Francis A. Drexel Home-Life 45 
in chronological order but anachronism adds a charm all 
its own. 
This is an incident related to Mother M. Mercedes 
by Mrs. Jardim, a cousin of Mother M. Katharine on 
the Langstroth side, whom they visited at Funchal, 
Madeira Island when en route to Rome in 1913. In re­ 
calling the Saturday visits to Grandma Langstroth Mrs. 
Jardim referred to the room grandma set apart as the 
children's playroom—this by the way seems a Langstroth 
institution, Mrs. Jardim too had such a playroom for 
her grandchildren—she mentioned that at times the 
older children commandeered all the dolls leaving little 
Kate practically childless—a Negro coachman was as­ 
signed to her but this doll could hardly be imagined as 
a child.—Kate was not at all resigned to her childless­ 
ness, but could not herself remedy the situation. She 
betook herself to Grandma Langstroth, stated her griev­ 
ance and finished with "and please, grandma, may I not 
have at least one little doll for my very own child?" 
Grandma Langstroth, so 'tis said, took matters into her 
own hands and little Kate came into a legitimate share 
of the toys. 
Speaking again of Grandmother Langstroth, our 
Mother Foundress recalled that at times when she and 
Elizabeth visited grandma the Dunkard elder was there 
for dinner or supper, whichever it was, and very natu­ 
rally grandmother requested "Brother ------" to ask the 
blessing before meals. The two little sisters did not see 
just how they could square this assisting at prayer con­ 
ducted by a Protestant minister with their Catholic con­ 
science. Elizabeth, however, with all the resourcefulness 
of an older sister solved the difficulty by deciding they 
would hold up to view their rosary beads during prayer 
to show they were staunch little Catholics.