didn't. I sang some things so hoary with age that they were decrepit!
The purser so far forgot himself as to ask me to sing "My Bonnie lies
over the Ocean"! I did so with great expression while he looked
pensively into the fire. Since then I have called him, "My Bonnie,"
and he _hates_ me.

The next day we went out to services on board the battleship "Victor."
The ship had been on a long cruise and we were the first American
women the officers had seen for many a long day. They gave us a
rousing welcome you may be sure. Through some mistake they thought I
was a "Miss" instead of a "Mrs." and I shamelessly let it pass. During
service I heard little that was said for the band was playing outside
and flags were flying and I was feeling frivolous to the tip of my
toe! I guess I am still pretty young, for brass buttons are just as
alluring as of old.

When the Admiral heard I was from Kentucky, he invited us to take
tiffin with him, and we exchanged darkey stories and the old gentleman
nearly burst his buttons laughing. After tea, he showed us over the
ship, making the sailors line up on deck for our benefit. "Tell the
band to play 'Old Kentucky Home'," he ordered.

"You'll lose a passenger if you do!" I cried, "for one note of that
would send me overboard!"

He was so attentive that I had little chance to talk to the young
officers I met. But several of them have called since, and I have been
out to a lot of teas and dinners and things with them. The one I like
best is a young fellow from Vermont. He is very clever and jolly and
we have great fun together. In fact, we are such chums that he showed