The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-12
For the Farmer anl Mechanic
Aunt EelisSa's Trip 10 the Ex-
position.
By tie author Of Then ana No,c. .
CoHtinucd from last .reek.

ana not come to the end OF II. But don /
AK me what | seen, Tor i can't tell YOU.
There was wagon loads Of the prettlest
silk quilts and knitted couutcrpanes-
some mighty old ones. There was en- bor-
der d garments, and lace trimmed. and
feather edged. There was table covers.
and curtains. and pictures, and rugs aud
pillow shans and sofa. cushions. and car
pets and pin cushions aud everything
you could call for. from 4 bonnet to 4
coffin, and they did have some Of the
finest to be sure, Furniture. the nices {
and finest, books, iewelry, candy and
goodness knows what all for | never
could remember all, | seen. What
tracted my 'tention was some OF the
.comicalest shoes | ever seen. They
looked sorter like basket work and wood
put together. Then thar WAS some lee
tie teensy ones, almost too small for q
big baby. and Tom said they come from
a mighty far of place where they make
womens feet small, by tying them up
when they was babies. | thanked the
Lord didn't live thar, and felt proud o.
wearing my number seven. Then there
was a funny hat, that looked sorter Ike
a waiter and sorter like a terrapin she'll
the crlriousest hat | ever sot my eyes
on.
Then there was q soldier coat taken
or en- him after the battle was over.
thought OF my dear brother, killed at
Manassa, nigh upon twenty-iour years
ago, and my eyes got right chock full o.!
tears. l seen man cryin', and his
folks axcd him what he was a cryin'
about. Said he, pintin at 4 flag, Git
was where al! that yaller calico wasl
y fought under that fac, and have seen
many many poor fellow killed under
it," I felt sorry for him, ] kaowod how
It vas.
There was little dell widow a hoIdin'
out her hand, and little bcX under it
for money for the poor orphins Tom
dropped some money in it, for SCI he
Melissa, though our children is an
grown, we has some little grand children
that may need help some day Tm
has one of the best hearts in the world.
seed a little ship, thai looked Just like
it was of terbaccer and a house made OF
terbaccer, parasol and some bonnets.
also seed them a knittin' socks and stock
ms by machinery, thought then, when
seed them knit so fast, that | never
would knit any more with my poor old
fingers, but then m used TO it, and it
don't 90 hard with me. Then | seen a
man gettin' silk out of the Cocoons, they
calls them. He had a tin concern a
Settin afoe him. filled with right bilin'
hot water, and he jest dipped them in
thar and stirred them aroun', and then
ierkcd them out, and slides his fingers
over them. and twisted someshin' like
old dirty thread right roun' one of his
fingers. Then he reeled them off, with
the Queerest contrivance that ever l
seen; and thar was hanks of yaller silk
a showin' | told Tom it was the nighes
kin to a miracle, Of anything that ever |
knowed. Then we saw them weavin
handkerchies, and weaYin' cloth, and
dom all manner of things by machinery.
| couldn't begin to 'splain it all. There
was corn, and wheat and oats, stacked
up like stack cake, big at the bottom
and little at the top. Ii was pretty
sight ; and l thinks the people must a
had hard work, a iiXin' it up so fine and
fancy.
But Tom said, ''ole 'oman my corn
this year is mighty nigh as good as
that; and next year Pm gwine to beat
It," / said nothin', for | knew lie hated
so bad to be beat, but Toms corn
is not nigh sich corn as that. My mouth
watered to see so many nice peaches aud
apples and other fruits canned so pretty
| though l has some very nice myself
| There was tree there, bigger By a long
shot than my pantry at home, if not a.
my kitchen. Then there was corn
stalk, and in it was any quantity 81
stuffed birds, the prettiest birds l ever
\ did see. Then there was all sorts oftish
! One with sticky lOokin' things al over
'tracted my 'tentIon. Under it was
written hands off, Sez 1 to Tom
that means, he once had hands bu
they is Off now" | seed Tom lookin
mighty comical around the mouth, anC
laughin' easy to himself, and then hC
'splained that that meant people mus
not fetch them" | felt sorter shame(
at first, but then / got to studyin' abou
it, that Tom had had better chance
than I had had and he ought to know
better than did. There was bic ole
iron thing that looked like 4 bic stow,
pipe, all full of holes. Tom. sez |, wha
is that brought here for? 1t pears mt
we have our old stove pipe at home
about as hansOm." Tom read what wa:
on the keard. and found that it belonged
to some ole vesul. l forgot the name
There was a ligger there, dressed up too
a dress nightly ike those that was
fashionable when | was gal, with
funny lookin' old straw bonnet, tha
looked like it had been hid IN the garre
a long time. Then | seed dress, tha
cost a thCusan' dollars, that didn't lool
much finer than my darter Alary's sun
day one But Tom said it was a mai
whatmade dresses, who charged so mucl
Tor them. Then sez |. right positive
II shouldn't have him to make one 70
me then, its outrageous" :" Well. By am
BY. we got our lunch and ate 1t. am
Tom got me glass Of soda water, ant
then We wen ruuu' to the musician
stan and sot down, and hearn then
play. But Tom soon got tired, an
saws, Melissa. sit here - long as yo
please; and let me find you here vsle
/ come back; If you choose to walk of
come back here again by four o'cloch
and I'll be here.'' Well artcr | GOT res
ted, L 'cluded I'd walk .roun' spell
So | started, and | kept seem. first on
thing and then another, till didu nc
tice which way | WAS soin. Well arte
awhile, l began to think il must be set
tin toward four, aud | must be gettil
back. So | aXed lady who had a lin
gold watch at her side, what time
was. Half past four" said she. M
mercy"' said l. 4 must get back to III
ole man. and with that [ started baC
what l thought was the right way, an