Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-08-07
Henry Ward Reecher in the Crystal
Palace.

From Mr.. Beecher's third letter to the N.
Y. Independent, we gather the following ad.
mirable description Of the Sydenham Crystal
Palace:
have just returned from spending day
at Sydcnham Crystal Palace, and that ac.
counts for the foregoing strain. The day
was glorious. Everybody Lad said, "You
must go to ,Sydenham !" had read des-
criptions of it. Yet, the meaning Of i. never
dawncd upon me till to day this most won
derfnl of all modern English achievements.
Even after having been at Chatsworth, one
of the Duke of Dcvonshires seats, reputed
hitherto, to be- tho finest in the world for
landscape gardening is still more
wonderful This great Crystal Palace, vast
but not massive, springs into such huge pro-
portions, with such fine and almost ethe-
rial structure, that you can scarcely believe
it more than picture; or if vertablc
building, one which the winds will blow
away. 1t is the very antithesis of castles
and cathedrals. These impress you by their
solidity. They are mountains Of stone, and
seem to be durable as the mountains from
which the stone was hcwD. Against their
huge walls has dashed battle and seige. al.
most in vain Time itself, that never raises
It's serge, seems in vain, with wind, and art,
and frost, to have assailed many mighty me.
dieval structures. And when you look upon
them, you feel the solidty, the massiycncss.
But this film upon the sky-thc gossamer
spun last night by FAIRIES, this glittering, lu-
mlnous, transparent specter Of palace -
Can 1t be real, durable, tangible?
The grounds on which this ETHEREAL pile is
erected are worthy of the vast Jewel which
they hold upon their BOSOM There is eycry
variation Of hue and slope. The grass Is
shaven close and is as green and yelyety as
only English grass can be. Cut into its green
are nnumerable beds Of gorgeous flowers of
every hue. You are dazsd and dazzIed at
the wealth Of flowers, the clunps of rhodo.
pendrons, the belts, beds, and ribbons of
color, the circles Of roses. have travelled
in the prairies Of the Great West. and seen
the sheets and bilows Of flowers that stretch
with endless profusion there. There are no
such wild and extrayagant abundance here.
1t was as II the flower angel had sounded the
trumpet, and prairie of flowers had rushed
to camp to be brigadcdund marshaled; and
now, in ranks and squadrons, in iiles or com.
panies, they carry their floral lances to this
war Of beauty! Lakes, fountains,
and pools abound. The most gorgeous
dream OF the Arabian nights would turn
pale and fade out in the presence Of tn s
substantial glory Of horticultural skill. Ifi
had had time, | should have been amazed
At the literature Of color spread out around
here.
These flowers had seen, all of them. grow.
ing loose and disconnectedly. Here they
were gathered into artistic groups by sirni
arties or contrasts. NJ had seen them scat
tered alphabet of beauty, every letter by it.
self. Here they were composed into words
and sentences. My eye drank and was
drunk with color. turned from the grounds |
10 the building, and from it again to the |
grounds. 0 happy people, who can come
nither SO easily For, the immortal glory
,f this enterprise is this, that this palace |
md grounds, that have no parallel or equal
n the world, are presented by the wealth Of
london to the common people! do not
,elievc that so extraordinary combination
II rational pleasure for every sense and SEN |
imcnt Of man was ever before combined. -
Not for the Government, not for kings or no.
,les. nor for rich and refined class, but
or the great common people has this mira
lie OF beauty ard use been wrought!
Within Is every variety of food for bodily
lunger, capitally served, simple for those
rho need or can afford little. and sumptuous
or those who choose it. Every provision is
made for the incidental wants Of throngs of
zen, women end ch;'5Yen. Prt ucg co,re,.f