Even Josiah wuz impressed with the simple, noble perfection of that
buildin'. I heard him say--
"By Crackey! not a bit of lace or tattin'; not a streamer of ribbin.
Well done for wimmen; they have riz up for once above gauzes, and
flummeries, and ornaments."
"No," sez I; "if you want to look at ornament, you might look at the
Adminstration Buildin', designed by a man. Men love ornament, Josiah
Allen."
He quailed; he hadn't forgot the pink necktie he wanted to adorn
himself with, and the breastpin he wanted to put on that mornin'.
The waters of the lagoon in front of the buildin' is as wide as a bay;
from the centre of this rises the grand landin' and staircase, leadin'
to a terrace six feet above the water.
The first terrace is laid out in glowin' flower-beds, and anon, green
flowerin' shrubs, above which the ivory white balustrade shines out,
separatin' it from the upper terrace.
And along the upper terrace, about one hundred feet back, the beautiful
Woman's Buildin' rises, with a background of stately old oak trees.
This most artistic and beautiful buildin' consists of a centre pavilion,
flanked at each end by corner pavilions, connected by open corridors
forming a sheltered and beautiful walk the hull length of the structure.
On goin' through a wide lobby you come into a vast open rotunda reachin'
clear up to the top of the buildin', where the sunlight falls down most
graciously through a richly ornamented skylight. This rotunda is
surmounted by a two-story open arcade, as delicate and refined in its
beauty as the outside of the buildin', givin' light and air in abundance
to all of the rooms openin' into the interior space. On the first floor,
on the right hand, is located a model kindergarten; on the left, a
model horsepital. You see, these two things are attended to the first
thing by wimmen.
Wimmen have always had to take time by the forelock and do the most
important things first, or she never would be done with her work.
Before she tackled the ironin', or dishwashin', or piecin' up bedquilts,
or knittin', she has always had to dress, and nurse, and take care of
the children, make them comfortable, and take care of the sick; had to,
or it wouldn't be done.
And she wuzn't goin' to stop her good, tender, motherly doin's here--not
at all. No; the children, the future hope of our country, the Lord's
work laid onto mothers, is on the _right_ side.
Here are shown the very latest and best helps in takin' care and
trainin' up these little immortals, teachin' them to be good first, and
then wise, and healthy all the time--the most important work in the hull
world, in my estimation; for the children we spank to-day will hold the
destinies of the human race in their hands to-morrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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