8o 
HELEN ABBOTT MICHAEL 
crowd was seen some distance down the street before the 
Duke’s home, waiting for his carriage to drive up. It was too 
cold to stop, so I hastened back to the hotel. . . . 
“The cathedral square offers one of the prettiest sights to 
be seen anywhere in Germany. The spire of the cathedral 
is openwork of stone of a rich brown color; old houses border 
the open place, and peasants with their Black Forest wares 
crowd all around the space. The country is quite hilly all 
around. The people seem kindly and sympathetic. One good 
woman on a side street has a large store of the Black Forest 
ware, and she allowed me to come into her house, and see where 
the pottery was made. It is very coarse, but the decoration 
and baking, as well as the moulding, are done under the roof. 
The military band plays at noon, and though I hired a car¬ 
riage and waited through the program, my ears were not 
repaid for my pains. The event of the day was my visit to 
Mrs. Smith. . . . 
“The lady was intelligent and well-read, and was taking 
an especial interest in woman’s work generally. She said 
that the finest needlework she had ever seen was made in 
Spain, and one shirt in particular that had been made for the 
examination, was the most exquisite sewing she had seen. 
She spoke about the German woman’s education, and said 
it had this general advantage, that all were evenly educated, 
and as far as it went, this was very well, for no one noticed the 
deficiencies of the other, and when one appeared with superior 
attainments, she was in such a minority as to be forced to hold 
herself in very much. She talked about temperance and 
other American ideas. The hour passed in the most agreeable 
conversation. 
“A charming boy, their son, assisted in the delightful in¬ 
terchange of ideas. At the station, as I was dragging a heavy 
bag, a delicate little voice said, ‘Give me your bag, please.’ 
It was the child, and a few steps back were the father and 
mother. They waited until my train started off and wished 
me good speed.” 
November seventh found her at Heidelberg, renewing the 
memories of a visit made there six years before, but she 
