally naturally nat nat- most important to himself If they didn't apply the term of ot service it w uld have to be donO done alphabetically or according to weight v vM M M. is now dean of ambassadors am am- Doyen boyen some of them prefer to call calI him The diplomatic tlc r reception is re really llY the most spectacular as the foreigners foreigners for for- eigners are arc all turned out in their g gold ld braid and medals and feathers and fancy millinery Some look quite bewitching and have a ourt- ourt line liness of manner which befits the ceremony I reception is given to the judicIary There mere are aie no wigs or gowns here nothing frivolous They They're re too old for that most of ot them them not not all aU But it is usually solemn and pompous even though they have a judge or two i Next comes the reception to congress con con- con I gress cabinet gross cabinet senate and the representatives representatives rep rep- of the house rep rep-j The fourth reception is given to the army and and navy Since we are a peace loving nation the army and navy do n not t r rank so so high as 38 in other countries FOLLOW THE SERPENT LINE It is a long process this re rec rp- rp p- p tion business Just take my hand and I Ill I'll ll lead you 1 After a lengthy wait Walt m ih i line you I are disgorged from a machine at atthe i the door and swallowed up in a crowd all furred and feathered which is 15 exchanging its wraps for tickets You put the ticket in your bag or down th the heel of your our shoe or behind you ear and take your place in the queue You watch the p tinted painted fac s of dead and md gone ladles ladies of the White While House as the throng creeps creep serJ ser- ser J down tIle the hall hail The long tong past hostesses look placidly from the walls as th the procession moves two and two along the wide corrid corridor cor cor- rid or Then you turn tm up th tho stairs up and amid up your o r view being ob Oh oj by the broad back in front At the head of ot the stairs you turn to the left An inch at a time you jou ou gain ground as the minutes min minutes min mm- utes fly past At last you reach the dining room panelled d in dark darl darkwood darkwood wood the mantel banked with flowers and ferns and the furniture furniture furniture furni furni- ture ture spirited away You lou keep in line hugging the walls wails and traversing three sides of the room before you pass through tho the Red lIed room You are getting nearer now nov Ahead you can see seethe Seethe Seethe the president and anti his lady as they I stand on your right in the adjoining adjoinIng adjoin adjoin- ing lag room H Here re the men give givel alast a l llast t last hitcH to their ties tics and square their shoulders while behind fans the women make a valiant eff effort rt to repair the tho damage incurred en route There Is a f fluffing out of frills trills and the last Jast dab On the nose VELVET ROPE FOR DIGNITARIES I As you cross the tl threshold into the Blue room room-fl you fall into single file You try to ir r name I. I Into the confiding ear of the polished pol pOI pOI-I official who bends j I toward you But your voice I j comes In a trembling whisper and you clear your throat and try again Then it comes with a roar You are introduced to the presIdent president president dent who with a smile and kindly greeting passes ou j-ou ou on to lila his Wife who repeats the smile and greet greeting greeting ing and you mat make way for far greet I the next On your jour our left roped ol off with a i velvet cord are the special guests who also watch you pass At least y you you U think they do and for tor a a. moment mom mo mo- m ment nt you feel as S' S important a S the filling in a s sandwich Suddenly you emerge from the Blue room Into the Ball room where you find the crowd which has preceded preceded pre pre- preceded ceded you jou ou The ordeal is over You meet ma y strange and and- andin in int in interesting t resting people there and see the m roost most st wonderful frocks and jewels I t But it is soon over ver E THE ROUTE TA TAKES ES AN HOUR It usually takes tales an hour from the time you jou fall fail into line in the corridor until you have shaken shalen the presidents president's ht's hand It is an InterestIng interesting interesting interest Interest- ing hour full of p people pl and antici antici- Ration the glitter gUtter of Jewels the soft sort scene of powdered faces and necks neck find and arms bare backs and md black backs men with too many clothes for comfort and women with too few for charm and the theodor theodor odor of or scent smoke and sarsa sarsa- I parma It If you have been to but one of such functions you jou will doubtless every detail of or th the ti-me P ex ex- ex every detail of or th the ti-me P ex ex- ex but It is doubtful l if it Mrs Mis Harding will linger Unger long over o such m memories mortes To her it Wa Wag the individual indi Indi- I vidual touch that meant something I She Sho liked informal afternoons on I th the Mayflower or a a chat o oer over er th the tea cups some somo woman of achievement Some day daj when time shall shan have lessened her grief she may remember remember ber bel some of ot the many am amusing tittle lit littie little tit lit tle tie Incidents she enjoY enjoyed 8 so keenly f for r her sense of saved many manya a situation from sordidness But Dut registered 1 in itt the American con consciousness 14 Is a i distinct dis dis- dis- dis impression of the fineness ness and friendliness of Florence Kling Harding as First Lad ad Lady of the Land Lana TOMORROW THE BLIND I I CONGRESSMAN |