Page:Siam and Laos, as seen by our American missionaries (1884).pdf/322

"Miss Olmstead and I, together with our assistant, Ma Tuen, have been training little fingers in fancy-work, or rather overseeing the finishing up of things, to go into the exhibition. April 25 we placed our mats, tidies, afghans, rugs, cushions, needle-books, edgings, work-bags and lambrequins in the cases allotted to our school in the Queen's Room, and on the 26th we were again at our post as exhibitors to receive His Majesty the king and give him our salutations upon his first entrance at the grand opening. While we were looking for him in one direction he suddenly entered from another, followed by his brothers and other members of his court and the consular dignitaries. We did not see him until he had walked up the long and magnificent hall and was within half a dozen paces of us. He was dressed in a perfectly-fitting suit of navy-blue broadcloth, without any gaudy trappings, and never did he wear a more becoming suit. His face was radiant with joy, and his quick, elastic step soon brought him to us. He uttered an exclamation of pleasure at seeing us there, shook our hands most cordially, took a hasty survey of our exhibits, and then cried out with boyish enthusiasm, 'These things are beautiful, mem; did you make them?'—'Oh no,' I responded; 'we taught the children, and they made them.'—'Have you many scholars?' was his next question.—'About thirty-one,' I an-