Yes, after lookin’ at that wonderful buildin’ on the outside and inside, I felt as if I wuz a heathen creeter who had never seen a cathedral or a meetin’-house in my life. Why, to make it clear to everybody jest how grand and extensive it is, I will say that if the pine woods on the hill back of Deacon Henzy’s wuz all turned into pinnakles and monuments and arches, and every pine needle on ’em wuz ornaments of delicate tracery and carvin’ and beautiful design, it could not be more impressive, and to anybody who has seen them woods that is sufficient. It is a dream to remember in still nights when you lay on your piller and can’t sleep. I think on’t time and time agin. Why, it is so big that you could carry on a Stock Exchange meetin’ at one end and a funeral at the other, and not interfere with each other in the least; you couldn’t hear the bulls and bears yellin’ or the mourners a-weepin’ and wailin’, not at all.
And you climb up five hundred steps to the top, and look down on all the beauty and glory of the world—it is a sight, a sight.
Wall, Martin sed that he must make all haste possible a-travellin’ through Italy, as business wuz a-callin’ him home, but he must go to Genoa, the birthplace of Columbus. Sez he, “Of course, considering what he discovered and where he was of late celebrated, that is by far the most important place in Europe.”
Wall, I wuz glad enough to visit the birthplace of that good, misused creeter. So we anon found ourselves in Genoa, the Superb, as some call it, and in good rooms in a big, comfortable tarvern.
The first thing we went to visit wuz the statute of Columbus. It towers up, a poem in white marble; and in a settin’ poster, on the four sides on’t, are Religion, Gography, Strength, and Wisdom, and all round ’em and between ’em are carved the leadin’ events of Columbuses life. Every one of them symbols carved out there—Religion, Strength, etc.—Christopher had, and the world realizes it at last.
I should think the world would have been ashamed of itself after picterin’ out his grand doin’s, his discoveries in the New World, to have sculped him out in chains; it wuz a burnin’ shame, but his memory is a-walkin’ down through the ages now free and soarin’, no chains on it—no, indeed!
But, poor creeter! how he would have enjoyed bein’ made sunthin’ on, and used well while he wuz here in the body! How he would have enjoyed havin’ enough to eat, and hull clothes!
But sech is life.
Wall, Martin renewed his strength a-lookin’ on Columbuses statute and a-realizin’ what it wuz he discovered and how his discovery is a-branchin’ out and spreadin’ itself. He felt well.
Right acrost from the statute stands a big house, which has writ on it, “Christopher Columbus Discovered America.” Martin didn’t need to be told on’t—no, indeed!