We push on to the American Pavilion, which we now see so plainly down the river on the south side. It is a beautiful, white, four-story building, not pretentious in ornament, but massive and graceful in appearance. It is square, COVering a space about ninety by ninety feet, and is surmounted by a dome capped by a bronze eagle. The lights are so arranged on the dome as to give it the appearance of a great crown similar to the lighting of the Administration building at Chicago. When we enter the building, we find that the floors above the first are not continuous across the building, but that they form balconies in front of rooms which are built around the walls, thus leaving a great central court reaching to the dome. The rooms of the building have been furnished by different states and

are used for reading, writing, and lounging of which we are quite ready to do our share. Below the first floor and toward the front of the building (the building faces the river) is a restaurant conducted in American style. The arrangement for this feature of comfort in all the foreign buildings is unique. Along the Seine, a strong stone wall has been built to protect the bank which is probably ten feet high. This bank has been leveled back for about seventy feet. Then the ground rises to another level twelve feet higher. Upon the edge of this terrace are built all the foreign buildings. They are built out over the edge so as to cover the level below. Then upon this level are conducted all the cafè and restaurants of the different nations. This lower level, being beneath the foreign buildings and the connect

ing pavements affords a beautiful, shady walk of nearly a mile along the Seine. It is also a most interesting place to see foreigners. Every cafè has its special attractions. In some there are stages upon which performances of different kinds are given; but most of them merely provide music. Here is an orchestra of Swiss girls-one of them playing the zither with. such skillful and graceful and rapid movements that we cannot pass without some notice. In fact, we wish we could stop right here and have the Fair brought to us. But the music has stopped and we wander on. Now we hear the violins of an Austrian orchestra. Beyond is a company of singers. Still farther along we are stopped by the melody which comes from thirty-five mandolins played by the Russians. Of course, each cafè is patronized chiefly by people of the nation that erected the building. This makes a double attraction as we pass along; for we get to see the foreigners in their native costumes, manners and customs. Most of these cafès are little more than drinking places. This may add to their popularity among the foreigners. At the American cafè is a good American soda fountain, which seems quite inadequate to meet the demands which are made upon it. It is not surprising to find that it is almost as popular among foreigners as it is among Americans.

We have wandered down to the Eiffel Tower. We have heard of it many times; but we have never formed an adequate conception of it. A photograph will not fully present it. Certainly a word picture cannot do it. There it stands in front of us-a graceful skeleton of iron towering above the earth nine hundred and eighty-four feet. We wish they had made it sixteen feet higher, so that it might be said that a tower had been erected one thousand feet high. The lower fourth of the tower consists of four arches, one on each side, strongly braced and joined together. Beneath these arches could be placed a large eight room school building. The sides of the tower curve from top to bottom, the rate of batter decreasing in the ascent, making the top much smaller than the base. This immense tower was one of the attractions of the exposition of 1889. It has three platforms, respectively one hundred eighty-six, three hundred ninety, and nine hundred four feet above the ground, to the lower two of which one may ascend by elevator or by stairways as preferred, but the upper platform is accessible to the public by elevator only. On the first and second platforms are museums, restaurants and curio stands. All about us here are wire chairs; so we sit down. Very soon a woman approaches us with tickets and begins a peculiar jabber. We do not understand her, but conclude

that she wants pay for the use of the chairs. Not knowing how much to pay, we offer a large piece of money and hold our hands for

the change. When we have count

ed the change, we find that the use of the chairs costs us ten centimes each (two cents of our money), and we are given little tickets which will entitle us to the use of any chairs on the ground that day.

As we sit here our ears are as busy as our eyes carrying to our brains the images of the great exposition. We hear the waves of the Seine lapping the stone embankment. We hear the noises of boats as they ply back and forth. On a platform above us, three men are playing a most beautiful strain on French horns. The instant they cease the same strain is played in another key by three other men stationed about two hundred feet away. Then the third group still farther away takes it up. And finally the fourth group plays it. As soon as the fourth group has played, the first plays another strain, which is repeated in succession again by the others. The rapidity of the notes, the peculiar tone of the horns and the method of grouping affect us in a strange way.

The orchestras of the different cafès mingle their music. To our right is a brass band fairly rending the air. In one of the buildings near by some one is playing a piano. All about us men are hawk

ing their wares, each one trying to shout just a little louder than the others. .All sorts of peculiar sounds are emanating from the throats of the foreigners, as they converse in their different languages. Here is the high-pitched voice of the Frenchman; now we hear the rough, rasping sounds of the Russian; and there is the guttural voice of the German. The peculiar buzz of machinery is easily distinguishable. Now we have the rumbling sound of the moving platform and just beyond is the rapid whirr of the electric car.

The association of the eye and ear is very close. As twin companions they minister to the brain. and the work of the one supple-ments that of the other.

We are looking under the arch of the great Eiffel tower-toward the south. We are looking into the hollow square formed by the main buildings of the exposition. At the farther end, about fifteen hundred feet distant, is the Electric building. It is almost a solid glare of light. Along the cornice of the buildings on each side, great streams of light lead down to the Electric building. As they converge upon this building, they seem to pour great fountains of light upon it, which rise in waves and graceful curves to a height of over two hundred feet above the centre of the building. While at the top of all are most brilliant arc lights which give to the whole effect the

appearance of a rich settings of diamonds in a large gold ring. But, as we look, suddenly a complete change takes place. The yellow lights have given way to red. The graceful curves are replaced by rectangular figures and fire seems to have engulfed the buildings. This continues for a moment and then green and blue and purple take their turns in dazzling our visions. No kaleidoscope ever made more rapid changes. In the center of the square a fountain has been playing. Now it enters into the field

of the electric kaleidoscope with a constant variety of changes bringing before us a complete view of the solar spectrum, the light radiating from a center near the base of the fountain sending out great bands of color into the air for a hundred feet, forming in their combinations a gauzy fan. Over the -entire scene, giving it a wierd and fascinating appearance is the black dome of the sky. The scene is beyond description.

While our attention seems to be wholly absorbed in this view, we nevertheless are conscious that immense throngs of people are surging about us. We are told that five hundred thousand people are on the grounds tonight to see the illuminations. About three hundred feet to the left of us is the Luminous Building, constructed of colored glass and so illuminated by electric lights that it seems to be a solid block of onyx. Statues, busts, monuments,

and stone carvings of all kinds are placed in every possible niche and space. To the whole arrangement, a most artistic effect is given, far surpassing our own exposition of 1893. The criticisms that have been made upon the French exposition have been most unjust and unfair. Here is a great exhibition which is worth many days study and which will furnish great entertainment and information.

Let us refer to the art palaces. Both are in themselves great monuments to art. They are white stone buildings erected as permanent additions to the city of Paris. The smaller one is dedicated to the history of French art up to the beginning of the present century and contains many interesting examples of tapestries, are objects, and furniture of the Henry IV., Louis XIII., Louis XIV., and other epochs. The larger palace is a marvel of beauty in its architecture, its mosaics, its statues, and its mural frescoes. It contains displays of modern art in paintings and sculpture. I know little of these things and have no ability to criticize. But this I know—as I stood before a large painting of Jean d' Arc clad in armor and mounted upon a charger, I could not tell whether the perspective was right or whether the hoof of the horse was in proportion to the leg, but I felt that I had never seen a more inspired face and it seemed to me that the old men and

Is

women, the young men and women and the boys and girls who were kneeling about on the ground, looking with supplicating faces up into the noble face of the girl, were saying: "You will save us, won't you?" As I stood there watching, I became conscious that my eyes were moistening and I realized that the picture was having a most deep and peculiar effect upon me. But it was a piece of canvas only. that art? That is only one of a thousand pictures there which are worthy of the closest attention. All nations had offered their displays. Three large rooms were occupied by paintings from the United States; but it is just to say that in general our own artists have not yet reached the attainments which foreign artists show. With few exceptions, they do not succeed in producing that naturalness of life and scenery which the foreigners so faithfully present.

To go through the industrial and manufacturing buildings would be to view a panorama of fabrics, textiles, drugs, brushes, leather goods, plumbers' articles, carriages, glass ware, china, and every possible thing which the hand of man produces. In many things, the American far excels all competitors. This is noticeably true in electric machinery and appliances. As one reflects upon the methods of the productions of the various articles, it thrills him with pride not only to see that the American workman

Here

is most skillful in his labor but also to know that he receives the highest wages for his efforts. Nothing is more evident to the traveler than the great advantage which labor of America has over all other labor of the world. it is a sharer in its own products. Everywhere else it is a contributor to the benefit of others. Comparisons at these international expositions only add new lustre to American citizenship, American government, and American production. Yet in viewing the French exposition, it is fair to admit that we carry our own ideals without a true understanding of the ideals of the Frenchman.

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One of the most interesting matters of observation concerns the classes of American people who attend the exposition. There are the wealthy people who treat the expositions as a mere incident in a trip abroad. They visit it as a show just because it chances to be there. If it happens to present any striking features, they at once register their surprise.

Then there are the commercial classes-men who are hustling for business. They have keen eyes, sharp wits and know how to read men. They are looking for ways by which they may improve their products, for markets where they may offer their wares, and for methods by which they may compete successfully with the foreign merchants.