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Johnson could have a fresh try at it. But there were a large number of paintings of the 19th Century that had been purchased by funds raised by Mr. and others, paintings by Peale, Bierstadt, Kemsett, Darland, and a number of others. But these 19th Century pictures really didn't appeal very much to Mrs. Johnson. Hanging in the Yellow Room the night of December 8th were two Cezannes which had been left to the White House by a man called Loeser. He had left a group of Cezannes to the White House, and the Johnsons and their guests all demanded to know from me why these pictures were any good. It was extremely difficult to explain to them anything about the pictures, as they really had no background on the history of painting at all, and they saw only what they were looking at, and what they were looking at didn't appeal to them. I was really very put-to-it by this.

Well, the next day we went into Johnson's office to look at how many spaces he really needed to have filled. I found there was absolutely nothing in the office, except two sofas, his desk, and a rocking chair like Kennedy's. The room had been done over while Kennedy had been making a trip. There was a bright red rug and some champagne-colored curtains and the walls were the same color. The room was entirely different from when I had last seen it, when I visited Kennedy in the summer, and I realized that it did need some objects. But it looked very simple and in perfect taste, because it's very pleasing in proportion and the views out of the windows an are charming. Lady Bird and I started to look at a big portfolio of