And you’d think to hear it talked on that there wuz only eight ladies at large amongst ’em—­that the rest on ’em wuz kinder shet up and hampered.  But you’d git that idee out of your head after one look in that Woman’s Buildin’.  You’d think that not only the hull board of Lady Managers wuz at large, but that every female woman the hull length and breadth of our country not only wuz at large, but the wimmen of the hull world.  Why, connected with this great work is not only the hull caboodle of our own wimmen, fur or near—­American wimmen, every one on ’em a queen, or will be when she gits her rights; besides them wimmen, the Queen of England’s daughter, the Princess Christian, is at the head of the British wimmen at the Fair.

And Queen Victoria herself has sent over some things, amongst ’em them napkins of hern, spun and wove by her own hands.

What a lesson for snobbish young ladies, who would think it lowerin’ to hem a napkin!  What would they think to tackle ’em in the flax?  And then there wuz a hat made by England’s Queen, and gin to her grand-daughter; and there wuz six pictures painted by her, original sketches from nater.  One view wuz from the Queen’s own room at Balmoral.

And then the Princess of Wales sent a chair of carved walnut, upholstered with leather, all the work of her own hands.

What another lesson that is to our lazy, fashionable girls!  And Princess Maud of Wales sent a embroidered piano stool.  And Princess Louise—­Miss Lorne that now is—­and Princess Beatrice sent the work of their own brains and hands.

I guess queens have always made a practice of workin’.

Why, I see there—­and I could have wept when I seen it if I’d had the time—­an elegant bedquilt made by poor Mary Queen of Scots.  She sot the last stitches in it the day before her death.

What queer stitches them must have been—­Agony and Remorse a-twistin’ the thread in the needle.

[Illustration:  Queen Victoria sent over some things.]

And then there wuz a piece of embroidery by Queen Marie Antoinette.  What queer stitches them must have been, if she could have seen the End!

And then there wuz a portrait of Maria de Medici, Queen of France, made by herself.

And then there wuz a Bible presented by Queen Anne to the Moravian Church of New York, and a Bible of Princess Christian’s.

The fine needlework of the wimmen of Greece makes a splendid show.  The Queen of Greece is at the head of their commission.

The Queen of Italy goes ahead of all the other monarchs; she shows her own private collection of lace handkerchiefs, and neckties, and mantillys, and so forth.  And even her crown laces—­them beautiful laces that droop down over her regal head-dress when she sets with her crown on, and her sceptre held out in her hand.

The Queen of Belgium is at the head of their exposition.  And the German commission is headed by a Princess.