I was
presented to one, whom I instantly took to be the Lady Superior of the
College, for I had now settled it in my mind that I was in a female
seminary, albeit one of unheard of luxury in its appointments.

The lady had a remarkable majesty of demeanor, and a noble countenance.
Her hair was white with age, but over her features, the rosy bloom of
youth still lingered, as if loth to depart. She looked at me kindly and
critically, but not with as much surprise as the others had evinced. I
may here remark that I am a brunette. My guide, having apparently
received some instruction in regard to me, led me upstairs into a
private apartment. She placed before me a complete outfit of female
wearing apparel, and informed me by signs that I was to put it on. She
then retired. The apartment was sumptuously furnished in two
colors--amber and lazulite. A bath-room adjoining had a beautiful
porcelain tank with scented water, that produced a delightful feeling of
exhilaration.

Having donned my new attire, I descended the stairs and met my guide,
who conducted me into a spacious dining-room. The walls were adorned
with paintings, principally of fruit and flowers. A large and superb
picture of a sylvan dell in the side of a rock, was one exception. Its
deep, cool shadows, and the pellucid water, which a wandering sunbeam
accidentally revealed, were strikingly realistic. Nearly all of the
pictures were upon panels of crystal that were set in the wall. The
light shining through them gave them an exceedingly natural effect. One
picture that I especially admired, was of a grape vine twining around
the body and trunk of an old tree. It was inside of the crystal panel,
and looked so natural that I imagined I could see its leaves and
tendrils sway in the wind. The occupants of the dining-room were all
ladies, and again I noted the fact that they were all blondes:
beautiful, graceful, courteous, and with voices softer and sweeter than
the strains of an eolian harp.

The table, in its arrangement and decoration, was the most beautiful
one I had ever seen. The white linen cloth resembled brocaded satin. The
knives and forks were gold, with handles of solid amber. The dishes were
of the finest porcelain. Some of them, particularly the fruit stands,
looked as though composed of hoar frost. Many of the fruit stands were
of gold filigree work. They attracted my notice at once, not so much on
account of the exquisite workmanship and unique desi