made a fit setting for the treasures they had
gathered.

Later on, the Governor's family occupied the palace (as it is always
called) of the old Spanish Viceroy, a most ancient, picturesque, yet
dignified building, facing the plaza.

The various apartments in this old palace were used for Government
offices when we were stationed there in 1889, and in one of these rooms,
General Lew Wallace, a few years before, had written his famous book,
"Ben Hur."

On the walls were hanging old portraits painted by the Spaniards in
the sixteenth century. They were done on rawhide, and whether these
interesting and historic pictures have been preserved by our Government
I do not know.

The distinguished Anglican clergyman living there taught a small class
of boys, and the "Academy," an excellent school established by the
Presbyterian Board of Missions, afforded good advantages for the young
girls of the garrison. And as we had found that the Convent of Loretto
was not just adapted to the education of an American child, we withdrew
Katharine from that school and placed her at the Presbyterian Academy.

To be sure, the young woman teacher gave a rousing lecture on total
abstinence once a week; going even so far as to say, that to partake of
apple sauce which had begun to ferment was yielding to the temptations
of Satan. The young woman's arguments made a disastrous impression
upon our children's minds; so much so, that the rich German Jews whose
daughters attended the school complained greatly; for, as they told us,
these girls would hasten to snatch the decanters from the sideboard,
at the approach of visitors, and hide them, and they began to sit
in judgment upon their elders. Now these men were among the leading
citizens of the town; they were self-respecting and wealthy. They could
not stand these extreme doctrines, so opposed to their life and their
traditions. We informed Miss X. one day that she could excuse our
children from the total abstinence lecture, or we should be compelled
to withdraw them from the school. She said she could not compel them to
listen, but preach she must. She remained obedient to her orders from
the Board, and we could but respect her for that. Our young daughters
were, however, excused from the lecture.

But our time was not entirely given up to the study of ancient pottery,
for the social life there was delightful. The garrison was in the centre
of the town, the houses were comfortable, and the