Page 191 - The Story of My Lif

Pedro listened to the words, “To be, or not to be,” at the Centennial.

Dr. Gillett of Illinois took us to the Liberal Arts and Woman’s buildings. In the
former I visited Tiffany’s exhibit, and held the beautiful Tiffany diamond, which
is valued at one hundred thousand dollars, and touched many other rare and

costly things.

I sat in King Ludwig’s armchair and felt like a queen when Dr.

Gillett remarked that I had many loyal subjects. At the Woman’s building we
met the Princess Maria Schaovskoy of Russia, and a beautiful Syrian lady. I
liked them both very much. I went to the Japanese department with Prof. Morse
who is a well-known lecturer. I never realized what a wonderful people the

Japanese are until I saw their most interesting exhibit. Japan must indeed be a
paradise for children to judge from the great number of playthings which are
manufactured there. The queer-looking Japanese musical instruments, and their
beautiful works of art were interesting. The Japanese books are very odd. There
are forty-seven letters in their alphabets. Prof. Morse knows a great deal about
Japan, and is very kind and wise. He invited me to visit his museum in Salem the
next time I go to Boston. But I think I enjoyed the sails on the tranquil lagoon,
and the lovely scenes, as my friends described them to me, more than anything
else at the Fair. Once, while we were out on the water, the sun went down over
the rim of the earth, and threw a soft, rosy light over the White City, making it
look more than ever like Dreamland….

Of course, we visited the Midway Plaisance. It was a bewildering and
fascinating place. I went into the streets of Cairo, and rode on the camel. That
was fine fun. We also rode in the Ferris wheel, and on the ice-railway, and had a
sail in the Whale-back….

In the spring of 1893 a club was started in Tuscumbia, of which Mrs. Keller was
president, to establish a public library. Miss Keller says:

“I wrote to my friends about the work and enlisted their sympathy. Several