seemed as though I made good as a waiter, judging by the coins
which the customers, began to forget, beneath their plates, in leaving
the table, some call it tips, I called it real money.

September was well at hand, one day old, and Mrs. Johnson was very
anxious to have the premises well decorated, and a big arch should be
erected at the entrance, with the sign, "WELCOME," to Knights Templar,
as news came from San Francisco, that the Knights were already in
possession of the Golden Gate. Mrs. Johnson was almost in despair,
unable to find someone among that great army of employees, to have any
artistic ideas of decorating or even to make a few flower designs and
put up the arch out of some green foliage. We were all green, in that
respect. But as I always find myself at hand, wherever help is to be
rendered, I offered my services, and by what I could remember from my
friend Jack, in New York, how he could decorate everything to a good
taste, I have been able to put up a nice decoration and the third of
September, 1904, the flags of all nations were waving and everything was
ready for the reception of the Knights Templar. Mrs. Johnson was pleased
to the extent of presenting me with an extra three dollars and relieving
me from the dining room, she appointed me in charge of the pavilion, an
out-doors building, where the Knights Templar would privately entertain
their families and lady friends. In this position I was enabled to see
more of the high American life than I ever dreamed of before. The
English Lord, and the Parisien Dame de Honor, were eclipsed as they
would look like pygmies by the side of the sunshining, bright-hearted
American gentlemen, and the sweet and graceful demigoddess American
lady. But my enthusiasm reached its zenith when a gentleman from
Pittsburg, in company with his ladies, after an enjoyable dinner, at the
pavilion, he left under his plate a shining five dollar gold piece; at
the sight of the unexpected I made a sign to which the gentleman was
obliged to respond, and that settled it, there was no mistake about it,
the man and I were brothers and the coin was intended as my tip. And
afterwards the incident occurred repeatedly during the celebration of
Knights Templar in San Francisco.

Now, if everything in this world was just a procession like that of
Knights Templar in San Francisco, and everybody was happy as the people
I have seen on Mount Tamalpais, then there would be no sorrow, and there