News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-04-14
BETTY AT THE FAIR
Letters Of the Panama Pacific Exposition by
Florence Livingston
SAN FRANCISCO. CAL, Mar. 81, 19l

| ana am SlIJlDg Ut the taDie III my room
writing by softly shaded light that
might belong in somebody's home. But
over in the corner is peculiar circum.
stance. / must tell you about it.
Mrs. Drake and Alice were full of en-.
tbusiasm when we arrived yesterday,
but this morning they had headaches and
had to stay in dafkened rooms. This left
me forlorn, and as could not be of use,
l went out to the Exposition. As | got
off the car at the main entrance | was at
tracted by little boy, sitting on the
ground at the side of the turnstiles.
While l was looking at him, he dropped
his head in his hands, and his body
shook with sobs. 1t made my heart ache,
and l went over to him at once.
what is the trouble?" | asked.
He lifted tear-staned face. You'd
b-better 60 long in and not b-bother
| bout me,' he sobbed.
Isn't it awful to see child suffer? He
was about eight years old, very shabbily
J dressed and with hair all sorts of
| lengths, as if the family shears had cut
it in the dark. His eyes were beautiful
large and brown, but they shone in a
perfect sea of freckles. He told me that
his name was Joe Mason and that his
mother had brought him out, but that
when she found their combined admis
sions would be seventy-fve cents, she
had gone back home and left him to see
what he could through the gate.
You can realize, father, that there was
only one thing to do. 1 took him in
with me.
When the ticket man had ground us
through the stile, started off at brisk
pace, and then stopped.
"Why, it's right here" gasped.
Joe looked at me in amazement.
"Whatd you expect?"
To tell the truth, I had expected
good deal of tramping, but before me
was a compact city of wonders. The
buildings are close together, without be-
ing crowded, the effect of spaciousness
and distance having been accomplished
by lofty arches, frequent courts, and
clever architecture.
l looked at the fountains playing in
front of us and on both sides, at the
jeweled tower sending out thousands of
colored sparkles in the sunshine, at the
rows of palms, at the enormous beds of
yellow panses in full bloom; and the joy
of living rippled all through my blood
/ caught Joe's hand and made him run
with me around the Fountain of Energy.
1 was not going to be outdone by foun-
tain.
"Something's wrong with the calerd ar.
JOe," l cried. cts summer time, isn't
it?"
He bore with me patiently, in the hope
of favors to follow. Its March, Miss"
he explained. "Where'd you come from?'
II came from bigger city than yours,
Joe Mason" laughed, land it has lots
and lots of wonderful things in it, but we
keep our pansies for summer"
"Huh" scoffed Joe. at don't hurt
'em none to work in the winter"
l bought guide book, and Joe and I
sat down on bench by one of the la
goons and planned what we would do.
We discovered disheartening divergence
of taste. was inclined to the Palace of
Art, and Joe was strong for the Zone.
We compromised on Food Products.
The first thing we saw inside was
small aquarium.
Say, Miss Lady," inquired Joe. lis
fish a food product"
'Why,-fish is food" 1 stammered,
''and, yes, it's product of the sea. And
BESIDES" 1 continued, feeling free to
speculate, as | found / knew nothing
about the subject, "besides, the fish had
to be put somewhere, and you know
they're not manufactures or agriculture
or -"
Joe's attention had wandered. He had
caught sight of a tempting row of vari-
colored jellies, fasinatingly moulded and
surmounted by quivers of whipped cream.
"Free sampes!" he whispered. Come
along"
"But l don't want any free samples"
protested.
pretend, anyhow" he advised. It'll
take care of 'em for you."
And he did. 1t makes me ashamed to
think how many offerings l received
gravely, only to pass them over to my
companion when no one was Watching
jellies plain and jellies whipped, tapieca,
coffee, cocoa, crackers, salad dressing,
chow chow. AS we got better acquainted,
joe delicately gave me to undertand that
if l felt inclined 10 buy anything, be
would carry it for me. 1 was thus in
weighed into purchasing boxes of candy
and CONNECTIONS of various kinds, but 1t
developed that Joe's idea of carrying was
to consume the contents and throw away
the boxes.
In many of the exhibits there were re-
pleas of the machinery used in the fac
tories, and the evolution of the food was
being demonstrated. 1 was intensely in
terested in this phase and shall tell you |
I-Au - II