Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-12-29

II they had liked they could have
stopped in their own country as vel
as not. and heard some Of them say
ing during the voyage that if they
could they would spend nine months
out Of the year in Paris. But they
made as much fuss over the first
lump of sand we saw us II we were
discovering the north pole. Some OF
them had taken this trip dozen times
or maybe more, but any one would
have thought it was as new to them
as to me.
1t seemed as il were sailing In u
dream to dreamland, and everything
would be q dream till | found myself
waking up Mt home. II any one had
pinched me hardly believe | should
have felt it as stood by the raj!
while we steamed toward New York
We passed a big fort and some neat
little houses. which looked like ofi.
GERS quarters. There was Long Is
land and Coney Island, which Mr..
Doremus said | must be personally
conducted" to see some day when
felt young and frivolous. And by and
by l heard people exclaiming: There's
Liberty-there she Is! Bless the dear
old girl"
While | was wondering whether
they were talking Of q lady or a ship
caught sight of a majestic giantess.
obligingly holding q torch up to light
the world Then I knew 1t was the
statue which had read about.
"What do you think Of her% asked
Mr.. Doremus.
"She's grande DAME" l said.
"Now | know why your girls hold
themselves SO well. They're trying to
live up to the ideal American woman.
But she isn't as big as l thought she
would be. Nothing ever is as big as you
think it's going to be, especially when
Americans have told yoa about It, for
one has been brought up to believe
that their big things are bigger than
anybody else's in the whole world"
$50 they are" said Mr.. Doremus,
"only where all the things are big you
don't notice them for the high grass.
And over there's some Of the grass"
He pointed, and saw great num-
ber Of enormous objects, shaped like
chimneys and apparently about a mile
high, scattered aimlessly along the
horizon, which was brilliant, hmpid
blue.
"What are they" I asked. Great,
strange factories Of some sort?"
"No. Houses where pretty women
live and Offices where men make the
money for them to live on"
"You must be joking. Women would
be afraid to perch up there in the sky.
Besides, it would take too long to 60
up and down"
Nothing takes long In America.
And It comes natural to our women to
perch up high. Statues aren't the only
things we buy pedestals for this side
Of the porpoise tank. You just wait
and see."
81 don't need to wait to see that
American men are nice to women,
said I. "Perhaps no nicer than Eng.
lishmen, really. only you seem to take
q great deal more trouble. Fancy all
the men ut Mrs. Van der Windt's Ia
BILE drawing lots every night for the
right to sit by her and the two Misses
Eastman. I don't believe 1t would
have occurred to Englishmen. The
ones who really wanted to sit there
would have tried to get to their places
first. that's all. l do think 1t was pret
ty of you"
wasn't It? Especially supposins
none Of us particularly wanted-but
never mind. Talking of pretty things
here are the docks"
They were big enough to satisfy even
my expectations. aud wished that
I'd Insisted ON being taken by some
one long ago to visit the London docks
so that might know whether ours
were better or worse. One never
thinks of going to see things at home
but | began to suspect that l might
some day be stabbed with jealous
panss and need to be stuffed with 8
lot Of facts about England. though
until / knew Americans I've been II
the habit of thinking facts the least
interesting things in the world. The!
seemed like chairs to sit on or floors
to walk OIL without noticing what yor
were doing. but suppose 1t might bf
awkward without chairs and floors.
Soon we were near enough to New
York to see the tremendous chimney
things clearly. and they sharpened the
impression that was sailing straight
into dream. There could be no such
things In the real world. They wouldn't
De possible. But the dream felt very
interesting and intense all Of sud
Cen. and l didn't want to wake VI
from 1t just then In spite Of Mrs. Ess
EGy.
The tall shapes were bright and
vivid now. as giant hOllyhocks grow
In ia irregular rows. Still they die
not look one bit like houses or offices
where people could work without go
Ing stark, staring mad. got queel
idea in my head that the houses them
selves must be buried deep under
ground. like bulbs, with only theil
towers sticking up.
The next thing that happened In thu
dream was slowing majestically init
our own dock, and that was wonder
| full. The whole place was alive Will
faces. mostly pretty girls faces, un
der fascinating hats, gay as hower'
| in a flower show, parterre above par
.crre of brilliant blossoms. And the!
had all been grown in honor OF us.
There was n wild waving Of hand
kerchiefs on the ship and a frantic
futterlng Of white among the flowers
as il flock Of butterflies had beel
frightened up into the air. Still w
were u long time getting In. and
grew quite impatient. But hnall!
Louise, who had attended to my pack