Back to Washington this morning in time to have Mrs. Denman of San Francisco, Miss Janet Fish and her sister, Mrs. Breese, for luncheon. Mrs. Breese had not seen the White House for a long time, so after luncheon we hurriedly glanced in the state rooms which were bring prepared for the afternoon musical.

At three-thirty Mrs. Townsend, who is President of the Leper Mission Society here, and Mr. William Danner, came to ask me to speak at their annual meeting on October fifteenth. It is a little difficult to know just what you will be doing on October fifteenth! But, they have certainly done a remarkable piece of work. Mr. Danner tells me the society has raised $60,000 for use in this work since it began with a committee of five only a few years ago. I was surprised to see by his map that there are so many places in the United States where leprosy has found its victims, but it is encouraging to know that whereas it was absolutely hopeless in the past, now there is a good chance of recovery. I remember years ago seeing my first picture of Father Damien and I have never forgotten the impression made on me by the story of the young and handsome man who buried himself alive to take care of a group of hopeless lepers.

At four o'clock we had our first lenten musical, the A Capella Choir of the First Congregational Church of Washington, sang six very beautiful songs, Madame Edythe Marmion Brosius played the harp delightfully. As an interlude between the two musical numbers, Mr. Paul Leyssac, who is Danish told two of Hans Andersen's satirical stories which were written for grownups and not for children! "It is perfectly true" translated and told by him in English is a glorious comment on how gossip grows. Any one of us could hear it duplicated in our neighborhood almost any day in the week!