“Good-night and pleasant dreams to you, my own dear, dear father,” she returned, hugging him tightly for an instant, then hastened to do his bidding.

“I presume you will all be ready to start out early, as usual?” the captain said at the breakfast table the next morning, adding with a quick glance about from one to another, “I am happy to see that everyone is looking well and bright.”

“As we are feeling,” said Mr. Dinsmore, “and it is certainly a cause for gratitude to the Giver of all good.  What have you to propose in regard to our movements for the day, captain?”

“It makes but little difference to me where we go, so that all are content,” replied Captain Raymond; “but if no one else cares to decide the question, I propose that our first visit be to the Manufactures Building.  We have been there before, but there are thousands of things well worth our attention which we have not yet looked at.”

“Oh, yes; let us go there first,” responded several voices, and so it was decided.

They set out, as usual, shortly after leaving the table; found their young gentlemen friends waiting for them in the Peristyle, and all proceeded at once to the Manufactures Building.

It was easy to spend a long time there, and they did; visiting one section after another, admiring all that was worthy of admiration in the architecture and exhibits—­the German pavilion with its towers, domes, and arches, its Ionic pillars upholding golden eagles, the fountains at the base, the Germania group in hammered copper surmounting the highest pedestal, and, most beautiful and impressive of all, the great wrought-iron gates that form its main entrance, and were considered the finest and most remarkable specimens of that kind of work ever yet seen in our country.

The pavilion of France next challenged their attention, being close at hand.  In front of its arched entrance stood two blue and green vases which they learned were from the national porcelain factories of Sevres, both very handsome.  That factory had sent about two thousand pieces of its beautiful and costly china.  Most of them had been already sold, but the captain and his party secured a few.

Germany, France, and Great Britain occupied three great squares grouped around the central circle of the immense building.  On the fourth square were the exhibits of the United States.  Three New York firms had accepted the task of making for their country’s section such a pavilion as should maintain her dignity and reputation, and had succeeded in so doing.  It was of the Doric order of architecture and enriched with a pale color and a profusion of gold, while from the centre of the facade rose a column to a height of one hundred feet, having a ball and eagle on the top.

“Oh, let us go in and look at the exhibits here! those of our own country,” exclaimed Lucilla, after some moments had been spent by their party in an admiring examination of the outside.