Page:The Ladies of the White House.djvu/79

Rh occasion, at a levee held In New York the first year of the administration, that she remarked, as the hands on the clock approached ten, "that her husband retired punctually at ten, and she followed very soon afterward." A degree of stiffness and formality existed at those receptions that we of this and can scarcely understand, accustomed as we are to the familiarity and freedom of the present-day gatherings; but the imposing dignity of the Executive himself rebuked all attempts at equality, and the novelty of the position itself caused a general awkwardness. Unlike latter-day levees, the lady of the mansion always sat, and the guests were arranged in a circle round which that President passed, speaking kindly to each one. It is to be regretted that no descriptions exist of the appearance of Mrs. Washington at these fete evenings. Little or no attention, outside of social life, was paid to such items as how ladies dressed and what they appeared in, and letter-writing on this subject was not so universal as we of modern times have made it; hence there remains no source from whence; to gather these little trifles which form part of every newspaper edition of the present day.

However, we do know that the President always had his hair powdered, and never offered his hand to any one at his public receptions.

"On the' national fête days, the commencement of the levee was announced by the firing of a salute from a pair of twelve-pounders stationed not far distant from