"Oh, no, not yet. I have no doubt it is altogether too sweet for anything, but I have not had time. I dote on art. But I have found a new place where you can get such lovely laces, for almost nothing, and another where silk hosiery can be had for less than half what you have to pay in New York. And I bought such a lovely dress for Lulu, a pearl silk, with such a lovely waist, and an embroidered front, with roses embroidered in the skirt. It is just like the one she wore at the children's ball, at Mrs. Thompson's, last Winter, which cost me more than twice what this one did and wasn't half so nice. But Lulu looked altogether too sweet for anything in that, though, and everybody at the ball was in perfect rapture over her. And then I bought a sweet suit for little Alfred, my youngest child, nine years old. It is such a perfectly sweet little pair of pants with a waist that buttons on just lovely, and with red stockings and purple shoes he will be altogether too sweet for anything. They will fit, for I have the measure of both the children with me. I have found out that when one travels to see nature and things, one ought always to be prepared. That's why I brought their measure with me." At this point the husband of the other lady, who could not help hearing all this, as he had for many weary days, told me an anecdote like this:-- "A young man with a very bad voice, but who firmly and steadfastly believed that in the article of voice he was the superior of Brignoli, engaged a teacher to give him lessons. When asked how he liked his teacher his reply was that he was a good master, but he was altogether too religious for him. "How too religious?" "Why, while I am practicing, he walks up and down the room wringing his hands and praying." "What is his prayer? What does he pray about?" [Sidenote: THE STRATEGY OF TIBBITS.] "I can't exactly say, but I caught the words, 'Heavenly Father! how long must I endure this?' There was doubtless something the matter with him." There was no necessity for him to point to the moral of this, for the stream of gabble flowed on in a smooth and continuous flow, finding no rocks of thought to give it picturesqueness, or no impediment of fact to make it pause. It was simply the wagging of a tongue that was hung on a swivel in the middle--a tongue which would wag so long as the lungs furnished breath and the muscles that moved it held out. Inasmuch as she has pleasant rooms and likes the hotel, and will not move, we are going to find another. But probably we shall find another just like her at the new place. They are the people who delight in travel and are everywhere. Tibbitts has made the acquaintance of a wholesale liquor dealer, who is going to "do" Switzerland, and Tibbitts has determined to join him. [Illustration: "HOW LONG MUST I ENDURE THIS?"] "Why join a wholesale liquor dealer?"