that it was my turn to be on duty in Lao Tsu Tsung's bedchamber."
"That is funny. How dare they give orders without receiving instructions
from me first? They know that this part of their duty is not very
pleasant and have put it off on you because they know you are new here."
I made no reply to this. I got along as best I could that day and found
it no easy matter, as Her Majesty was very exacting in everything.
However, the next time I managed to divert her attention to things new
or interesting in order to take her mind off of what she was doing, and
in this way had much less trouble getting her out of bed.

My reader can't imagine how very glad we were to get back to our rooms,
and it was just 10:30 P. M. I was very tired and sleepy, so I undressed
and went to bed at once. I think that as soon as my head touched the
pillow I was asleep.

The following day there was the same thing, the usual audience in the
morning, of course busy all the time, which went on for fifteen days
before I realized it. I began to take great interest in the Court life,
and liked it better every day. Her Majesty was very sweet and kind to us
always, and took us to see the different places in the Summer Palace. We
went to see Her Majesty's farm, situated on the west side of the lake,
and had to cross over a high bridge to get there. This bridge is called
Tu Tai Chiao (Jade Girdle Bridge). Her Majesty often took us under this
bridge in a boat, or we walked round on the border. She seemed very fond
of sitting on the top of this bridge on her stool and taking her tea,
in fact this was one of her favorite places. She used to go and see
her farm once every four or five days, and it always pleased her if
she could take some vegetables and rice or corn from her own farm. She
cooked these things herself in one of the courtyards. I thought that
was good fun, and also turned up my sleeves to help her cook. We brought
fresh eggs also from the farm and Her Majesty taught us how to cook them
with black tea leaves.

Her Majesty's cooking stoves were very peculiar. They were made of
brass, lined with bricks. They could be moved anywhere, for they had
no chimneys. Her Majesty told me to boil the eggs first until they were
hard, and to crack them but to keep the shells on, and add half a cup of
black tea, salt and spices. Her Majesty said: "I like the country life.
It seems more natural than the Court life. I am always glad to see young
people having fun, a