“As to the Presidency, this was the situation: We were opposed to the use of wines and liquors in our household. We continued at Washington the habits of our Ohio home. A bright and persistent correspondent, who failed to get the office he wanted, attacked us savagely on all occasions. He started many ill-natured stories showing that we were too economical, and repeatedly charged that the total abstinence rule at the White House was due to a desire to save expenses. We did nothing that even _seemed_ to warrant this attack. We spent in hospitality, charities, and generous living the whole amount. My belief is that no others ever spent as much in the White House as we did. Many old congressmen (Messrs. Stevens, Fernando Wood, and, I think, S. S. Cox) said repeatedly that they had known and heard of no one who entertained as much. Mrs. Hayes took pains always to have young ladies as guests from all parts of the country, South as well as North. Special entertainments were frequent. And the regular routine of affairs was made exceptionally brilliant and expensive. Many new dinners and entertainments were added to the ‘of course’ affairs. Mrs. Hayes was busy with her whole-hearted energy in looking up the needy. “When we left Washington a story was started that I had saved about twenty thousand dollars during my term. This was shown by the reduction of my indebtedness to that amount. This had an appearance of truth, and was perhaps derived from one of the family. But on looking up affairs at home it turned out that a large part of this reduction of my debts was from collections on real estate sales made before I left home. I left Washington with less than one thousand dollars.” In January, 1878, Mrs. Hayes held her first reception of the season. Thoroughly emancipated in her ideas as to what was suitable and proper for her, she chose to abide by the style of hairdressing she had always followed, and refused flatly to consider allowing her hair to be arranged according to the style of the hour, in great structures of frizzed false hair. She wore hers parted plainly and drawn down, looped over her ears, and loosely coiled at the nape of the neck. In the matter of her gowns she also had her own definite ideas. The décolleté so extreme through the Lincoln and Grant régimes, the huge bustles and lengthy trains, were not to her liking. She appeared at the New Year’s reception in a princess gown of black silk of rich texture and quality, cut with a graceful train, and elaborately trimmed with handsome jet passementerie. Her concession to the mode was a V-neck, filled in with delicate Spanish lace. A silver comb set off her black hair. Her appearance brought forth much favourable comment, and many who came prepared to censure and criticize remained to praise, since the effect was regal, and she received with a grace and dignity that won all of her critics.