Samantha at the World's Fair

by Marietta Holley

But as I said that I heard a voice a-sayin'—

"Who is Mr. Carvugal, Samantha?"

I recognized the voice, and I sez, "Why, Irena Flanders, is it you? I have been to see you; I hearn you wuz sick."

"Yes," sez she, "I wuz beat out, and I thought I couldn't stand it; but I feel better to-day, so we have been to the Forestry Buildin', and thought we would come in here."

But I see that she didn't feel as I did about the immortal relics, but she kinder pretended to, as folks will; and Elam and Josiah went to talkin' about hayin', and wondered how the crops wuz a-gittin' along in Jonesville. But I kep on a-lookin' round and listenin' to Irena's remarks about her symptoms with one half of my mind, or about half, and examinin' the relics with the other half.

There wuz a little Latin book with queer wood-cuts, "Concernin' Islands lately discovered," published in Switzerland in 1494; under the title it begun—"Christopher Colum—"

It made me mad to hear that good, noble creeter's name cut off and demeaned, and I told Irena so.

And she sez, "That's what little Benjy calls our old white duck; his name is Columbus, but he calls it Colum."