Life In The White House

The mansión has beautlful poiuts outside, anil tbc tuste of its present occupant has made it very hamlsoinc within. lint it is not suitable for a private residence and a public office at the same time. It wou ld admirably meet the purpose of either; it can hardly serve the use of' botli. Few know liow little available space there i.s in t. The rooms me large, some of vast size, but there are not niaiiy of them. The halls are wide, the corridors long, tlie vestibules spacious. Four large apartmeuts are alloted to the necessaiy secretarles, eleiks, administrative funetionaries of the governtnent, telegraph operators, and so forth. The grand reception room occupies the entiie east wing on the first floor; the smaller reception rooms load f rom it; the state banqueting hall isan enormous apartment. This leaves but limited gpace below for private needs, dining-room and parlor. Upstair?, besides the rooms for governmout work, already mentioned, there is an apaitmcnt devolid to the meetings of the cabinet, the library, and i state chamber. There remain but live chambers for the use of the family, which, if it happens to be large, may overflow its accominodations, and must be very small to allow a suitable entertainment of guests, who ctiniiut bo received in any number. But these things, tnough bad enougli, re not the wor.-t, hy any means. The victim in the White House has no private life to speak of. He belongs to the nation ; he has been placed there by the hoice of tlie' people, and they assnme the right to sce hlm as often as they teel Incllned, wliich may bo at any hour in tlie day. Tlie (Iemand for his presence and seivice s incessant. It s forgotten, ipparently, tliat the man has a personal as well as an official side, Uut hc must be a gentleman uow and then, that lie cannot be President all the time, that he is not the property of the community at largo, that he must have his special fdenda, that he must enjoy the human privilege of refuslng the visits oí strangers, th-it lic is excusable for guardlng against intrusión, and has no more responsibility outside of his oflicial duties than tlie umi.,.. .„t;,Oa i,:JP. who is let alone t his home, and is at liberty to pui the affairs of his shop behlnd him, wlien business is over. This is no fancied grievance. The President is a very busy man, full of cares, and needing quiet, rest in the society of family or friends, more than most, together with social amenities of a various kind. Kspccially he needs to be for a part of each day taken out of the associations of his offlee, and placed where his mind can be refreshed by other concerns than those of the public. He will work better, more heartily, more cheerfully, more effectually, for such a respite. There are two ways of bringing about this most desirable change: either the present edifice might begiven over wholly to business, for wbich it is admirably adapted, and even now is none too large, In which case the Presideut's house miglit be situated wherever convcnience prompteü, at a distance froin the building that contained the office, where, by ment, lie would find liiraself at certain ' liours out of the twenty-four; or the i incss might be carried to anothur part of the town, aiul the White House be ' slgned to the President tor bis private resklfince. The former plan ia preferable for several reasons. In the fust place, the mansion is designed for a public purpose. No private dwelling offers such facilities for rèceptions and dinners, which must be given on a grand scale. In the next place, the increasing business of the country will be fitrthered by the aid to concentration that so largo a mansión iffords. Then the habits of the multitude who flock to the house on practical errands will not be interrupted. Expcrlence shows the difticulty, not to say the impossibility. of breaking np such liabits, u titl the removal of the President's private house would render the effort to break them up unnccessary. ïhe present amphibious arrangement, besides being a public disgrace, is a singular piecc of foolishness in a community that prides itself on its good sense in getting out of the people it employs the utmost they are capable of performing. The actual President is crippled in his worUing faculty by the fretting annoyances to which he is now subjected. A thick-skinned person may not complaiu of this ceaseless notoriety, - nay, may like it; but a sensitive man must feel it ktenly. Even to a casual observer the invasión of individual privilege is