Earthly Astonishments by Marthe Jocelyn Page A

smallest woman currently on exhibition.
    In a special viewing at the New Amsterdam Hotel in this City, hosted by the dapper Mr. Walters, the miniature native of Bavaria, known only as Little Jo-Jo, was introduced to the world.
    This lovely lady is eighteen years old, weighs 19 pounds and measures 28-1/2 inches in height. She enjoys perfect health, her form is symmetrically developed, and her green eyes fairly sparkle with intelligence.
    This City has not welcomed such a diminutive personsince the famous pair of General Tom Thumb and his lovely wife, Lavinia Bump Warren, were sponsored by P. T. Barnum, twenty years ago. R. J. Walters, while acknowledging the inspiring midgets who married in 1863, was quick to remind us that Little Jo-Jo is a full 3-1/2 inches smaller than Miss Warren.
    Little Jo-Jo has dark, curling hair and slightly swarthy skin, leading Mr. Walters to suspect that she has some gypsy blood. This would explain her fiery temperament and her fondness for the tambourine. At times, her deportment about the hotel parlor was modest and ladylike, but she displayed moments of a spontaneous passion.
    Mr. Walters reminded the audience that she has been living in foreign lands and made assurances that her adjustment to society would be swift and charming.
    Little Jo-Jo’s feet are only four inches long, but perfectly proportioned, and shod in beaded handmade slippers. Her dresses, by themselves, would be worthy of exhibition as each is a splendid recreation of an historical costume, elaborately embroidered and bejeweled. The dress and contents together are a magnificent show, already enjoying visits from some of the more prominent families in this City.
    Little Jo-Jo will be on display at the Museum’s summer location in Coney Island, New York, starting June 27th. She can be viewed on the platform in the Main Promenade from 10 o’clock A.M. to 8 o’clock P.M.
    Notwithstanding this attraction alone is enough to fill the Museum to overflowing, also on view will be many of Mr. Walters’ other novelties.

he train from the city took more than an hour, but because it was Josephine’s first train ride ever, it wasn’t long enough. Gazing up at the huffing steam engine, Josephine was amazed to see a machine so tremendous. Climbing aboard took every bit of bravery she’d saved up these past few days. And when it began to move—why, this iron monster seemed to be galloping as fast as any horse or faster!
    Josephine stood on the bench, with Nelly and Charley sitting next to her, in a third-class compartment. She hung on to the windowsill, trying to see every block of the city flashing by.
    “Don’t you want to look out, Charley?”
    “I can’t really see anything past a few feet, Jo. It’s my albino eyes. I don’t take much pleasure from scenery.”
    “Oh, Charley, I didn’t realize.”
    “Don’t worry your wee self,” said Nelly quickly. “He’s used to it. Half-blind and skinny as a pencil, but still my handsome boy, eh, Charley?” She patted his knee.
    Charley changed the subject. “This year is the first time we can take the train all the way there,” he told Josephine. “We used to take the steamer ferry, but now,since the new bridge opened up last year, the train is the quickest way to go.”
    The Brooklyn Bridge spanned the river like a giant’s castle drawbridge. It would never, could never, hold a railway train! As well as all those horses and carriages and carts wheeling along beside! Surely they would all hurtle through the cables holding it up and tumble into the water.
    But the train crossed in safety and kept on chugging, spitting out smoke and soot, and joggling from side to side until Josephine’s insides were churned like new butter.
    Soon after the train crossed the bridge, the landscape changed. No longer city streets and people, now there were acres of coal yards and ash pits. Josephine turned away from the window.
    “Are we allowed to move about?” she asked. “Can we explore the