“Well! I can’t talk all morning in congress on an empty stomach,” said one of the lady doctors.
“This is terrible,” sighed a doctor’s wife. “I have to eat to maintain my health and strength.”
“How can you, when you haven’t any health and strength?” said her husband.
“When I eat I believe in having something to chew on,” said a stomach specialist.
“It is terrible to have to fast when you want your breakfast,” sighed the doctor’s wife.
“It’s foolish to want your breakfast when you have to fast,” said her husband. “When you are in Rome, do——”
“If I could only speak Spanish like a man, I’d stir things up here,” said she.
“If I could only talk like a woman, so would I; but I’m only a man,” said he.
Upon this one of the doctors stood up and said that he had quite enjoyed his milk-coffee, water rolls and tongue sandwiches. The ladies looked about the room in search of the sandwiches while the men smiled and left the table, declaring that they also had enjoyed them, particularly the sandwiches.
At eight o’clock cabs drove up and took us to the sabanas over the same route that I had gone on New Year’s day. But it was not a holiday and the natives were not exhibiting themselves, and the drive was not very interesting. We stopped at the Country Club grounds, which were not as attractive as those of Señor Arango’s place that I had visited, but were much larger and had a roomy two-story frame house with a veranda all around it wide enough to serve us as a dining-room. The club superintended the preparations, although the Washington Hotel of Colón had a contract for the provisions. Hence the provisions were plentiful and the service unexceptionable.