Samantha at the St. Louis Exposition Part 23

The people are not goin' to forgit their poet. He who taught that no matter what the rank, a man wuz a man "for a' that." Who sung and dignified the humble pleasures of the poor. "The Cotter's Sat.u.r.day Night" will be remembered when many a scientific tome and eloquent poem writ in long words is dust and ashes. And the scathing irony and wit satirizing the ignorant rich, the scorn of meanness and bigotry, the love of liberty and justice the melting tenderness of his love poems, the People he loved and wrote for, will not forget.

The big open fireplace might have been the one immortalized in his poetry. There wuz a high clock like the one that told him the hours, anxious hours, weary hours, happy hours, hours radiant with the poet's inspiration. Despairin' hours full of anxiety and dread for the wife and children he loved. It told the hours of day and night too, for Robert did love what he called a good time, and I presoom Bonnie Jean read the face of that old clock with anxiety and weariness writ in her own face when the small hours struck and her Robbie wuz away with gay companions.

And with what despairin' grief did she read its calm old face while her poet writ this sad truth:

"I'm wearin' awa' to the Land o' the Leal."

And there wuz a cupboard with blue and white dishes and a sugar bowl that he and Bonnie Jean had used. Oh, warm fingers, tired fingers! how long you've been dust, and the little piece of metal still endures. Oh, my soul! the wonder and the pity on't.

There are chairs, tables, spinning wheel, etc., similar to those that were in the Burns cottage. But there is a reel that wuz used by Bonnie Jean herself, I took holt on't tryin' to bring to my mind what emotions she had time and agin as she reeled her threads on and off, love, anxiety, ambition, fear, hopes and sorrows; how they twined and ontwined in her faithful breast as the reel turned, emotions stilled long ago, long ago.

And there wuz the very griddle and toaster with which Bonnie Jean toasted the bread for her Robbie. Many and many a time her heart, I presoom to say seemin' to git seared in the burnin' fires of jealousy whilst the bread wuz toastin'. For Robert wuz a man of many fancies, and though a wife through pride or affection may seem blind to such things, yet burns will smart and "jealousy is as cruel as the grave."

But many a time also whilst she toasted her bread her heart would bound with joy and pride thinkin' of some triumph the man she loved had won, or rememberin' some words of love and appreciation he had whispered in her ear, which made the dark world over in a minute into a bright one, for wimmen's hearts beat the same in Ayr or Jonesville, and Bonnie Jean wuz proud of her poet lover and loved him. And he loved her the biggest heft of the time, and mebby all the time; men are queer in such things and their ways past findin' out.

'Tennyrate my heart bent in homage to his genius and his bravely borne poverty and sufferin'. And I wished, oh, how I wished that some of the pride and honor showered on him now the world over could have brightened his hard life when it wuz needed. But it wuzn't to be, I wuzn't there to advise folks, or to cheer him and Jean up by my warm appreciation and good vittles. And I reluctantly tore myself away from the memory-hanted spot.

Molly wuz dretful interested here too, but naterally wanted to ride in the Intremoral railway and see all she could, it bein' her first visit. So as I had spoke of wantin' to see the air-s.h.i.+ps we went there next and then to the Philippines.

Sister Sylvester Bobbett laughed when I told her that probable Josiah and I would go to the next Exposition through the air.

Sez she, "You might jest as well talk about goin' through the ground."

But I wuz glad to see that other folks realized the importance of the subject, for they have given as much s.p.a.ce to air navigation as for all the other modes of transportation put together. The buildin' covers about fourteen acres-I wonder what Sister Bobbett would say to that, the walls are thirty feet high, the lower twelve feet, air tight, the upper eighteen feet lattice work.

Part on't is a sort of a harbor for their air-s.h.i.+ps to light in. They say they need a still harbor away from boisterous winds jest as much as water s.h.i.+ps do. This is the first Air-s.h.i.+p harbor ever built. Josiah said it wuz the humbliest buildin' on the Fair ground, and it wuzn't a beauty so fur as architecture goes.

But I sez, "Handsome is as handsome duz! I don't spoze," sez I, "that Noah's Ark wuz a beauty, but he started a new world with it, and I believe this buildin' holds the great hope and promise of the future in the way of transportation, and it looks good to me."

It stands between Physical Culture Hall and the Hall of Lady Managers. I wuz glad it wuz where wimmen could keep an eye on 'em and keep 'em from bein' run on. In one corner on't is two stalls, jest as they have horse stalls in barns, but these stalls are one hundred and eighty feet long and forty feet wide. There wuz most ninety entries for the contest. If they make a speed of twenty milds an hour they git a prize of one hundred thousand. I would like to know what Sister Bobbett would think of that.

Josiah said he believed they wuz dangerous, but the head of this company told me with his own mouth that he had traveled over fifteen States in air-s.h.i.+ps and had never been hurt or even skairt, and I told Josiah that wuz more than he could say of our wheel-barrow that had never been out of Jonesville. Josiah went out one dark night to shet the barn door and fell over it, and it rared up on him and throwed him; he wuz skairt to death thinkin' it wuz a burglar who wuz tryin' to fight him.

I had to take the lantern and go out and rescue him, and I hain't goin' to tell how he kicked that wheel-barrow when he re_cog_nized it, and the language he hurled at it. It wuz onbecomin' a deacon, and I told him so.

Next to the Hall of Electricity, the great onseen Wizard that sways the world, this Hall of Air-s.h.i.+ps wuz interestin' to me, for it is the transportation of the future. Baby eyes blinkin' now at the canopys of their cribs will look up and see the blue sky above 'em cleft by the white wings of great s.h.i.+ps of the air sailin' to and fro with no treacherous rocks to dash aginst, no forests to subdue or mountains to tunnel, no roads to break, to and fro, back and forth s.h.i.+ning white aginst the crimson sunset, aginst the rosy dawn, and the cloudless noon. Oh, what a sight for the eyes that will behold 'em! I wish I could stand it till then, but most probable I can't, and I wouldn't want to anyway if Josiah couldn't be there to see 'em with me; and his health hain't what it wuz, his liver is bad. But I think sometimes that Josiah and I may look on and behold this glorious sight from some cloudy terrace of the Better Country; I'd love to if we could. But 'tennyrate it will be seen by them that live long enough.

I took solid comfort and lots and lots of it wandering round seeing these immense Travelers of the Sky and askin' questions and lookin' forward towards the glories that is to be.

Josiah and Blandina didn't enjoy it so much as I did, though Josiah, always wantin' to embark in some new enterprise, thought he should go up in one whilst he wuz there. He said he wanted to brag on't to Deacon Henzy and Deacon Huffer. And I told him that wuzn't the right sperit to show, it wuzn't the sperit of a true Discoverer tryin' to solve the problems of the future through love for G.o.d and humanity.

And he said he guessed he knew what he took comfort in and what he didn't.

Well, we rid round considerable so's to give Molly a view of the Cascades and big buildin's, and then we went on to the Philippines. This is the largest single exhibit at the Fair and covers forty-seven acres of beautiful woodland and water s.p.a.ces, and is the largest colonial display ever made. I told Josiah as we walked towards it, Molly and Blandina goin' a little ahead, "What wuz the use of travelin' so fur to see our new possessions?"

"Yes," sez he; "no use spendin' so much money."

This wuz to me one of the most interestin' exhibits at the Fair. And I thought it a first rate idee to show off to the world the almost limitless wealth as well as the hard problems that face Uncle Sam in his new possessions, for like a careful pa he will see that they learn how to take care of themselves before he sets 'em up in independent housekeepin'.

We went over a fine bridge, copied from one of their own into the walled city of Manila. Here in one room you see all of its war exhibits, immense cannons, the blow guns of the Negritos; axes the Iggorote head-hunters used to cut off the heads of their enemies. The Moro cris, the wooden guns and bamboo cannons and home-made powder used in 'em by the insurgent army with the rough machinery used in makin' it.

Wanderin' on you see the nita huts of the Visayans, big handsome fellows they are and pretty refined wimmen, and hear their weird melodies as they are at work making their beautiful bamboo furniture, and weaving their handsome blankets, etc.

You see on the hillside the huts of the Negritos, black little creeters. Then you see the Iggrotes, a real village, some of the housen brought from their own land and the rest built here by them from their own materials. It is jest as though you stepped over to the mountains of Luzon and see 'em at their simple housekeepin'.

I whispered anxiously to Josiah to keep clost watch of his own head, for though they promised to not pursue their favorite pastime till they got back home agin, yet I didn't know what might happen, though I felt he wuzn't in so much danger, his bald head bein' so slippery and nothin' to lay holt on, still I kep' a clost watch on that dear head all the while we wuz there.

Josiah didn't sense his own danger, but whispered, "I'm glad enough Bruno is to home." They will eat dogs and dance their war dances, but I spoze I couldn't hender 'em, so didn't try to advise 'em. Some on 'em didn't have clothes enough on to be decent unless you call the tatooin' on their naked bodies, clothes. I see Josiah looked at 'em with interest, and he wondered if common ink and diamond dyes could be used, and if Ury could handle 'em.

And I hurried him on to the encampment of the Moros. Here we see the men and wimmen dressed in silk and satin, but cut after patterns I would never let Josiah wear or wear myself. Some of these Moro girls are quite handsome in their bright striped mantillys, their long hair hanging down under their gay turbans. One of these villages is on land and one built on bamboo poles over the water. Jest open sheds covered with nipa leaves. Anyone with rumatiz couldn't stand it in 'em.

But what took Josiah most of all wuz the tree dwellers, their houses are built up in the highest trees they can find, and they git to 'em by ladders they pull up after 'em; as he looked on 'em I see in Josiah's reminescent eye dreams of summer housen in our ellums and maples, and I hurried him on. Blandina said she could be perfectly happy up there with a congenial companion, and I knowed she wuz thinkin' of Aspire Todd; but she never could git him up there, for his tongue is the strongest part on him.

We all admired the Native Scouts; they live in a little village of tents in a beautiful piece of woodland. There are four companies, Visayan, Tagalog, Maccabebe and Ilicano. Their band of music, and the band of eighty pieces of the native constabulary are called the finest at the Exposition. When they march they all seem to be one body; so smooth and even are their movements, they are called the most perfectly drilled soldiers in the country.

Jest think on't, if they show off so now what will they do at the next Exposition. There are ten large buildings containing their enormous display of art and science, education, agriculture, horticulture, manufactures, commerce, etc. Some of the statutes and pictures are beautiful; you couldn't tell some of 'em from them brought from abroad. But folks don't seem to realize that some of the Filippinos are as refined and cultured as if they come from the middle of Boston.

Their forestry exhibit is the finest ever brought to any Exposition and contains everything relating to the fifty million acres of Philippine forests, splendid timber, over fifteen hundred different kinds of wood, rattans, gutta percha, dye stuffs, trees yielding oil, gums, rosin, etc. The mineral exhibit shows how rich these islands are in gold, copper, coal and other minerals. In agriculture you see the great display of fibres, Manila hemp which brought 'em over twenty-two millions last year, ropes made from bamboo, cocoa-nut, rattan. Sugar, tobacco, coffee, hats, baskets and other articles made from palm leaves, bamboo, rattan and nito, colored by their own native dyes. In the flower display are the most rare and exquisite orchids growing jest as common there as weeds along the Jonesville road. One interestin' display wuz a map built out doors showin' more than 2,000 islands, their shape and comparitive size.

But most of all I wuz interested in the educational exhibit. So anxious have they been to learn night schools have had to be established. The big normal school building in Manila is handsome enough for any American city, and the smaller district and industrial schools are doing jest as good work. Our Government sent five hundred and forty teachers there in 1901, and now we have about seven hundred there. I took comfort in seein' the great work they have done, as well as the church and private schools, and how well they're learning and getting along.

Anyone could spend five weeks at least jest at the Philippine display, and find abundance to interest 'em all the time in the educational, art, manufacturing, horticultural, agricultural and other displays, but we hadn't no five weeks to spend, so we had to move on, but I felt proud enough to see what my revered Uncle Sam had done and wuz doing.

Truly he took a big job on his hands to take care of such an immense family, and differin' so widely in cultivation, temperament and clothes, to lead the ignorant ones into civilization and keep peace in the family and among his own folks.

He'll have as hard work to do it as that widower I hearn on who had three or four children of his own, and married a widow who also had a number, and then they had several, and one day she came callin' to her husband, "Come quick! come quick! Your children and my children are fightin' with our children."

But Uncle Sam will be on hand, he'll wade right in with a birch gad or a spellin' book, jest which he thinks they need most at the time, and settle the differences all right, and I believe it will be a star in his crown in time to come: turning the savages and cannibals that inhabit part of these new possessions into good American citizens.

I don't spoze I shall see the day when this shall fully come to pa.s.s, and mebby the babies of to-day will be great-grandpas before it takes place, but it will be, I believe, and so duz Josiah.

Yes, he's doin' a good job by his step-children, I guess they would be called that seein' he stepped in when they wuz poor and oppressed and took 'em under his care.

I honor him for it, but wish he would do as well by his steal children, the dark complexioned ones stole away from their own land to be slaves and drudges for his white children.

He'll mebby tell me they wuz ignorant and degraded and wuz better off here than in their own land, but I'll say back to him, "Samuel, Josiah and I would probable be in a better house and more high-toned society if some king or other should steal us and carry us away from our humble farm to their palace. But do you spoze we would enjoy ourselves as well? No indeed!"

And 'tennyrate they're here, the problem that lays so heavy on the Southern and Northern heart and conscience and the riddle gits harder and harder to solve. The lurid blaze of livin' torches makes b.l.o.o.d.y blindness in the eyes of them that look on and light them fires. The disgraceful glare flames out, shamin' you in the eyes of the world, and streams up to the pityin' heavens askin' for justice.

Mebby you'll tell me you don't see how you can help it, but Samuel, you must try, for though there are here and there oasises in the gloom lighted up by education and inteligence still there remains the great mult.i.tude of your steel children that you ort to help, you ort to do as well by them settin' in long rows right on your very doorstep as you're doin' for them six thousand milds off. Sinners must be punished by law, else what is law made for? Order must be kep', the helpless protected, but you know, Samuel, that if some of the disgraceful seens that are bein' enacted here right under your dear old nose took place amongst your adopted Philippine children or even amongst your protejays in Turkey or China you would send out a wars.h.i.+p to once. I am sorry for you, Samuel, and think the world on you, but faithful are the woonds of a friend; you must hear the truth once in awhile or who knows what would become on you, you might puff up with proud flesh and have to have an operation, and I guess you will anyway before you git through with this problem.

I presoom you want me to advise you what to do, only bein' a man you hain't really wanted to come out and ask me. Josiah acts jest like that lots of times.

So I'll say to you, I honor you, Samuel, for what you're doin' for these foreign children, but I want you to do jest as much to home. I want you to send teachers and found schools at your own expense; you're four handed and able to do it. And Id'no but you had better buy land in their own home you stole them from, buy a small farm for each one that wants to go. Travelers say that in the Valley of the Nile, a country with similar climate and soil to the south land where they wuz born, is an unoccupied place big enough for each one to have a small farm of their own. I want you, Samuel, to buy this land for 'em, take 'em back there at your own expense, all that want to go. There are plenty of the young and enterprising who would go full of the hope of foundin' a new republic for their own race, where they can expand and grow strong away from parlyzing influence of racial and social hatred.

There would be lots of 'em who wouldn't want to go, and why can't you, Samuel, I'd say, buy them a little home here, for instance, on the vast unoccupied area of Florida? Let 'em have the hull state if necessary; let each family have their little piece of land, and then make 'em work it; send teachers, found schools, teach 'em to be self sustaining and self respecting.

Samuel would probable sa.s.s me back and say, You can't teach a n.i.g.g.e.r to respect himself and stand upright.