The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

      

WASHINGTON, Tuesday—Strange slips occur even in the best of regulated households. As we were about to go into dinner last night, we discovered that when I had seated the table, I had not included Anne and Johnny in our dinner list! After all our guests had arrived, I had to have two places added and shuffle all my seating cards around. I had the feeling that I would probably find members of the same family sitting next to each other, for we had not only husbands and wives, but also brothers and sisters. However, I apparently made no slips and we filed into dinner about 10 minutes late.

After dinner we sat and talked a little and then our guests for the dance, which we give each year for the members of the newspaper fraternity, began to arrive. Mr. Ruby Newman's orchestra played for us and the music was excellent. Miss Vandy Cape, Miss Chaney and Mr. Fox proved to be much appreciated interludes in the dancing. I always feel happier when I have some members of my own family to help watch any party and Johnny and my brother, Hall, were very useful last night.

Members of the Cabinet drifted in and out. Everyone seemed to have a good time, in spite of a shower in the early part of the evening which made going out of doors exceedingly dampish.

The President went upstairs about eleven-thirty. I have a theory that parties should end when everybody is still apparently having a good time, so, at 1:30, "Good Night Ladies" was played and everyone bade me goodnight.

Showers again all day today and another postponement of the Veterans' Garden Party. I think the weather man has decided I need to learn how to adjust myself to constant changes. I hope that by tomorrow he will think I have had enough discipline, for I really would like to have this party before June.

Because of various delays I was very late this morning for a meeting in the Bureau of Education at the Department of the Interior. Assistant Secretary Oscar Chapman presided with Dr. Studebaker beside him. I was very much interested in the replies made by the heads of the various resident institutions for handicapped children in different states when they were asked what subjects they felt should come up for discussion in addition to those listed on the agenda. I gathered the impression that one of the things they all desired was more personal interest from the residents of their communities and a better understanding of the work which they are trying to accomplish.

If communities obtained more knowledge, more interest in the education of handicapped and delinquent children would be assured in the state legislature and the entire population. The proposition is the same as the individual's duty to understand the agencies for public service in his community so that he may perform the responsibilities of citizenship.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1938, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, May 25, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

  • Brick, Christopher (Editor)
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  • Black, Allida M. (Editor)
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  • Binker, Mary Jo (Associate Editor)
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  • Alhambra, Christopher C. (Electronic Text Editor)
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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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