“Our drawing-rooms, as at home, were open every evening informally until 10 o’clock—never later—when the family rose and retired, and doors were closed. Before my mother’s death, we gave occasionally during the winter months, by special invitations, in the general reception-rooms, a private ball, attended with dancing, but terminating at 11 o’clock. In addition to these private entertainments and strictly social converse, we introduced at this period—for the first time it had been done—music on the grounds of the south front of the Mansion, on the Saturday evenings of each week during the mild weather of the spring, summer, and fall, for the recreation of the public at large; and to a similar end a public levee was held once a month, in addition to the general receptions on the first day of January and the Fourth of July, of each year. “Nothing whatever preceded by cards of invitation was permitted to be considered in any other light than as a private affair of the Presidential family, with which the world outside and the public press had nothing whatever to do, just precisely as if we had been in our own house in Williamsburg. Even in respect to the public receptions mentioned, the _Madisonian_ was never suffered to indulge in a description either of the persons or characters present, in an individualizing manner, after modern usages, and no encouragement was given to any one so to do. I send you a specimen of the only sort of notice, even in the latter case, that was regarded as at all admissible while my mother lived. Anything more particular would have shocked her delicate sense of propriety, and been absolutely offensive to the President. “_From the Madisonian, Washington, Monday, March 17th, 1842._ “THE LAST LEVEE OF THE SEASON. “The levee held by the President on Tuesday evening last was a brilliant affair, and gave satisfactory evidence of the esteem in which that high functionary is held in social circles. “Among the visitors of peculiar note were the distinguished authors of the ‘Sketch-Book,’ and of the ‘Pickwick Papers,’ in addition to whom almost all the Ministers of Foreign Powers to our Government were in attendance in full court dress. “The rooms were filled to overflowing with the talent and beauty of the metropolis, whilst Senators and Members of Congress, without distinction of party, served to give interest and to add animation to the scene. It seems to us that these levees, as at present conducted, are peculiarly adapted to the genius of our Republican institutions, inasmuch as all who please may attend without infringement of etiquette. We almost regret their termination for the season, but look forward with pleasure to the period when they will be renewed.”