when the members of our troupe hastily entered
enquiring for Mrs. Blake, is she hurt, etc. Well the Tacoma concert is
also a thing of the past and we left many friends in consequence of
our good work. Now we are off for Portland, Oregon. March 17th, St.
Patrick's Day. Our concert last night was a bouncing one. The
beautiful theater was packed and we were received royally and the
morning papers were loud in our praise. We are having rain this
morning. Being St. Patrick's day our house was not packed, but
comfortably filled. Of course we had an Irish programme which was just
the right key note and the people gave us a hearty reception and many
recalls. After the concert, friends came in carriages and took us to
the St. Patrick's ball given by the upper class of Irish citizens. It
was my first experience at an Irish ball. I did not retire until two
o'clock in the morning, pretty well convinced that the Gaelic dancers
are people to enjoy their fun to the utmost. March 18th. At the
matinee this afternoon a very laughable episode occurred. After
singing the second encore there was a fine bouquet thrown on the stage
for me. It failed to reach but fell in the orchestra. A nice looking
and well groomed gentleman quickly jumped over and caught the bouquet
and sent it upon the stage with a bow and a smile. As he attempted to
return he fell headlong. Such a laugh went up! It was funny to see him
sprawling on the floor in full dress. The cheers and laughter were so
uproarious I was obliged to stop until they had subsided. He turned to
the audience and made a profound bow, then we proceeded with the
programme. This evening's concert was a success from start to finish.

Sunday, March 9th. Having met some pleasant people in our travels,
Mrs. Baxter of Tacoma, Mrs. Gaten of Portland, and a friend of mine,
Mrs. Kilbourn, we were enabled to see more of the places of interest
during our stay in Portland. At ten o'clock our friends arrived at the
hotel and in a smart conveyance we were soon enjoying the brisk
morning air. Our destination was a Sisters' Hospital. After an hour's
ride we alighted in front of this spacious, comfortable-looking
building which proved to be St. Joseph's Hospital. We were welcomed by
Sister Josephine who guided us all over the place, the dormitories,
dining room, halls and corridors. Everything was kept in the neatest
order. At last we stopped in front of the chapel. The place was
partially lighted, showing the a