File:Recollections of full years (1914) (14766461235).jpg

Identifier: recollectionsoff00taft (find matches)
Title: Recollections of full years
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Taft, Helen Herron, 1861-1943
Subjects: White House (Washington, D.C.) Philippines -- Description and travel Washington (D.C.) -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead & Company
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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eSenators invited had never crossed the White House thresh-old because of his unfriendly feeling toward the administra-tion. He paid no attention whatever to his invitation—aformal one, of course, requiring a formal answer—until theday before the dinner. He then called the White Houseon the telephone and asked if he would be expected to weara dress suit. Mr. Hoover, who received the inquiry, repliedthat evening dress was customary at White House dinners,whereupon the Senator mumbled something at the other endof the line. Mr. Hoover asked him whether or not heintended to come. He replied that he guessed he would,and abruptly rang off. The next evening the party waited for him for a full halfhour before they decided to sit down without him, and eventhen his vacant place was kept open for him. He did notcome nor did he ever offer any kind of apology or excuse forhis extraordinary conduct. There are certain manifestationsof so-called Jeffersonian simplicity in this country of ours 360
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ttt iL*j RECOLLECTIONS OF FULL YEARS that I am sure Jefferson would deplore if he lived in this dayand generation. The north verandah of the White House is pleasantenough, but it lacks the charm of seclusion peculiar to thesouth portico which runs around the oval Blue Room andlooks out upon the broad south garden with its great foun-tain, and with Potomac Park, the River and WashingtonsMonument in the background. This soon became our fa-vourite retreat and we used to sit there in the ever lengthen-ing spring evenings, breathing the perfume of magnoliablossoms, watching the play of lights on the tree-dottedlawns and on the Monument—which is never so majestic asin the night—and realising to the full the pleasant privilegeof living in this beautiful home of Presidents. Mr. Taft had a Victrola in the Blue Room and he neverfailed, when opportunity offered, to lay out a few favouriterecords for his evenings entertainment. Melba and Caruso,the Lucia Sextette, some old English melodies, a

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