It was a gorgeous sunset, but a
wind like a mistral cutting one in two, and such clouds of dust, that
even driving to the hotel our hair all looked drab coloured. The hall
was full of miners, some of them in what is as near an approach to
evening dress as is permitted; that is, ordinary blue serge or flannel
suits, with sometimes linen collars and ties; the others in the dress I
have already told you about that Nelson wears. Nearly all were young,
not twenty per cent. over forty, and none beyond fifty, and they were
awfully nice-looking and strong, and couldn't possibly have bruised if
you hit them hard!
We raced through and up to our rooms, and can you believe it, Mamma,
each bedroom had a splendid bath room, and all as modern as possible;
there was not a sign of roughing it. The Senator said we were not really
to dress as in the East--only "sort of Sunday." He was greeted by
everyone with adoring respect that yet had a casual ease in it, and when
we were all bathed and combed and tidy we found he had a dinner party
awaiting us--two women and about six men. The women were so nice and
simple, but we naturally had not much chance to speak to them--the men
were next us, superintendents of mines, and owners, and selected ones
who have "made good.
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