Elsie at the World's Fair

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER XV.

  The _Dolphin_ lay at anchor in Mackinaw Bay only a day or two, in whichtime her passengers visited the fort, the village, and the cave of whichCaptain Raymond had spoken as the scene of that dreadful slaughter of theFrench by the Indians; then started on the return voyage to Chicago.

  They were still favored with pleasant weather, and passed most of the timeon deck. Mr. Lilburn seemed to appreciate the society of Miss Annis Keith,generally contriving to get a seat in her immediate vicinity, and toengage her in conversation; that did not strike anyone as strange,however, for Annis was a general favorite with both old and young, sheshowing a cousinly regard for all her relatives; especially for Mrs.Travilla; for the two had been almost lifelong friends. In these few daysthat they had been together they had had many private chats in which theyrecalled their early experiences at Pleasant Plains and the Oaks, andElsie had urged Annis to return with her to Ion and spend the comingwinter there.

  This invitation Annis was considering, and the more she thought upon itthe stronger grew her inclination to accept it. But she must go home firstto make some arrangements and preparations, she said.

  The two were conversing together thus, as they drew near the end of theirlittle trip, not caring that their talk might be audible to those aboutthem.

  "Surely it is not necessary that you should take much time forpreparation, Annis," remarked Mr. Dinsmore. "We of Ion and its vicinityhave abundance of stores and dress-makers near at hand. And you wouldbetter see all that you can of the Fair now, for it will soon be a thingof the past."

  "That is true, Cousin Annis," said the captain; "you would better staywith us and see as much as possible."

  "You are all very kind, cousins," she answered. "But I fear I am crowdingyou."

  "Not at all," he and Violet replied, speaking together; the latter adding,"We have all slept comfortably, and in the daytime there is certainlyabundance of room."

  "If you don't stay, Cousin Annis," Rosie said, with a merry look, "we willhave to conclude that you have not had room enough to make you quitecomfortable."

  "Then I certainly must stay," returned Annis, with a smile, "if my goingwould give so entirely false an impression; since I have had abundance ofroom and a most delightful time."

  "Then you will stay on?"

  "Yes, for a while; but I must go home for a day or two at least beforeleaving for the South."

  "We will let you know our plans in season for that," the captain promised,and the thing was considered settled.

  When her passengers awoke the next morning the _Dolphin_ was lying at herold anchorage near the beautiful Peristyle.

  All had returned rested and refreshed, and were eager to go on shore insearch of further entertainment and instruction.

  The greater part of the day was spent in the Midway Plaisance. Theyvisited the Lapland family of King Bull, the most prominent character inthat village, and found them all seated beside their odd-looking hut,which, like the others in the village, was made of skin, tent-like inshape, and banked up with moss. The entrance was very small, the door madeof a piece of wood. A fire was kept burning in the centre of the house, inthe ground. There was no chimney; some of the smoke escaped through alittle hole in the roof, if the wind was right. But if the wind comesfrom the wrong direction the smoke stays in the house, and the peopleenjoy it. It does not, however, improve their complexions, which are saidto be, in their native state, not unlike the color of a well-cured ham.

  King Bull they found had the largest house, and a very large family.

  The Laplanders marry young, and it is not unusual for a grandfather to beunder twenty-five years of age. King Bull was one hundred and twelve yearsold and had great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren, and every day heplayed for a little while with the youngest of those.

  Our friends learned that he had with him a son, Bals Bull, ninety yearsold, that he had a son aged seventy-three, he had a daughter agedfifty-nine, she a son aged forty-one, who had a son aged twenty-nine, whohad a daughter aged fourteen, and she a daughter two years old.

  "Dear me!" exclaimed Rosie, on hearing this, "how old it makes a bodyfeel! Why, just think! the mother of that two-year-old child is a yearyounger than you, Grace Raymond; and you don't consider yourself much morethan a child yet, do you?"

  "No, indeed! and don't want to be anything but my father's own littlegirl," returned Grace, giving him a loving look that said more than herwords.

  "Can you tell us if this looks like the real Lapland village, Harold!"asked Walter.

  "I am told it does," replied his brother; "that it is as nearly aspossible a reproduction of one, though of course it is not very large,there being but twenty-four Laplanders here."

  "What do they eat, papa?" asked little Elsie.

  "Fish and reindeer meat, and cheese made of the milk. The reindeer istheir most valuable possession: its skin is used for clothing, the fur iswoven into cloth, they drink the milk, and use the bones in the making oftheir sledges. They live entirely on such food during their winters, whichare nine months long."

  "And their summer only three months," said Evelyn, "I shouldn't likethat."

  "No, nor should I," said Herbert. "I think it must be by far the mostenjoyable part of the year, for it is usually spent at the seashore."

  "Are they heathen folks, papa?" asked Elsie.

  "Most of them are Lutherans," he answered. "Now let us go to the reindeerpark." They did so, found nine of the gentle creatures there, saw them geta bath of Lake Michigan water from a hose-pipe, which they were told wasgiven them three times daily. Then they were harnessed to their sledgesand driven around the park, just as they are driven in their own country.After that they ran races, then they were fed and milked.

  The children had been deeply interested in the gentle reindeer and seemedalmost loath to leave them when the performance was over. But those withwhich they were most delighted were three baby ones, two born on the wayover to this country, and one shortly after they reached Chicago, andwhich was named Columbia.

  "Now where shall we go next?" asked Rosie.

  "Suppose we try the diving exhibit," said Walter. "It is something Ishould like to see." They found it on the south side of Midway Plaisancein a small building surrounding a huge tank of water. On the balcony ofits second story stood a man turning a force-pump, which seemed to attracta good deal of attention from the passers-by.

  Each visitor paid ten cents at the door, then passed up a rude stairway bywhich he reached the surface of the water. There a lecturer was seated,who explained how the air was made to enter the diver's armor, and how toleave it. Then people were invited to throw small coins into the water.Captain Raymond put a bright dime into the hand of each of his youngerchildren and they gleefully tossed them in. The diver was in the bubblingwater, they could not see him, but presently, through a telephone, he gavethe dates on the coins. Then he came up to the surface of the watercarrying a dummy that looked like a drowned man and let the visitors seehim in his armor.

  "He looks just like that picture of him that we saw outside," remarkedlittle Elsie. "Ugh! I don't think I should ever be willing to wear suchclothes."

  "Armor!" corrected her mother in a mirthful tone. "No, dear, I should notwant to see you dressed in that style, unless to save you from drowning."

  But just then Mr. Dinsmore rose and led the way down another rough pinestaircase, the others following.

  Reaching the lower story they found a great many peep-holes through whichthey could look in upon the water of the tank. To each of these holes thediver came in turn, holding up a card on which was printed a farewellcompliment. His hands looked shrivelled and soaked, and Grace and theother young girls afterward expressed sincere pity for him, saying theythought his life must be a hard one.

  On leaving the diving exhibit they went to the Fisheries Building, whichthey found very beautiful. In its east pavilion was a double row ofgrottoed and illuminated aquaria containing the strangest inhabitants ofthe deep. Here t
hey saw bluefish, sharks, catfish, bill-fish, goldfish,rays, trout, eels, sturgeon, anemones, the king-crab, burr-fish,flounders, toad-fish, and many other beautiful or remarkable inhabitantsof the great deep; and the illuminated and decorated aquaria showed themto great advantage. It was said that nothing so beautiful had hithertobeen seen west of London.

  The surface of the water in the aquaria was many feet above the heads ofeven the gentlemen of the party, but there were nearly six hundred feet ofglass front, so that everybody could have a good view of the strange andbeautiful creatures within. They all watched them for some time withcuriosity and interest, the little folks questioning their papa about oneand another variety, new to them, but old acquaintances to one who hadspent many years upon the sea.

  "Papa," said Elsie, "there is one that looks a good deal like a flower. Isit a live thing? What is its name?"

  "That is what is called the sea anemone," he replied. "It is not a flowerthough, but an animal. It is said to have been called by the name of thatflower about a hundred years ago, by a celebrated investigator in thedepartment of natural history, named Ellis. He thought it a suitable namebecause their tentacles are in regular circles and tinged with bright,lively colors, nearly representing some of our elegantly fringed flowers,such as the carnation, marigold, and anemone. And so they do while in thewater, and undisturbed. But when a receding tide leaves them on the shorethey contract into a jelly-like mass with a puckered hole in the top.There"--pointing it out--"is the most common of the British species of seaanemone. It attaches itself to rocks and stones from low-water almost tohigh-water mark. The tentacula--these feelers that look like the fringe ofa flower--you see are nearly as long as the body is high, and nearly ofthe same color. See, there is an azure line around the base, and on thebase are dark green lines converging toward the centre; and around theedge of the mouth is a circle of azure tubercles, like turquoise beads ofthe greatest beauty. I wish I could show them to you, but the mouth mustbe expanded in order to make them visible. Ah, that is just the thing!" assomeone standing near threw in a bit of meat which had the desired effect,the mouth of the anemone opening wide to receive it.

  "Oh, they are very beautiful!" exclaimed Rosie, watching the appearance ofthe beadlike tubercles of which the captain had just spoken.

  "Don't they eat anything but meat, papa?" asked Neddie.

  "Yes; crabs, sea-worms, and fish; the tentacula are furnished with minutespears with which they wound their prey and probably convey poison intothe wounds."

  "I suppose this is salt water they are all in?" Walter said enquiringly,and was told that he was correct in his conjecture.

  On leaving the building they spent some time in examining its outside,finding its columns and arches wrought with calamus, fishes, frogs,serpents, and tortoises, making them very appropriate and beautiful.