But good land! in such a time as this, when there is everything on the face of the earth, and under it, and above the earth to see, everybody has a perfect right to suit themselves in sights, and side shows.

Wall, we stayed there for some time a-lookin’ round, and a-meditatin’ on how useful this ship and others like it would be in case another war should break out, and how them ships and what is contained in ’em would be the means of savin’ America and Jonesville.

And I had quite a number of emotions, and I guess Josiah did too.

And then we kinder sauntered along on that broad, smooth path by the side of Lake Michigan, and kinder looked off onto her with a affectionate look, and neighbored some with her.

Her waters looked dretful peaceful and calm, after seein’ everybody in the hull world, and hearin’ every voice that ever wuz hearn, a-talkin’ in every language, and seein’ every strange costume that wuz ever worn, and etc., etc., etc.

And so we sauntered along till we got to the Casino, and Music Hall a-risin’ up at the eastern end of the grand basin.

We had laid out to come here before, and should, most probable, if the hull of music had been shet up inside of that tall, impressive-lookin’ buildin’; but truly music had cheered our souls frequent on our daily pilgrimages, so we had neglected to pay attention to the Music Hall and Casino till now.

Josiah wuz anxious to attend to it.

And I myself felt that Duty drawed me, bein’ quite a case for music.

And havin’ led the choir for years before my marriage to Josiah Allen, and havin’ married a man that sez he can sing.

But if the noise he makes is singin’, then I would be willin’ to say that I never had riz the eight notes, or fell ’em neither.

But he sez that he loves music; and he had talked quite a good deal to me about the Music Hall and Casino.

That Casino didn’t sound quite right; it sounded sunthin’ like “Seven-Up” and “Pedro,” and I told him so.

But he said that “it wuz all right;” he said “that it wuz took from the Hebrew.”

But I believe he said that to blind my eyes.  Wall, when we hove in sight of it we see the high towers that riz up above it some distance off, with flags a-comin’ kinder out of it on both sides, some like a stupendious pump, with handles on both sides and red table-cloths a-hangin’ over ’em, but immense—­immense in height.

Wall, I spozed it would look as well agin there as the Jonesville Singin’ School, and be fur bigger.

But good land! and good land!

Why, jest the entrance to them buildin’s is enough to strike the most careless beholder with or.  Such pillows, and such arches, and such ornaments, I never expected to see till I got through with this planet anyway.

But there wuz one piece of sculpture there that when I see it I instinctively stopped stun still and gazed up at it with mingled feelin’s of pride and sorrow.