She told how poor, red-faced, bewildered Marie dropped her ladle and stared at the speaker, then rolled down her sleeves while the Frau Wirthin tied her own best white apron around her waist, at the same time instructing her in the manner in which she must hold her dress at the sides, between thumb and forefinger, and spread the skirt wide, in making a low, reverential bow.  But Marie was so upset that she realized only that her heart was beating like a trip-hammer, and her form shaking like an aspen leaf, while being led before those august personages.  Yet, after it was all over, she was informed that the Emperor and Empress had spoken kindly to her, and that she, herself, had made her bow and backed out of the room admirably for one in her position, and ought to feel that the great honor conferred upon her had covered with glory all the ills and embarrassments she had suffered.

To impress us more fully with the importance of that event, grandma had Georgia and me stand up on our cellar floor and learn to make that deferential bow, she by turns, taking the parts of the Frau Wirthin, the Emperor, and the Empress.

She now finished her modelling with a dainty centrepiece for the bride’s table, and let me go with her when she carried it to the Vallejo mansion.  It gave great satisfaction; and while the family and guests were admiring it, Senora Vallejo took me by the hand, saying in her own musical tongue, “Come, little daughter, and play while you wait.”

She led me to a room that had pictures on the walls, and left me surrounded by toys.  But I could not play.  My eyes wandered about until they became riveted on one corner of the room, where stood a child’s crib which looked like gold.  Its head and foot boards were embellished with figures of angels; and a canopy of lace like a fleecy cloud hovered over them.  The bed was white, but the pillows were covered with pink silk and encased in slips of linen lawn, exquisite with rare needlework.  I touched it before I left the room, wondering what the little girl dreamed in that beautiful bed; and on the way home, grandma and I discussed all these things.

The linen pillow-slips were as fine as those Senorita Isabella Fitch showed me, when she gave me the few highly prized lessons in simple drawn-work; and her cousin, Senorita Leese, had taught me hemming.  These young ladies were related to the Vallejos and also lived in large houses facing the plaza, and were always kind to Georgia and me.  In fact, some of my sweetest memories of Sonoma are associated with these three Spanish homes.  Their people never asked unfeeling questions, nor repeated harrowing tales; and I did not learn until I was grown that they had been among the large contributors to the fund for the relief of our party.