Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters

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  ELSIE'S JOURNEY ON INLAND WATERS

  BY

  MARTHA FINLEY

 

  NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY Publishers

  Copyright, 1895,

  BY

  DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.

  _All rights reserved._

  CHAPTER I.

  After her return from the trip across the lake with the bridal party,the _Dolphin_ lay at anchor near the White City for a week or more;there were so many interesting and beautiful exhibits at the Fair stillunseen by them that Captain Raymond, his family, and guests scarce knewhow to tear themselves away.

  At the breakfast table on the morning after their arrival, they, asusual, considered together the question where the day should be spent.It was soon evident that they were not all of one mind, some preferringa visit to one building, some to another.

  "I should like nothing better than to spend some hours in the ArtPalace, examining paintings and statuary," said Violet, "and I have anidea that mamma would enjoy doing the same," looking enquiringly ather mother as she finished her sentence.

  "In which you are quite right," responded Grandma Elsie. "There isnothing I enjoy more than pictures and statuary such as may be foundthere."

  "And I am sure your father and I can echo that sentiment," remarkedMrs. Dinsmore, with a smiling glance at her husband.

  "Very true, my dear," he said.

  "Then that is where we shall go," said the captain.

  "That includes your four children, I suppose, papa?" remarked Lucilla,half enquiringly, half in assertion.

  "Unless one or more of them should prefer to remain at home--here onthe yacht," he replied. "How about that, Neddie, my boy?"

  "Oh, papa, I don't want to stay here! Please let me go with you andmamma," exclaimed the little fellow, with a look of mingled alarm andentreaty.

  "You certainly shall, if you want to, my son," returned his father."I am happy to say that my little boy has been very good and given nounnecessary trouble in visiting the Fair thus far. And I can say thesame of my little Elsie and her older sisters also," he added, with anaffectionate look from one to another.

  "Thank you, papa," said Lucilla and Grace, the latter adding, "I thinkit would be strange indeed should we ever intentionally and willinglygive trouble to such a father as ours."

  "I don't intend ever to do that," said little Elsie earnestly, and witha loving upward look into her father's face.

  "I am glad to hear it, dear child," he returned, with an appreciativesmile.

  "I, too," said her mother. "Well, we will make quite a party, even ifall the rest choose to go elsewhere."

  The Art Palace was a very beautiful building of brick and steel; itsstyle of architecture Ionic of the most classic and refined type. Itwas very large: 320 feet wide by 500 feet in length, with an easternand western annex, a grand nave and transept 160 feet wide and 70 feethigh intersecting it, and that surmounted by a dome very high and wide,and having upon its apex a winged figure of Victory.

  From this dome the central section was flooded with light, and here wasa grand collection of sculpture and paintings, in which every civilizednation was represented, the number of pieces shown being nearlytwenty-five thousand. It was the largest art exhibition ever made inthe history of the world.

  It was not strange, therefore, that though our friends had been in thebuilding more than once before, they still found an abundance of fineworks of art which were well worth attentive study, and as entirely newto them as though they had been but just placed there.

  Little Elsie was particularly attracted, and her curiosity was excitedby an oil painting among the French exhibits of Joan of Arc listeningto the voices.

  "Is there a story to it?" she asked of her grandma, who stood nearestto her at the moment.

  "Yes, dear; and if you want to hear it, I shall tell it to you when wego back to the _Dolphin_," was the kindly rejoinder, and the child,knowing that Grandma Elsie's promises were sure to be kept, said nomore at the moment, but waited patiently until the appointed time.

  As usual, she and Neddie were ready for a rest sooner than the olderpeople, and were taken back to the yacht by their father, Grandma Elsieand Grace accompanying them, saying that they, too, were weary enoughto enjoy sitting down with the little folks for an hour or so.

  "Oh, I'm glad grandma's going too!" cried Ned, and Elsie added, with ajoyous look, "So am I, grandma, but I'm very sorry you are tired."

  "Do not let that trouble you, dearest," returned Mrs. Travilla, with aloving smile. "You know if I were not tired I should miss the enjoymentof resting."

  "And there is enjoyment in that," remarked the captain; "yet I regret,mother, that your strength is not sufficient to enable you to see andenjoy all the beautiful sights here, which we may never again have anopportunity to behold."

  "Well, captain, one cannot have everything in this world," returnedGrandma Elsie, with a contented little laugh, "and it is a realenjoyment to me to sit on the deck of the _Dolphin_ with my dear littlegrandchildren about me, and entertain them with such stories as willboth interest and instruct them."

  "Oh, are you going to tell us the story of that picture I asked youabout, grandma?" queried little Elsie, with a look of delight.

  "What picture was that?" asked her father, who had not heard whatpassed between the lady and the child while gazing together uponMaillart's painting.

  Mrs. Travilla explained, adding, "I suppose you have no objection to myredeeming my promise?"

  "Oh, no! not at all; it is a historical story, and I do not see that itcan do them any harm to hear it, sadly as it ends."

  They had reached the yacht while talking, and presently were onboard and comfortably seated underneath the awning on the deck. Thenthe captain left them, and Grandma Elsie, noting the look of eagerexpectancy on little Elsie's face, at once began the coveted tale.

  "The story I am about to tell you," she said, "is of things done andsuffered more than four hundred years ago. At that time there was warbetween the English and French. The King of England, not satisfied withhis own dominions, wanted France also and claimed it because his motherwas the daughter of a former French king; so he sent an army across theChannel into France to force the French to take him for their king,instead of their own monarch."

  "Didn't the French people want to have the English king to be theirstoo, grandma?" asked Elsie.

  "No, indeed! and so a long, long war followed, and a great many of boththe French and English were killed.

  "At that time there was a young peasant girl named Joan, a modest,industrious, pious girl, who loved her country and was distressedover the dreadful war going on in it. She longed to help to drive theEnglish away; but it did not seem as if she--a girl of fifteen, whocould neither read nor write, though she could sew and spin and workout in the fields and gardens--could do anything to help to rid herdear land of the invaders. But she thought a great deal about it and atlength imagined that she heard heavenly voices calling to her to go andfight for her king."

  "And that was the picture that we saw to-day, grandma?" asked Elsie."But it wasn't really true?"

  "No, dear; probably Joan of Arc, as she is called, really imagined sheheard them, and the painter has imagined how they might have looked."

  "Then it isn't real," remarked the little girl, in a tone ofdisappointment.

  "No, not what the picture represents; but the story of what poorJoan of Arc, or the Maid of Orleans, as she is often called, th
oughtand did is true. When she told her story of the voices speaking toher no one believed it; they thought she was crazy. But she was notdiscouraged. She went to her king, or rather the dauphin, for he hadnot been crowned, and told her story to him and his council--that Godhad revealed to her that the French troops would succeed in driving theenemy away from the city of Orleans, which they were besieging at thattime.

  "The dauphin listened, believed what she told him, and gave her leaveto dress herself in male attire and go with the troops, riding on awhite palfrey and bearing a sword and a white banner. The soldiersbelieved in her, and in consequence were filled with such courage andenthusiasm that they fought very bravely and soon succeeded in drivingthe English away from Orleans.

  "This success so delighted the French, and so raised their hope ofridding France of her enemies, that they won victory after victory,driving the English out of one province after another, and even out ofParis itself, so that the English hated and dreaded poor Joan.

  "She conducted the dauphin to Rheims, where he was crowned, and shewept for joy as she saluted him as king. Then she wanted to go home,thinking her work was done; but King Charles begged her to stay withthe army, and to please him she did. But she began to have fearfulforebodings because she no longer heard the voices. Yet she remainedwith the French army and was present at a good many battles, tillat length she was taken prisoner by the Burgundians and sold to theEnglish for a large sum by the Burgundian officer."

  "Oh, grandma! and did the English hurt her for fighting for her owndear country?"

  "I cannot say certainly," replied Mrs. Travilla; "accounts differ, somesaying that she was put to death as a heretic and sorceress; othersthat some five or six years later she arrived at Metz, was at oncerecognized by her two brothers, and afterward married."

  "Oh, I hope that is the true end of the story!" exclaimed Elsie. "Itwould be so dreadful to have her put to death for helping to save herdear country."

  "So it would," said Grace; "but in those early times such dreadful,dreadful deeds used to be done. I often feel thankful that I did notlive in those days."

  "Yes," said Mrs. Travilla, "we may well be full of gratitude and loveto God our Heavenly Father that our lot has been cast in these bettertimes and in our dear land."

  "And that we have our dear, kind grandma to love," said Neddie,nestling closer to her, "and our papa and mamma. Some little childrenhaven't any."

  "No, I had no mother when I was your age, Ned," sighed Grandma Elsie,"and I cannot tell you how much I used to long for her when Aunt Chloewould tell me how sweet and lovely she had been, and how sorry she wasto leave her baby."

  "Her baby? was that you, grandma?" he asked, with a wondering look upinto her face.

  "Yes," she replied, with a smile, and stroking his hair caressingly.

  "But you had a papa? grandpa is your papa, isn't he? I hear you callhim that sometimes."

  "Yes, he is; my dear father and your mamma's grandfather, which makeshim yours too."

  "Mine, too," said little Elsie, in a tone of satisfaction.

  "Oh, see! here comes the boat with Evelyn and Uncle Walter in it!"

  "You are early to-night as well as ourselves," remarked Grace, as theystepped upon the deck and drew near the little group already gatheredthere.

  "Yes," returned Evelyn, "I was tired, and Walter kindly brought mehome. The yacht seems like a home to me nowadays," she added, with alight laugh.

  "Yes," said Grace; "I am sure papa likes to have us all feel that it isa home to us at present."

  "And a very good and comfortable one it is," remarked Walter, handingEvelyn to a seat, then taking one himself opposite her and near hismother's side.

  "Where have you two been? and what have you seen that is worth tellingabout?" asked Grace.

  "Visiting buildings," returned Walter; "Brazil, Turkey, Hayti, Sweden,and lastly Venezuela."

  "And what did you see there?"

  "In Venezuela's exhibit? Christopher Columbus and General Bolivar--thatis, their effigies--specimens of birds, animals, minerals, preserves,spices, coffee, vegetables, fine needlework, some manufactured goods,and--most interesting of all, we thought--the flag carried by Pizarroin his conquest of Peru."

  "Pizarro? who was he? and what did he do, Uncle Wal?" asked littleElsie.

  "He was a very, very bad man and did some very, very wicked deeds,"replied Walter.

  "Did he kill people?"

  "Yes, that he did; and got killed himself at last. The Bible says,'Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed,' and therehave been a great many examples of it in the history of the world."

  "Does God say that, Uncle Walter?" asked Neddie.

  "Yes; God said it to Noah, shortly after he and his family came out ofthe ark."

  "When the flood was over?"

  "Yes."

  "Please tell us about that flag and the bad man that carried it," urgedlittle Elsie, and Walter complied.

  "Pizarro was a Spaniard," he began, "a very courageous, but covetousand cruel man; very ignorant, too; he could neither read nor write.He was a swineherd in his youth, but gave up that occupation and cameover to America to seek a fortune in this new world. He crossed theIsthmus of Panama with Balboa and discovered the Pacific Ocean. Whilethere he heard rumors of a country farther south, where gold and silverwere said to be as abundant as iron in Spain, and he was seized with agreat desire to go there and help himself to as much as possible. Sohe and another fellow named Almagro, and Luque, a priest, put theirmoney together and fitted out a small expedition, of which Pizarro tookcommand.

  "They did not go very far that time, but afterward tried it again,first making an agreement that all they got of lands, treasures, andother things, vassals included, should be divided equally between them.

  "They set sail in two ships. They really reached Peru, and when Pizarrowent back to Panama he carried with him many beautiful and valuableornaments of gold and silver which the kind-hearted natives hadgiven him, also specimens of cloth made of wool and having a silkyappearance and brilliant color, and some llamas, or alpacas."

  "They had certainly treated him very kindly," remarked Grace, as Walterpaused for a moment in his narrative.

  "Yes; and what a mean wretch he must have been to want to rob them ofeverything--even to life, liberty, and happiness. He was determined todo that as soon as possible; so determined that, not being able to findenough volunteers in Panama, he went all the way back to Spain (a fargreater undertaking then than it would be now), told the story of hisdiscoveries before the king, Charles V., and his ministers; describingthe wealth of the countries and showing the goods and ornaments he hadbrought from them.

  "Then they gave him--what was not theirs to give--permission to conquerPeru, and the titles of governor and captain-general of that country.He on his part agreed to raise a certain number of troops, and to sendto the King of Spain one-fifth of all the treasures he should obtain.He then returned to Panama and soon set sail for Peru again."

  "With a great many soldiers, Uncle Wal?" queried little Ned.

  "No; with what in these days would be considered a very small army;only 180 soldiers, of whom 27 were cavalry."

  "Cavalry?" repeated Ned, in a tone of enquiry.

  "Yes, soldiers on horseback. The Peruvians, having never before seena horse, took each mounted man and the steed he rode to be but oneanimal, and were much afraid of them. The firearms, too, inspired greatterror, as they knew nothing of gunpowder and its uses.

  "At that time there was war among the natives of Peru and Quito. HuanoCapac, the former Inca of Peru, had died some years previous, leavingPeru to his son Huascar, and Quito, which he had conquered shortlybefore, to another son--half-brother to Huascar. The two had quarrelledand had been fighting each other for about two years, and just beforethe arrival of the Spaniards Atahualpa had defeated his brotherHuascar, taken him prisoner, and confined him in a strong fortress."

  "Perhaps," remarked Evelyn, "if they had not been so busy figh
ting eachother they might have discovered the approach of Pizarro, their commonenemy, in season to prevent the mischief he was prepared to do them."

  "Very possibly," returned Walter. "As it was, the Spaniards drew nearAtahualpa's victorious camp, where they found fifty thousand menassembled. Pizarro had at the most only two hundred; a mere handful incomparison with the numbers of the Peruvians, but by a most daring anddiabolical stratagem he got possession of the unsuspecting Inca.

  "Atahualpa came to visit him in a friendly spirit. A priest beganexplaining to him the Christian, or rather the papal religion; told himthat the Pope had power over all the kingdoms of the earth and that hehad presented Peru to the King of Spain; also that they had come totake possession in the name of that king.

  "Naturally that made Atahualpa very angry; so angry that he indignantlyinterrupted the priest, saying that the Pope--whoever he was--must bea crazy fool to talk of giving away countries which did not belong tohim. Then he asked on what authority such claims were made.

  "The priest pointed to a Bible. Atahualpa dashed it angrily to theground, and the fields began to fill with Indians. Then Pizarro waveda white scarf--the signal he had agreed upon with his men--and hisartillery poured sudden death into the terrified masses of Indians,while the Spanish cavalry rode them down in a furious, merciless way.The ranks of the poor, unarmed Peruvians were thrown into confusion;their foes were butchering them without mercy; they could do little tosave themselves; they used every effort to defend and save the sacredInca, but in vain; and after hours of that fiendish murdering of thepoor, defenceless creatures, the Spaniards got full possession of him.

  "At first they pretended to be very kind to him, especially when heoffered, as his ransom, to fill the room in which he stood with gold ashigh as he could reach.

  "Huascar, in his prison, heard of this and offered a still largerransom for himself, and to prevent it Atahualpa had him secretlymurdered.

  "Soon after that the gold for Atahualpa's ransom began to pour in, andwhen there was as much as he had promised he demanded his freedom. ButPizarro refused to let him go--though he took the gold--accusing himof plotting against him; and after much base treachery the Spaniardsheld a mock trial and condemned Atahualpa to be burned. But when theyled him out to the stake he consented to be baptized, and for that theywere so very merciful as to strangle before burning him."

  "Oh, Uncle Walter, what cruel, cruel men!" exclaimed little Elsie.

  "They were, indeed," sighed her grandma. "The Bible tells us 'thetender mercies of the wicked are cruel.' Pizarro and his band werevery, very wicked men. They had no more right to the country of thePeruvians than the Peruvians would have had to theirs, had they crossedthe ocean to Spain and seized upon it for their own. 'All they thattake the sword shall perish with the sword,' our Saviour said, and howtrue it proved in the case of these men of whom we have been talking!Atahualpa caused his brother Huascar to be killed; Pizarro, Almagro,and the others killed Atahualpa; Pizarro afterward killed Almagro; andlater on Pizarro was himself slain by Almagro's son Diego."