hat we would come.

This act of kindness had its reward in the feeling that we had relieved
more than one anxious host, and given certainty of a brilliant success
to parties that must necessarily have been in doubt until certain of our
coming. With my usual modesty, I say "our," wishing to give E. E. her
little chance, you know.

The invitation we resolved to honor was from one of the foreign
ministers. Of course I expected that there would be a good many
religious people there, and, as I hadn't mingled much with persons who
were over pious for some time, I anticipated a refreshing season; for a
foreign minister must have a noble missionary spirit, and, no doubt,
came to Washington on purpose to reform the members of Congress, which
is a work of Christian mercy, if ever there was one.

For this reason, my spiritual nature was aroused, and I was burning with
desire to help in the noble cause, and let foreign nations know that we
had women in this country that could be at once brilliant and devout,
celebrated and conscientious; in fact, women who could gracefully
combine two characters, hitherto supposed to be opposite.

Yes, I was resolved to go to this ministerial reunion. Had I not been at
Mr. King's literary gathering, which lifted me, as it were, out of a
frivolous, fashionable life into the purely intellectual, and now,
should I refuse to bathe my soul in the purer element of high Christian
fervor? No, a thousand times no!

On a religious occasion like this, I felt that a modest dress--simple
black alpaca, for instance, with a pink bow at the neck--would be about
the thing; but Cousin E. E. got almost huffy about it.

"Why," says she, "at the Foreign Minister's a full toilet is expected,
always. It is but proper respect."

"Cousin," says I, "no one can have more respect for the ministerial
functions than I have; no one ever attended meeting more faithfully. Am
I not a missionary myself? Do you think I would or could fall short of
the mark of the prize of the high calling? If alpaca isn't the thing, I
am open to reason and pink silk."

"That will do," says she, a-brightening up, "looped up with black velvet
and bows, and _decollette_."

"Dic o' nonsense?" says I, riling a little.

"Well, low neck and short sleeves," says she.

"At a meeting of ministers?" says I. "Cousin E. E., are you crazy?"

"Well, do as you please," says she, "only I tell you it will be
expected. I intend to be very low, with a stra