Elsie at the World's Fair. Finley Martha
"and I, as well as Grace, am eager to see the beauties of that much talked of Court of Honor."
"I think we will find some other objects worthy of our attention before we reach even the Peristyle," remarked Captain Raymond.
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed Lulu, "there is another of those lights."
"I am so glad you brought us in the yacht, captain," said Evelyn; "for we can start out at once to see the sights – not being in the least fatigued with our long journey."
"And we have already a beautiful view of water and sky," remarked Grandma Elsie; "those sunset clouds are certainly lovelier than any work of man's hands."
"Yes, mamma; and they are beautifully reflected in the water," said Violet.
"But such things can be seen at home," Rosie remarked in a sprightly tone, "and I propose to give my particular attention to such as are to be found only in this part of the world and at the present time."
"What will there be worth looking at before we reach the Peristyle?" asked Walter, apparently addressing his query to no one in particular.
It was Captain Raymond who replied, "I hope to be able to point out to you presently some exhibits worthy of your attention," he said.
"Oh, yes; the battleship Illinois for one, I suppose."
"Yes; she will come into sight presently and we will have an outside view of her. Some day I hope to take all of you who may desire to go on board to have a look at her internal arrangements."
"You may put my name into that list, captain," said Mr. Lilburn. "I'm a bit too auld to take part in a fight, even in a righteous cause, but not for taking an interest in the means provided for ither folk."
"And I want to see it, too, though I hardly expect to ever make one of the crew of such a vessel," said Walter.
"And we girls will want to visit her also," laughed Rosie, "though I am very sure no one of us will ever form part of such a crew."
"Well, as my father has and my brother expects to, I shall be very much interested," said Grace.
"Especially as we shall have a retired officer to explain everything to us," added Lulu with a smiling look up into her father's face.
He returned the smile, then pointing southward, "Yonder it is," he said, "still too distant for a critical survey, but a better view will be afforded us presently, as we pass it."
As he spoke all eyes turned in that direction.
"Oh, what a big vessel she is!" exclaimed Grace, as they drew near enough to obtain a good idea of her size.
"Yes," returned the captain, "she is a full sized model, above water line, of our coast line battleships Oregon, Massachusetts, Indiana."
"Not a real ship, papa?"
"No; only a model: she is built of brick, on the bottom of the lake, and merely simulates a man-of-war."
"Only a model!" repeated Walter. "And how about her guns, sir? are they real?"
"Some of them are wood; but there are enough genuine machines on board to destroy almost anything of ordinary resisting power within three miles range. But I expect to go more into particulars when we pay our contemplated visit."
"I suppose she must have cost a good deal?"
"One hundred thousand dollars."
"How much this Fair is costing!" remarked Evelyn. "Do you think it will pay, captain?"
"I hope so," he returned cheerfully. "What is worth doing at all is worth doing well."
But they were drawing near their port, and there was much on both land and water to attract their attention. Presently they were in front of the beautiful Peristyle, gazing in awed admiration upon its grand Arch of Triumph, its noble colonnade and statuary, and catching glimpses here and there between its pillars of the beauties beyond.
It was impetuous Lulu who broke the silence with an exclamation of delighted admiration and an eager request that they might land at once and get a nearer view of the fairy scenes that lay before them on the farther side.
The other members of their party, old and young, seemed scarcely less eager, and in a very few moments they were all pacing that grand colonnade to and fro, and gazing out delightedly now upon the blue waters of the lake and anon upon the fairy scene – the Court of Honor – on the inner side. And soon they hurried their steps thitherward.
"Oh, there," cried Lulu, "is the statue of our great republic! Is she not magnificent?"
"She is, indeed!" replied Grandma Elsie. "See in one hand she holds a pole bearing a liberty cap, in the other a globe, an eagle with outstretched wings resting upon it; that symbolizes protection, which she has ever been ready to extend to the oppressed of all the earth."
"She is a large woman," remarked Walter; "as she should be to adequately represent our great country. Grandpa, do you know her size?"
"I saw it stated the other day," replied Mr. Dinsmore. "Her face is fifteen feet long, her arms thirty feet, forefingers forty-five inches, and ten inches in diameter. Her cost was twenty-five thousand dollars; the gilding alone amounting to fourteen hundred dollars; quite an expensive dress for my lady."
"But we don't grudge it to her, papa," remarked Grandma Elsie pleasantly.
"No," he said; "nor anything else the liberty she represents has cost – in money or in life and limb."
"But what is her height, grandpa?" asked Rosie; "it should be very considerable to go with a face fifteen feet long."
"Sixty-five feet, and the pedestal on which she stands is thirty feet above water. There is a stairway inside which you can climb one of these days if you wish."
All were gazing with great admiration and interest upon the beautiful statue, though seeing it somewhat dimly through the gathering shades of evening, when suddenly the electric lights blazed out from all sides, causing an exclamation of surprise and delight from almost everyone in our party and from others who witnessed the wonderful and inspiring sight; words failed them to express their sense of the loveliness of the scene; that mighty statue of the Republic dominating the eastern end of the lagoon, that grandly beautiful Macmonie's Fountain at the other, its Goddess of Liberty seated aloft in her chair on the deck of her bark, erect and beautiful, with her eight maiden gondoliers plying the oars at the sides, while old Father Time steered the vessel, his scythe fastened to the tiller, Fame as a trumpet-herald stood on the prow with her trumpet in her hand, while in the gushing waters below sported the tritons with their plunging horses, the terraced fountain still lower with its clouds of spray showing all the colors of the rainbow, as did that of the smaller ones to the right and left.
And what a ravishing sight was that of the Administration Building with its corona of light, its dome, arches, and angles outlined with those brilliant lights, as were those of the Peristyle also, and of the grand structures between – Manufactures, Electricity, and Arts on the north side, Machinery and Agriculture on the south – and the beautiful fountains throwing spray of all the colors of the rainbow.
"What a magnificent sight!" "How lovely!" "How beautiful!" exclaimed one and another as they moved slowly onward, gazing from side to side.
"Let us go into the Administration Building," said Mr. Dinsmore.
All were willing, and they sauntered on toward it, still gazing delightedly as they went.
Reaching its doorway they paused for a few moments to look at the statue of Columbus, represented as landing with the Spanish flag in his hand, and to listen to the inspiring music of the bands; then passed on into the interior which they found as artistic and wondrously beautiful as the outside.
After feasting their eyes upon the lower part they took an elevator – of which there were six – and went up to the upper promenade, which they found also very beautiful, giving lovely views of the surrounding grounds. The vault of the dome was ornamented with allegorical paintings, some of them commemorating Columbus' discovery of America.
Looking out from the promenade under the dome they saw the Ferris Wheel, upon