ng flames
suggested everything that was horrible. If there had been a fire no one
could possibly have been saved. We felt no interest in the play. It had
begun a month ago; the hero had not yet advanced further than his
childhood. Perhaps next year when he grows up the play will be more
interesting.

Nougats and other sweets, which looked as if they had circulated since
the hero of the play was born, were passed about to the spectators. We
were glad to reach the hotel in safety and bid our nice American
policeman good night.

SAN FRANCISCO, _May, 1877_.

My dear Aunt,--The letters of introduction we brought to San Francisco
have already procured us many invitations.

We were at a dinner last night, which Governor Stanford gave us. He has
only twenty-five millions--hardly worth mentioning. Each of us ladies
had a millionaire to take us in to dinner. Mine was most amiable. He
passed all the other millionaires _en revue_; I wish I could remember
all he said about them, but I only have a sort of vague recollection
that every millionaire had come to San Francisco with only fifty cents
in his pocket, and that all the millionaires' wives had gone, in former
days, about in the streets of San Francisco selling milk or thread and
needles. I was not spared the history of any of them. Mr. S. himself
told me that he had made his fortune first in hosiery, and then he
invested his money in stocks.

There were thirty people present, divided thus: distinguished party,
ten; millionaires, twenty.

Every conceivable bird, alive or mechanical, was heard during this
repast; besides, there were musical boxes at each end of the room,
which made a tremendous confusion. I know to a cent how much this house
cost--one million two hundred thousand dollars, my neighbor told me. It
is a great, white, wooden, square house with a veranda around it,
perched up on a sandy hill without any garden and without a view of any
kind, and certainly without the least beauty.

The picture-gallery, which really has some fine pictures, cost four
hundred thousand dollars.

They had had Italian workmen brought especially from Italy to put down
the mosaic pavement in the hall, which was huge. We wandered through
all the rooms, each one in a different style and epoch, and all in bad
taste. I looked about in the so-called ballroom for a piano, and was
surprised at not seeing one there; but I noticed several in the other
rooms, decorated in the style of the r