th and depth filled my soul with pride and patriotic
glory. I really don't believe there is another building like it on the
face of the earth. Freedom, honesty, and greatness _ought_ to preside
there.

Why, sisters, there are whole rooms here of clouded marble, ceiling,
floor, walls--everything polished like the agate stone in your brooch,
and I do think that the hottest sun can hardly force a beam of warmth
through.

Down in the great wandering cellars you come upon staircases of
beautiful marble, fenced in with railings of iron and gold and brass all
melted together and called bronze, up which deer, as big as young lambs,
are jumping, and branches of trees are twisted. There are ever so many
of these staircases, and they cost one hundred thousand dollars apiece.
Think of that! and mostly where it is so dark that you can't but just
see them.

"I hadn't only one day and night to look about in, so I went up there
before Congress got to work, as I wanted to see things without having
people know that I was there. But by and by a lot of men came swarming
in, and I felt like making myself scarce.

I went back to the hotel and got a little sleep.

It was dinner time, and near candle-light when I woke up; and when we
got through dinner, Cousin D. told me to hurry up, and we would take a
look at the White House.

"Shall I get out my pink silk?" says I. "Does the President expect me?"

"Oh, no," says he; "no one is aware that we are here. We will drive to
the White House, see all that is to be seen, and start home bright and
early to-morrow morning."

"Then the alpaca will do," says I.

"Of course," says he; "anything."

I wasn't sorry. This travelling all night is apt to take the ambition
out of the most energetic character. The difference between pink silk
and alpaca was nothing to me now.

Well, in an hour after, the carriage we rode in stopped under a great
square roof, set on marble pillars, which spreads out from the steps of
the White House to keep people sheltered from the storm and sun when
they get out of the carriages. It was dark now, and two great
street-lamps were in brilliant combustion each side of the steps.

Between us, sisters, that White House that we hear so much about is no
great shakes of a building. Compared to the Capitol, it is just nowhere.

Cousin D. rang the knob, which was silver, and a man opened the door.

"We should like to see the House," says Cousin D.

"Certainly," says the