Samantha at the St. Louis ExpositionHolley, Marietta
General
Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition
Holley, Marietta
Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.) -- Fiction
But to resoom backwards. We stayed so long in Japan that I couldn't
devote so much time to France as I wanted to, for they too had a fine
display. The most beautiful exhibit we saw was the reproduction of the
Grand Trienon, the favorite home of Napoleon, brought from all
appearances from Versailles with its famous garden and sot down here in
St. Louis.
There is a big central pavilion and on each side wings, each terminating
in a pavilion joined by tall marble columns. The ruff is surrounded by a
balustrade ornamented by vases and beautiful statutes. The same
balustrade extends the hull length of the building below, five hundred
and thirty-four feet.
And below it stretches the beautiful garden, terraces, lake, fountains,
statutes, rare flowers, shrubs and trees. Winding walks in which the
great Conqueror might have walked with his brain teemin' with ambitious
plans. I didn't want to leave the garden it was so beautiful, but time
wuz passin' and we went inside and went through room after room, each
one seemin'ly more beautiful than the one we had seen last. The
picture-room wuz specially beautiful filled as it is with treasures of
French art. And all the rooms wuz gorgeous with tapestries, elaborate
carving, sculpture, painting, the most exquisite decorations of all
kinds showing what a beauty and pleasure-loving race can gather about it
of beauty and grandeur if it sets out to.
And France shows off well also in manufactures, electricity, machinery,
transportation, etc. All together this is the best exhibit she has ever
made, and she has reason to be proud on't.
England makes a good show in products and processes in every Exposition
building. In the Palace of Varied Industries she gives a model of one of
her charming country houses, a model indeed of comfort and luxury.
Her national pavilion is built of red brick and stone and is a
reproduction of the Orangery, a building two hundred years old. It wuz
Queen Ann's favorite home, and I didn't blame Ann a mite for lovin' it.
As I walked through the beautiful and stately rooms I thought I would
have loved to neighbor with Ann and spend some time with her.
The gardens outside are so beautiful you don't want to leave 'em, shaded
avenues, terraces, flower beds, yew and box shrubs trained into shapes
of lions and big birds. Josiah wuz entranced here, and as he stood lost
in admiration of them green animals growin' right out of the ground, he
sez:
"My first job in Jonesville is cut out, Samantha."
As first chaperone I looked at him tenderly and sez, "Don't jar your
mind too much, Josiah, don't dwell on tuckerin' things."
"But," sez he, pintin' to the green form of the lion growin' right out
of the ground, "do you see what a impressive and noble figger the old
mair is goin' to cut when Ury and I sculp her out of the pig-nose apple
tree? We can do it by odd jobs, and the apples hain't good for nothin'
anyway."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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