g, the whole row, one behind
the other, bowed to each other's backs. Then Mr. Fish, a tall,
fine-looking gentleman, they called Secretary of State, came forward and
introduced the head Japanee to the President. Then came another bow, and
another, and another, till the whole ten got into a row near the
President. Then General Grant and Japanee Iwakura made beautiful
speeches at each other. Then there came more bows--low, slow, and
delightfully graceful--and then I gathered up the skirt of my pink silk
and fled, like a bird, into the blue room, where the ladies were waiting
like pigeons anxious for corn.

After all, I think those Japanese must have been men. The ladies got
into such a flutter as they came in, and took so much pains to make
themselves agreeable, which it isn't likely they would have done if
those scull caps and swords hadn't meant something masculine. Then there
was more low bows, and we ladies swept back our trains, took steps and
curtsied just as easy and graceful as they did, and Mrs. Grant talked a
little with a Japanee. He told what she said to the others, and what she
did say was just sweet and natural, which was a proof that she didn't
consider the Japanese as strong-minded females in the least. So after we
came out I told Cousin Dempster that I was satisfied that they were as
great men as little fellows, five feet and under, could be, and I asked
him, in confidence, if any of them were so unfortunate as to be
unmarried?

XL.

THAT DIPLOMATIC STAG PARTY.

It is wonderful, dear sisters, how one thing grows out of another in
this world. When it got about that I had been invited to help the Mrs.
President to entertain the Japanese dignitaries, every lady in
Washington that was going to give a party sent me and my Cousin Dempster
an invite, till we began to think no more of square letters, with
monographs on them, than you care for chestnut burrs when the nuts have
dropped out.

But there was one of these documents that we rather jumped at, because
it came from a man that was almost as good as born in Vermont. Maine is,
after all, something of a New England State, and Mr. Brooks, member of
Congress from New York, the man I spoke of, came from there, and had a
seat in the Legislature of that State when he was only just of age. So
we all rather took to him, as New England people will take to each other
when they scatter off into other States, and do honor to the one they
come from.

The m