Elsie at the World's Fair

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER VI.

  Morning found them all rested, refreshed, and eager to spend another dayamid the beauties of the Fair. They started early, as on the previous day,found Harold and Herbert with the other young gentlemen friends waitingfor them in the Peristyle, spent a little time enjoying its beauties andthe never wearying view it afforded of the lake on the one side, and theCourt of Honor on the other, then at the earnest solicitation of thelittle ones they again entered an electric launch and glided swiftly alongthe quiet waters of the lagoon.

  "Let us go to the Transportation Building," proposed Rosie as they landedagain. "I want to see that golden doorway, and have not the leastobjection to passing through it and examining things inside."

  "As no one else has, I presume," said her grandfather. "No doubt we shallfind a great deal there worthy of examination."

  "Yes, sir; much more than we can attend to in one visit," replied Harold,leading the way, as everyone seemed well pleased to carry out Rosie'ssuggestion.

  They had heard and read of the beautiful golden doorway and viewed it withinterest and satisfaction.

  "It is very, very beautiful," said Grandma Elsie, "a nest of archescovered with silver and gold."

  "And that border is lovely, lovely!" exclaimed Rosie; "such delicatetracery!"

  "Papa, is it solid gold?" asked little Elsie, who was clinging to herfather's hand on one side, while Ned had fast hold of the other.

  "No, daughter," the captain replied, "not solid, though there is a gooddeal of both gold and silver covering the other and cheaper materials."Then he called her attention to a relief on the left side of the arch,showing an ox-cart with its clumsy wheels dragging slowly along throughheavy sand, the travellers in it looking most uncomfortable.

  "That, children," he said, "is the way people used to travel years agowhen I was a little fellow, such as you are now, Neddie boy; andthis"--going to the other side of the arch and pointing to the contrastingrelief--"shows how we travel now. See, it is a section of a palace-car;some of the people reading, others gazing from its plate-glass windows,and a porter serving them with luncheon."

  "Yes, papa; that's the way we travel when we don't go in the _Dolphin_ orin our carriage, and it's a great deal nicer than that ox-cart," saidElsie.

  "Oh, papa, there are some words up there!" exclaimed Ned, pointing up to ahigher part of the arch. "Please read them."

  "I will, son," replied the captain, "though I think you are hardly oldenough to fully understand them. This"--pointing it out--"was written byMacaulay, of whom you will learn more when you are older: 'Of allinventions, the alphabet and the printing-press alone excepted, thoseinventions which abridge distance have done the most for civilization.'This other is by Lord Bacon: 'There are three things which make a nationgreat and prosperous: a fertile soil, busy workshops, and easy conveyancefor men and goods from place to place.' Those words are put upon thisbuilding because in it are shown the different modes of travel indifferent countries--on the sea also--at different times."

  They stood for some little time longer examining into the details of thatwondrously beautiful doorway, noticing the splendor of the arches andpylon, the stairway on each side, the roof of the pavilion and all theother beauties.

  "It is very beautiful, and a great satisfaction to have seen it," remarkedMr. Dinsmore at length, "but perhaps it would be as well for us to go oninto the inside of the building now, reserving further examination of thisgolden doorway for some future time."

  With that he passed in, the others following.

  Many of the exhibits there were more interesting to the older members ofthe party, especially the gentlemen, than to the ladies and youngerpeople; locomotives and trains of cars such as were in use at differentperiods of time, showing the vast improvement in their construction sincesteam was first put to that use, models of vessels teaching the samelesson in regard to increased convenience and comfort of travel upon thewater.

  "Oh, there is the _Victoria_--that grandest of battleships, sunk only theother day in collision with her sister ship, the _Camperdown_!" exclaimedHerbert. "See what a crowd of men and women are gazing upon it!"

  "Oh, yes," said Rosie, "I remember reading a description of it in thepapers. One of England's finest battleships, was she not?"

  "Yes," said Captain Raymond, drawing near and examining the model withinterest; "she was a grand vessel, the pride of the British navy. I shouldlike to have seen her and am glad to have the opportunity to examine evena model. Ah, what a sad accident it was! especially considering that itsent to the bottom of the sea her entire crew of nearly four hundred menand officers."

  "Oh, it was dreadful, dreadful!" said Grace in tearful tones. "Especiallybecause they had no time to think and prepare for death."

  "Yes, that is the saddest part of all," sighed Grandma Elsie.

  Our friends presently moved on, and all, from Grandpa Dinsmore down tolittle Ned, found many objects that interested them greatly. But the mostattractive thing of all to the young folks--because of the story connectedwith it--was Grace Darling's boat. It was the captain who pointed it outto his children.

  "Who was she, papa? and what did they put her boat here for?" asked littleElsie.

  "She was the daughter of William Darling, the lighthouse keeper onLongstone, one of the Fame Islands."

  "Where are they, papa?"

  "In the North Sea, on the coast of Northumberland, the most northerncounty of England. They form, a group of seventeen islets and rocks, someof them so small and low-lying as to be covered with water and not visibleexcept when the tide is low; and the passage between them is verydangerous in rough weather.

  "Two of the islands have each a lighthouse, and it was in one of thosethat Grace Darling and her father lived.

  "In 1838 a vessel called the _Forfarshire_ was wrecked among thoseislands. William Darling, from his lighthouse, saw it lying broken on therocks, and sixty-three persons on it in danger of drowning. His daughterGrace, a girl of twenty-two, begged him to go and try to rescue them. Itwas a very dangerous thing to attempt, but he did it, she going with him.

  "Both father and daughter were very strong and skilful, and by exertingthemselves to the utmost they succeeded in saving nine of the poor wreckedcreatures who were crouching there on the rocks in momentary expectationof being washed off by the raging waves and drowned. They bore them safelyto Longstone."

  "And that made Grace Darling famous," remarked Lulu.

  "Yes," said her father. "Many people, many of the great and wealthy, wentto see the brave girl who had thus risked her own life to save others, andthey heaped upon her money and valuable presents; so that she was nolonger poor. But she did not live long to enjoy the good things bestowedupon her. She died of consumption about four years after her famousadventure."

  "What a pity, papa! wasn't it?"

  "For those who loved her, yes; but not for her, if she was ready forheaven. Do you think it was?"

  "No, sir, 'cause it is the happy land where Jesus is, and nobody is eversick or sorry or in pain. But I don't want to go there yet; I'd ratherstay a good while longer here with you and mamma."

  "I want you to, darling, if such be God's will," he returned low andtenderly, bending down to press a fatherly kiss on her round, rosy cheek."Your father would hardly know how to do without his little Elsie."

  She looked up into his face with shining eyes. "We love each other, don'twe, papa?" she said with satisfaction. "Mamma too, and brothers andsisters, and grandma, and--oh, all the folks."

  "Where now?" asked Grandma Elsie as they left the Transportation Building.

  "I want to show you the German castle," answered Harold. "It is here onthe Midway Plaisance, and is a reproduction of a castle of the middlecenturies. It is viewed by most people who have read of moat-surroundedcastles with great curiosity and interest."

  "There is a German village connected with it, is there not?" she asked.

  "There is, mamma, and I think you will all enjoy looking at both it andthe
castle."

  "Oh, I am sure we shall if it is a faithful reproduction of the oldcastles of feudal times that we have read of!" exclaimed Rosie.

  "It is said to be," returned Harold, "and is considered very curious andinteresting."

  "Is there a moat about it, Uncle Harold?" asked Grace.

  "Yes; and a drawbridge and portcullis."

  "Oh, what is that?" asked little Elsie.

  "A framework of timbers crossing each other, pointed on the lower edgewith iron and hung by chains in grooves in the chief gateway of thecastle, so that on the sudden appearance of an enemy it could be let downto keep him out more quickly than the drawbridge could be raised toprevent his crossing the moat, or the gates shut."

  "And what is a moat?"

  "A ditch or canal. But you shall see one presently, and a portcullisalso."

  "Oh, I'm so glad we came here to the White City!" cried Elsie, skippingalong by her father's side; "it's so lovely and there are so many curiousthings to see."

  "Yes, it is a pleasant way of gaining knowledge; pleasanter than learninglessons and reciting them to papa; is it not, daughter?" asked thecaptain, smiling down into the bright little face.

  "Yes, sir; but that's not a hard way, either, 'cause my papa is so kind,and loves me and makes the lessons easy."

  They soon reached the castle, crossed the moat by the drawbridge, passedthrough the arched gateway, under the portcullis, the young folks, andindeed the older ones also, gazing at it with much curiosity, and entereda spacious hall, the walls of which were hung with bows and ancientweapons, and armor such as was worn by warriors of feudal times.

  From the hall was an entrance to a museum, where were shown many articlesinteresting as having belonged to those old times when the homes ofknights and barons were such castles as this.

  When they had looked their fill at all these they left the castle for thevillage surrounding it, which consisted of reproductions of very oldGerman houses with small porticos and sharp gables.

  These covered three or four acres of ground and were built around a court,in the centre of which was a music stand where a band of twenty musicians,in white uniforms and military caps, were almost constantly playing upontheir instruments, making such delightful music that crowds of peopleflocked to hear them.

  Our friends enjoyed it greatly, and for a time did nothing but stay thereand listen while watching the players and the crowd.

  But the children began to show signs of weariness and the captain, Violet,Grandma Elsie, and several of the others rose and moved on with them intoa cottage which stood in the back part of the grounds.

  It was a picturesque-looking building and there were a number of Germansin and about it, many of them evidently sight-seers like our friends. Itwas furnished in truly German style, with quaint old-fashioned mantels,holding old pieces of bric-a-brac, and quaint dishes and cabinets hangingon the walls.

  One room on the left as they entered seemed to be attracting particularattention, and they presently turned to it, paused an instant at the opendoor, then walked in, the captain and Violet with their two little onesleading the way.

  The principal objects in the apartment were two wax figures, life size,representing a man and woman seated at a table apparently diningtogether.

  Our party stood for a moment silently gazing, then Mr. Lilburn and WalterTravilla followed them into the room, though hardly seeming to belong totheir party.

  Catching sight of the figures at the table, Walter nudged the oldgentleman, gave him a significant, laughing glance, then stepping forwardaddressed the waxen man in a serious tone as though he thought him aliving person.

  "Excuse me, sir, but I am a stranger here and would like to ask a littleinformation in regard to what may be seen that is really worth lookingat."

  At that there was a general laugh among the other spectators, and anexchange of glances that seemed to say he must be either very blind orextremely simple.

  Walter did not seem to notice, however, but went on: "Are the upper floorsopen to visitors, sir? and are there refreshments served there, or in anyother part of the building?"

  At that the laugh among the people in the room and about the doorway grewlouder,--it seemed so good a joke that anyone should take those waxfigures for living people--and a burly German, taking pity on Walter'sstupidity, said; "Mine frient, dose vos vax beobles, ha, ha, ha! dey don'tcan't say nodings."

  With that the laughter grew louder, and another German, evidentlygood-naturedly desirous to relieve Walter's embarrassment, spoke, turningas he did so to the first speaker:

  "Dat vasn't no sign de young shentlemans vas dumb; he don't can't help it;he t'ot dey vas life beoples."

  "Nefer you mine dose silly fellows, young shentleman, dey doan' knownoddings."

  The words seemed to come from the lips of the waxen man, and struck thecrowd with astonishment. "I would tell you vat you vants to know," headded, "but I pees von stranger in dose barts mineself."

  Then the woman seemed to speak: "Come to de dable, mine frient, and eatsomedings mit us."

  "Thank you, very much," returned Walter, "you are most kind andhospitable, but I cannot think of intruding upon your hospitality." Andwith a bow directed toward her and her spouse, he turned and left theroom, the rest of his party following and leaving the little crowd ofGermans gazing at each other and the waxen figures in wide-eyed,open-mouthed astonishment.

  "Papa," complained little Ned as they left the German quarter, "I'm sotired and sleepy."

  "Hungry, too, papa's boy, aren't you?" was the kindly enquiring rejoinder."Well, papa will take you back to our floating home, and leave you therewith your nurse to be fed and have a good, long nap. I think Elsie wouldlike to go too. Wouldn't you, daughter?"

  The little girl gave a glad assent, and arranging with his wife and olderdaughters where to meet them on his return, the captain set off with thetwo little ones for the _Dolphin_.