Page:Siam and Laos, as seen by our American missionaries (1884).pdf/333

 the avenue mentioned, through the palace-gate, through a wat-ground, by a market-place, and through narrow streets to our teaching-hall. Here were assembled the king's young wives and the princesses of the blood. Curiosity and a desire to please the king brought them together, and lessons in English were made the order of the hour. The wives of the king selected for English study were pretty, bright young girls, worthy of a far better and happier fate than they could possibly find in the harem of any king. Some of the princesses were fine, noble-looking women, who comforted themselves in their lonely lives by reflecting that they were not obliged to share a husband's love with scores of others.

As was expected, these royal ladies dropped away from the English class, and ere long none were left excepting a few young wives of the king who were ambitious to please His Majesty and to be able to converse with him in English. As the ladies left the English class, they wished us to visit them in their homes; which we did, taking with us our Christian books in Siamese, which some of them were fond of reading. I remember a servant of one of the princesses who eagerly read our books, and would give us a full account of what she had read in one book before receiving another.

The little English class was continued, and