News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-06-09
BETTY AT THE FAIR
Letters of the Panama Pacific Expo.
sitiOn by Florence Livingston


Your J. '"r has glV'n me the greatest
joy, and ! am touched that you should
have gone out of the beaten paths of YOU
busy life to find things to write thai
would be of interest to me. l feel as il
1 had seen you and heard your dear voice
and | promise not to be lonesome fol
days and days.
oughtn't to be, anyhow, for l have
constant companionship. The suns OF
Saturn are not more faithful than Joe.
although they have been tested longer.
Sometimes | wonder what is going on in
that little brown head and whether the
child is as happy as he pretends to be.
| try to give him some definite enioy-
ment each day, but it is fact that drag
him about TO places which are probably
not exciting from his standpoint, how
ever much they may interest me. And
yet can't be certain. He always finds
something that apparently holds his at
tention. while I fit about from one dis
play to another, and then we meet and
travel on again.
To-day l pioted the little chap through
several fancywork exhibits in the Cali
| fornia building. On previous visits we
have stayed ON the main floor; this morn
| ing we visited the balcony, and that is
where the exquisite hand work is so fine
| and gossamer-like that it is no wonder it
| floated to the top. 1t is all beautiful
mystery to me, like the intricate carving
in the Chinese pavilion. | admire, but |
| do not comprehend, and it is possible
| that Joe feels the same way. He looked
| long and gravely at some glass cases
filed with punch work, tatting and rose
point, but not one solitary word could I
get from him. Sometimes the thought
| crosses my mind that he may be prepar-
ing to burst upon the world rs great
actor.
However, 1 am sure that he did enjoy
the Philippine building, which is focused
between the eyes of New York and Mas
sachusetts-one of the newest acquisi-
most conservative States of the Union.
Whatever vexation the islands may have
| causen, they make an overwhelming dis
play of natural resources and of skill in
various lines of industry. The building
itself is interesting and beautiful. 1t is
in the form of quadrangle around an
open court, where concerts are given
daily by the Constabulary Band.
t. oe, ID
trunks, and the entrance and rotunda are
of elegant hardwood panelng. An en-
ormous round table of hardwood in the
main room is surrounded by hospitable
number of chairs; some of polished wood
and some of reeds with fan backs, The
latter are wonderfully fascinating, and
more than any other one element they
suggest a tropical climate, where the
hardest work one wants to do is to sit
lazily on a porch and drink lemonade
through a straw.
10 the left wing are interesting prod
ucts, with Filipinos at work at their
various crafts. We watched them weav-
ing, making lamp shades, and executing
nrawnwork, and then we undertook to
learn how a Philippine hat is made.
Perhaps you know that this excels the
Panama hat, although it ought not to
have that effrontery in this particular
exposition. We conferred our attention
on dapper little Filipino busiy weav-
ing the split strands back and forth, but
I,tt Noh tl,o Il.
told him he was working his fingers so
fast that we didn't believe he was doing
anything else. He smiled good-naturedly
and went more slowly, so that we might
follow the details of his paipstaking
work.
How long does it take you to make
hat?" l inquired.
"Six days, because / am not profess |
sional", was the smiling answer. "a |
professional he makes three or |
four in week."
Think of it, father! You and l would |
have to practice three or four gener- |
atoms before we could make one of those |
hats in year. 1 gave up trying to learn |
and went into the orchid house, where |
could admire without being reminded |
that other human beings have far greater |
skill than can ever reach. This small |
house contains large variety of orchids,
many of which had never seen before. |
Piled high under the tables were queer |
elongated things, with green leaves stick
ing out at one end. had to ask to find |
out that these were cocoanuts anxious to |
be put into the ground so that they could |
raise some palms.
Father, dear, do learn the most as
tonishing things at this Exposition. The |
first and most powerful effect is to over
whelm me with my previous ignorance. |
am speaking thus feelingly because of |
my visit to the Palace of the Mines. I |
have been all around that building MANY |
times, but have deliberately stayed out
side, supposing that it pertained to |
subject that l knew nothing about and |
would not be deeply interested in. As
soon as passed through the doors 1 saw |