Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-25
SCENES IN THE OLD WORLD,

TO THE CHILDREN OF ST. STEPHENS s. S. WILKES
BARRE, PA.
LONDON Nov. 25th 1866.
1t is Saturday evening, and | attempt tC
review week of great interest / wrote
after my arrival in this great city and told
| you something of my last weeks Journey
! London contains about three million inhab-
F itants but you would hardly guess how
large it is from these figures. 1t is eight
miles long, and six in width Yon can get
an idea Of its size by thinking of all the
space between Wilkes-Barre and Pittston
and between the two mountains being filled
up with streets and houses and churches
and public buildings. 1t would take many
weeks to see all the objects of interest in
the city and its neighborhood and | have
only looked at few Of the most important,
which soonest strikes the traveller. | had
read so much about London and had seen
50 many pictures of it, that | felt in a
measure at home. | determined to take it
as lclsurely as possiblekand what | do not
see now can see another time if | live to
come back in the Spring. As it is | get
pretty we'll tired ont before night, and am
glad to retire early. 1t is well perhaps
that the days are short and the objects of
interest which | wish to visit are only open
in the day time
| hardly know how to describe what |
have seen this week had seen pictures
and read descriptions, but the reality-thc
seeing them with our own eyes far surpass
es the imagination. l til ought of the Qneen
of Sheba's visit to King solomon. When
she had seen all his magnilicence her heart
fam faH bpr nd Al,
the half had not been told her. do not
know how it is with others. Perhaps | am
more sensitive to these impressions than
some but when have looked upon the
grand scenes of my native land-such as
the Falls Of Niagara or the White Noun
tains-they have far exceeded my expecta-
tons. ! have rarely been disappointed.
So it has been with the sights of this past
week, and with other things which | have
seen since | have been in England | am
in u state of constant wonder and admira-
/ ton. | hardly dare therefore to attempt
descriptions. ! can tell you how large
some Of these buildings are-how many
/ feet long and wide and high they are but
all this does not give you an impression of
/ them as they strike upon your own eye
( | have devoted the week to a few special
( objects These are described in many pa
ges Of history and everywhere You 90 there
are persons asking you to buy little guide
books, which in some cases | have found a
great help as | could take one in my hand
as | went around, or read it over when |
returned home and review the scenes of the
day. intended to devote day to each of
the principal objects but found that
could see more than one-or at least by re-
turning again and making second visit
The first day | was in London ] went
around the outside of St Paul's Cathedral
and Westminster Abbey This was enough
for the first view. then rested quietly till
the next day. Tuesday morning by a few
minutes walk from my hotel through St
James Park, | reached Westminster Abbey
IN time for morning service where heard
again as in other Cathedrals before men
tiOncd-beautlul singing from a choir Of
boys. After service | went through the
Abbey with a guide who pointed out the
various tombs and monuments. This old
building is rich in history. Indeed it is a
good place to review your studies in histo-
ry. Here almost all the Sovereigns of
England have been crowned and here many
Of them are buried in great state aud their
dnst is incIosed in richly sculptured tombs
Here | saw the old chair in which many a
King and Queen sat at the time of their
coronation. \ part Of the building called
Henry the Seventh chapel is one of the
finest things i'll architecture to be found in
Europe. The ceiling is very rich-all Of
sculptured stone. Here Henry VIII and
his Queen were buried Other parts of the
Abbey are full Of monuments to the illus
trious dead. Lord PaImerston's fresh
grave is pointed out by little sign. He
was one Of England's great men of the
present age, and died while was on my
voyage.
From the Abbey | walked to Lambeth
Palace the residence of the Archbishop Of
Canterbury and gained admttance to see
the chapel where Bishop White the first
Bishop of Pennsylvania and two other
American Bishops were consecrated. 1t