Jimmie had brought so much
bunting and so many flags, that Bee volunteered to go back to the Cecil
and have our clothes packed up by Mrs. Jimmie's maid, while we
decorated the house-boat.

The next morning bright and early we rowed down to the landing for Bee.
Such a change had taken place on the Thames in twenty-four hours! There
were hundreds upon hundreds of row-boats bearing girls in duck and men
in flannels, and a funny sight it was to Americans to see fully half of
them with the man lying at his ease on cushions at the end of the boat,
while the girls did the rowing. English girls are very clever at
punting, and look quite pretty standing up balancing in the boats and
using the long pole with such skill.

It may be sportsmanlike, but it cannot fail to look unchivalrous,
especially to the Southern-born of Americans, to see how willing
Englishmen are to permit their women to wait upon them even _before_
they are married!

American women are not very popular with English women, possibly because
we get so many of their Englishmen away from them, and we are popular
with only certain of Englishmen, perhaps the more susceptible, possibly
the more broad-minded, but certain it was that as we rowed along we
heard whispers from the English boats of "Americans" in much the same
tone in which we say "Niggers."

The river was literally alive with these small craft, going up and down,
gathering their parties together and paying friendly little visits to
the neighbouring house-boats, while gay parasols, striped shirt-waists,
white flannels, sailor hats, house-boat flags, and gay coloured boat
cushions, made the river flash in the sunshine like an electric lighted
rainbow.

Jimmie had spared no expense in illuminating and decorating the
house-boat. He had the American shield in electric lights surmounted by
the American Eagle holding in his beak a chain of electric bulbs which
were festooned on each side down to the end of the boat and running down
the poles to the water's edge. A band of red, white, and blue electric
lights formed the balustrade of the upper deck, with a row of brilliant
scarlet geraniums on the railing. The house-boat next to ours was called
"The Primrose," and when they saw our American emblem they sent over a
polite note asking where we got it, and at once ordered a St. George
and the Dragon in electric lights, which never came until the Friday
following, when all the races were over. Another house-boat,