Samantha at the World's Fair eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 532 pages of information about Samantha at the World's Fair.

Samantha at the World's Fair eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 532 pages of information about Samantha at the World's Fair.

[Illustration:  “I hate to have you smoke, Ulaley—­I hate to like a dog.”]

She smiled, and said sunthin’ about its bein’ the custom of her country.

And I looked real pleasant at her, but firm, and sez I, “Customs has to be gone aginst by true Reformers, and Prophets, Ulaley.”  Sez I, “Four hundred years ago it wuzn’t the custom of the countries to discover new worlds.

“But your illustrious countryman branched out and stemmed the tide of popular disfavor, and found a grand New Land.

“New Worlds lay before all on us, Ulaley—­we can sail by ’em on the winds of popular favor and old custom, or we can stem the tide and row aginst the stream, and, ‘Go in and take the country.’

“You don’t know what good lays in your power to do, Ulaley, you sweet young creeter you, and now God bless you, and good-bye.”

There wuz a tear standin’ in every one of my eyes as I said it, for a hull tide of emotions from four hundred years past to the present swashed up aginst me as I grasped holt of her pretty hand, and we parted.

She looked real tender-hearted and good at me, as if she liked me, and as if her heart leaned up aginst my heart real clost.

(What duz Ward McAllister and his ’postles know of such rapt moments?)

Her escort driv up in two carriages jest then, and I left her, and as I went down the steps on the other side I heard her talkin’ volubly to ‘em—­a-describin’ the great seen that had took place between us, I dare say.

They wuz pleased with it, I could see they wuz fairly a-laughin’, they wuz so edified and highly tickled.  Yes, Spain realizes it, my makin’ so much on’t.

Wall, I didn’t stay much longer, for weariness, and also the cords of affection, wuz a-drawin’ me back to Miss Planks.

Wall, the days and weeks wuz a-wearin’ away, and Josiah and I wuz a-enjoyin’ ourselves first rate.

The children, and Isabelle, and Krit wuz a-havin’ jest as good a time, too, as four smart young folks can have.

Their minds wuz naterally, all four on ’em, as bright as a new dollar, and they had been enriched and disciplined by culture and education, so there wuz good soil indeed for the marvellous seed sowed here to spring up in a bountiful harvest.

They, all four on ’em, enjoyed more than anything else the Congresses, and meetin’s of the different societies of the world, for noble, and humane, and philanthropic interests.

And as for me, if I wuz to be made to tell at the pint of the sword what I thought wuz the very best and most glorious product of the World’s Columbian Fair, I would say I thought it wuz these orations, and debates, by the brightest men and wimmen on earth, congregated at Columbuses doin’s.

They wuz the wreaths of the very finest, sweetest blossoms that crowned Uncle Sam’s old brow this glorious summer of 1893.

The most advanced thought on religion, art, science, philanthropy, and every branch of these noble and riz-up subjects wuz listened to there by my own rapt and orstruck ears.  And not only the good and eloquent of my own Christian race, but Moslem, Buddhist, and Hindoo.  Teachers of every religious and philosophical system wuz heard, givin’ friendly idees, and dretful riz-up ones, on every subject designed to increase progress, prosperity, and the peace of mankind.

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Samantha at the World's Fair from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.