He bowed so low that if a basin of water had been sot on his back it would have run down over his head.

Sez I, “The man in whose veins flows a drop of the precious blood of the Hero who discovered us is near and dear to the heart of the new world.”

Sez I, “I feel that we can’t do too much to honor you, and I hereby offer you the freedom of Jonesville.”

And sez I, “I would have brung it in a paper collar box if I’d thought on’t, but I hope you will overlook the omission, and take it verbal.”

Agin he bowed that dretful perlite, courteous bow, and agin I put in that noble curchey.

It wuz a hour long to be remembered by any one who wuz fortunate enough to witness it; and sez he—­

“I am sensible of the distinguished honor you do me, Madam; accept my profound thanks.”

I then turned to his wife, and sez I, “Miss Christobel Colon Toledo Ohio—­”

I got kinder mixed up here by my emotions, and the efforts my curcheys had cost me; I hadn’t ort to mentioned the word Ohio.

But I waded out agin—­“De La Cerda Y Gante—­

“As a pardner of Columbus, and also as a female woman, I bid you also welcome to America in the name of woman, and I tender to you also the freedom of Jonesville, and Loontown, and Zoar.

“And you,” sez I, “Honorable Maria Del Pillow Colon Y Aguilera—­

“You sweet little creeter you, I’d love to have you come and stay with me a week right along, you pretty thing.”  Sez I, “How proud your Grandpa would be of you if he wuz here!”

My feelin’s had carried me away, and I felt that I had lost the formal, polite tone of etiquette that I had intended to carry on through the interview.

But she wuz so awful pretty, I couldn’t help it; but I felt that it wuz best to terminate it, so I bowed low, a-holdin’ out my alpaca skirt kinder noble in one hand and my green veil in the other, some like a banner, and backed off.

They too bowed deep, and sorter backed off too.  Oh, what a hour for America!

Josiah put out his arm anxiously, for I wuz indeed a-movin’ backwards into a glass case of relics, and the great seen terminated.

Miss Flanders and Elam had gone—­they shrunk from publicity.  I guess they wuz afraid it wuz too great a job, the ceremony attendin’ our givin’ these noble foreigners the freedom of our native town.

But they no need to.  A willin’ mind makes a light job.

It had been gin to ’em, and gin well, too.

Wall, Josiah and I didn’t stay very much longer.  I’d have been glad to seen the Princess sent out from Spain to our doin’s, and I know she will feel it, not seein’ of me.

She wuzn’t there, but I thought of her as I wended my way out, as I looked over the grandeur of the seen that her female ancestor had rendered possible.

Thinkses I, she must have different feelin’s from what her folks did in fourteen hundred.