Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-31
CENTENNIAL T 7

We are permitted to use a por-
ton of apriyate letter written from
Philadelphia by a lady to a friend
in this city:
AS yet have only taken a sweep
ing glance at some of the buildings
to get a general idea. While fully
sensible of the power and useful
ness of machinery, the examination
of it is not my highest pleasure. OF
course l made obeisance to that
monarch of machines, the Cor
liss engine" whose gigantic steel
arms go up and down, and great
wheels go round with such power
and precision, one looks on with a
sort Of awe, especially when we
know all the thousand or more ma
chimes in the vast building are run
by that one, the king Of all engines,
| would advise sensitive persons to
go direct from Machinery Hall to
the horticultural Hall. Imagine
the roar Of a thousand ma
chimes = perhaps several thou.
sand. The building is so large
make no pretence to accuracy Of
number-carpet-weaving Silk-weav.
ing, wood-sawing, ETC., ETC., and
good-sized cataract of water thrown
in, and then the repose, the quiet
Of green halls, splendid with plants
and trees and flowers of far coun,
tries. The banana and orange are
seen in fruit. The camphOr tree
and the India-rubber-the latter
from Brazil. The tree-fern, from
Australia, is a singular tree. l
grows straight up ten or ffteeI
feet high, rough-barked, brown an(
branches, ten or twelve inches il
diamater; then from the SUNNI
suddenly springs out luxuriant
long-leaved, green and graceful
ferns, like green plumes, dropping
downward. From a cursory viey
of the different halls l think
shall like the art exhibition
best of all. The collection G
statuary is large. and many ar
beautiful. The figures that hav
most fixed themselves in my min,
are Medea and Thetis. Thetis, til
silver footed, as Homer calls her,
! sitting with the infant Achilles i
S her arms, thinking how she ca
a avert its doom. Thetis is the beat
tiful, thoughtful, loving mothe.
' Medea stands grandly erect, with
dagger in her hand and revenge j
{ her heart. She is the wronged an
e desperate mother. Robbed of hi
5 children, she is ready for any teri
BILE work. Both of these marb.
figures fully come up to ones Idle,
a of these two celebrated and unfo.
4 tunate mothers. The paintings a
numerous. One Of the largest al
most striking represents a Bib
e. story. 1t is painful, pitiful al
g. horrible to look at this pictul
e A dark and desperate woman
e defending the bodies of her de-
sons from fierce and hungry VI
ms lures. Seven youths hang stiff al
81 straight in a row from a gallows
~ Il dense wood, and the wretch.
mother stands by their side to fig
off the vultureS. (See II Samu,
n xxi verse;.
en- David the king sent five gran
be sons and two sons of Saul to
81. hanged, ''to atone to the Lord" /
the sins of Saul, who was dead a
b. buried, and therefore, not there
I'd atone for his own sins. Rizpah, t
re mother of two hanged sons, is dr.
DIS ing away the birds. Michal, Sau
bbss daughter, the mother of five har
is ing boys, was not there to ass
Rizpah, Doubtless she, pc
OF woman, was overwhelmed
ay her loss-fye at once. In &
other place we are told DAY
married Michal, Saul's daught
nd and "put her away" because
ventured to tell him he {
m. not dance well! Can it be posi-
ON the five young sons of Michal w
ICE also Dayid's sons? and that Da'
ant sent his own sons to be hanged 9
IN. atone to the Lord" for Saul's sil
iii If they were not his own sons Il
~ must have been his step-sons;
either case-but comment is ann
essary. The picture is at the sa
~ time horrible, and painfully
Se' thetic. The mothers of to-,
l"s have reason to rejoice they did
a live under that good King Da
of old. Yours truly, E. A. N
all HATS are cleaned, dyed, repaired
ION NO. UooJ 90 h., ALL