even Mrs. Adams, in her acceptance of her husband's theories, which,
however, were not so radical, in practice at least, as those of his
successor, was accused of hanging her drying clothes in the East Room of
the presidential mansion.

The Jefferson era at the White House was lacking not only in social
amenities but in the presence of female influence to soften its
roughnesses. The daughters of the president, Mrs. Randolph and Mrs.
Eppes, were seldom with him during his eight years of tenancy, though
both their husbands were members of Congress during that period. The two
ladies were together at the White House for only a short visit, and
individually they came rarely to visit their father and never took up
their residence with him. Mrs. Randolph had a large family which needed
attention, and Mrs. Eppes was for long in delicate health, and finally
died in 1803, thereby causing her father the greatest grief of his life.
Both were accomplished and handsome women, and they might, by their
presence at the centre of government, have removed some of the stigma of
discourtesy, rather than mere uncourtliness, that lay upon it.
Jefferson, in his love for extremes, abolished all presidential
receptions, except on New Year's Day and the Fourth of July, and the
weekly levees which had been such a pleasant feature heretofore were
sternly repressed as "undemocratic." So that, in its highest
expressions, society had a parlous time during the two Jeffersonian
administrations.

There were many private and unofficial functions, of course; and a
number of society leaders were so daring as to call en masse upon the
president upon the regular day for the weekly levee when these were
first abandoned; but the reception which they met at his hands was so
grim in its courtesy that the experiment was not repeated. Thenceforth,
society settled down to enjoy itself as best it might without official
sanction and encouragement; and it succeeded most admirably. There was
even a flavor of officialdom to give its functions zest; for, if Mr.
Jefferson refused to lend his presidential countenance to frivolities,
his Secretary of State, Mr. Madison, was of another stamp, and Mrs.
Madison, the ever-famous "Dolly," was a woman well calculated to lead
society in its rapid march. Here is a picture of her from the pen of Dr.
Mitchill, in turn representative and senator from New York: "She has a
fine person and a most engaging countenance, which pleases, not