She now finished her modelling with a dainty centrepiece for the
bride's table, and let me go with her when she carried it to the
Vallejo mansion. It gave great satisfaction; and while the family and
guests were admiring it, Senora Vallejo took me by the hand, saying in
her own musical tongue, "Come, little daughter, and play while you
wait."
She led me to a room that had pictures on the walls, and left me
surrounded by toys. But I could not play. My eyes wandered about until
they became riveted on one corner of the room, where stood a child's
crib which looked like gold. Its head and foot boards were embellished
with figures of angels; and a canopy of lace like a fleecy cloud
hovered over them. The bed was white, but the pillows were covered with
pink silk and encased in slips of linen lawn, exquisite with rare
needlework. I touched it before I left the room, wondering what the
little girl dreamed in that beautiful bed; and on the way home, grandma
and I discussed all these things.
The linen pillow-slips were as fine as those Senorita Isabella Fitch
showed me, when she gave me the few highly prized lessons in simple
drawn-work; and her cousin, Senorita Leese, had taught me hemming.
These young ladies were related to the Vallejos and also lived in large
houses facing the plaza, and were always kind to Georgia and me. In
fact, some of my sweetest memories of Sonoma are associated with these
three Spanish homes.
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