University of Virginia Library

4. 4

The meeting, which took place at the school-house that night, was a tremendous success, being attended by the whole twoscore population of Questa la Platta. The lecture was not too long; the interpreter made the most of his opportunities. The colored charts of strange and unheard of foods were enchanting. The demonstration of the egg conserved in water-glass was in no way dimmed by the circumstance that the egg that was finally produced would have been better for being conserved earlier.

True, the directions for eating meat once a day lacked applicability, — there was nothing whatever said about how you were to come by the meat, — but the receipt for making cheese of goat's milk created a sensation. Had it not come direct from Washington itself, from the President's lady, no doubt? Had not Juan Ruiz traveled a day and a night for it, and been well paid into the bargain? To crown all, was it not, item for item, the same by which goat's cheese had been made in Questa la Platta for two centuries?

The food expert was greatly touched by its reception. She explained that henceforth Questa la Platta would be keeping step with the great world of affairs: it would now have something to give! To all of which the politest town in New Mexico gravely agreed. The program concluded with a little exhortation on standing by the Government, to which the interpreter added something on his own account. Then, oh, crowning touch! the expert sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a very pretty voice, to which now and then from the audience was added a wordless vocal accompaniment. By this time Questa la Platta was so carried out of itself that it had in the fiddle and the flute, unscrewed the school-benches, and turned the food

demonstration into a baile, at which the pretty expert, who was of a politeness after Questa la Platta's own heart, danced with everybody.

The next morning, as she was tucking herself into the mail-cart with two thirds of the population seeing her off, she turned back to them with that pleasant air of taking an interest in these simple people which had made her work a success, to remind them that if ever she heard of Questa la Platta again, she expected to hear of it in connection with goat's milk cheeses.

"Si, Señorita," Señora Peladero answered for everybody, tucking a package of hard, round objects consigned to the general store at Albuquerque under the expert's feet. "Sin duda, sin duda!" To which, even after the expert, who was also a representative of the Government, had turned her back on them for the long descent, there was no under-current of laughter in the murmur of general assent. It is not for nothing that Questa la Platta is known as the politest town in New Mexico.