, 1872-12-27

progress. To hear the steam-Thistlo and the
amidst tho classic retreats
# Italy shocks him. Modern modes
II travel he regards as tho inven-
ion OF the Evil One. He never will
Journey by coach or railway whero horse can
carry him. or by steamboat when he can go BY
Sails He thinks tho British Parliament should I
have prohibited the construction of railway
through a beautiful valley in Wales, because |
Wordsworth wrote fine sonnet against the des-
ecration OF his accustomed haunts; and he de- |
claims with great zeal against the railway which
Venice with the main land, becauEe it
intcrferes with the beauty and romance
Of the approach of the City OF the Sea. But
LocoAor1os, PAST AND PRESENT,
Hdrper's says, is not to be ruled bysuc fancies
The world is not ikoly to go back to tho clumsy
contrivances of the past:
Up to the middle Of the sixteenth century, the most
common mode Of travelling was on horseback, with
carriers and heavy goods conveyed by meana OF
pack-horses. In Shakspeares Henry iF., Act H.,
scene t. two carriers appear in the inn-yard at hoch
ginger, to be delivered es fur Charng Gross: tho
turkeys in the panncr Of the other are quite starved
Wesee that people travelled IN coR2ntes T1m n, one o
ell up the gentlemen; they viii along with company, %
for they have great charge and that they we're on
briue his eoaing out Of the stable, md one Of the
trsveijera saying Tho boy shall lead horse down
Tie ven ak stoot while and tsat ease t,e our n lsgs
to the infecury Of the roads, although in the Middle
Ages pedestrians on religious pigrmagcs were pro.
tected by the sac1edness OF their purpose.
Long after the introduction Of coaches 1t was con-
sidercd edeninate and disgrnceful for men to uae
them Queen Elizabeth always preferred to maize her
journeys On horseback and even in old age and sisk
ness took reluctantly to her coach IN slr Philip
sidney's time" says, Aubrey, 80 famous 9ia
race for young gentleman to be riding IN the
Street in coach it would now for such one TO ne
in the street IN and @ os SO 9en ner
improvements coaches we're vehensntly attached, on
the ground that they promoted ettensnato ln1ury.
Tavlor the waterproof, declares that Housekeeping
never docayed till.ooaches into England )" aud
much later, In 1872, Mr: John Cresset wrote
pamphlet urging ga th9 ths nteSor o Among ocr
reasons for their suppression, ne urged that
''such stage-coachea make gentlemen come ,tS to
Otherwise they would not do but upon urgent necessi
~ nav tho convenience OF the passage makes their
often come up who % ina nsn II hon n
when they to town, they must presently oe in tue
mode get fine clothes, 60 TO plays and treats and ~
TEe Immediate precursor Of modern modes of larl
travel was tho English nAicoach which forty or my
Years ago afforded the most expeditions means Of ptn-
lie conveyance. 1t was on the whole. pcaeant tls
tuition, If we may judge by GO c4nteporary fepm.s
to those WHO like to their eyes when traversng
beautiful country than the " steam-cars in whth We
arc now whirled aong over the iron roads *n'Gn Gl
traverse Europe and America In every direction. In
the good old times when ten miles an hour 7as fe.
Rarded as wonderful rate Of spoed travelling mean.
Something more than it does noT-a-day6 and Seeln8
country through which one passed was not tle mean
noless phrase become since the lntroeocnoh OF
railroads. STILL the modern system ms it's @pens1- aI
in rushing from New York to San franciac' IN weeA
see quite much as they would T. thy took a eas
months for the trip. It makes a the IN the
world whether you sec with the eyes Of Iusk1n or
with thoao Of a-Qet the millions sho are moi
Ruskins finish the sentence to their Owl ts&e}
| To people who read, and like to read lu1ur1~
ouglv. no article in Harpe7's will bemore attract
ivo than that about the
READING ROOM OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM:
The great reading-room Of the A1us!n il the almost
names are famous here there, yet such is the de-
mocracy Of it's government, the hunbiest and ooscur-
eet ol authors would authors, amateur oanoefa IN
books, and pleasure-seeiing hovc,Eoaders may,
by complying with certain forms jostle the world,
renowned poet OF the threshold, o. sit cheek by Jowl
with m cssayist aud reviewer IN the luxurious,
| le.ther-bound arm-chairs pro7ided for all tho
| wosld. One. he sits there, ls somehnles
startled Us he rcfrcshes bis eyes moment ~ eiaet
beside him familiar face face that mas 1alf vol
looked him from frontisIicces Of fand book
| stores so cozily esconced in summoned from the
pile OF boo1<H which have beenlves scattered about
Ssva Of % aeispa sS at fs
faces. More than oucrK Lemon hustled by; have
Falstaf features oforn deathly white anu thought
ful, yet yol,.s: Browning, true poets face, calm,
over his aarkeyed, gray-hsired and gray-oearded;
deep ,1he philosopher and his hnsFious 1;3s wfs
!-.tw Englancer than like Old Eugandor with fine,
contemplative pale, thinnish features, and sharp,
and e4m Of ssrs w's @
large brow, dccI-sunken eyes, aud shaggy white hnir
eyes, g and bald crown; aad Willie Collins, wit With s fa
beard and mustachc, large, round, blue eyes, and
quick, prompt manner.
and the ad jaccnt apartments Q1cluding the Of
typographical curtosities and antiquities, Whcro
@ peare7s I ] sgnntre % and 50 ou i nsarly II not quite
three-quarters Of million. THIS enormous figure
does not include the almost countless tracts, pamph
let's manuscripts and newspaper tiles. In one year
coo volumes and q 600 parts Of volumes added
to this great estate Of learning whil counting every
reached 1853 o6o The number Of volumes in tho great
dome-roon" alone ia about So 600. Many Of thcso
are 70 ,ol ne u1ec OF
staircasos and galleries only ueed BY the attendants
or the volumes within the REACH and accessible to the
free Use OF the reader, there arc some &c, ,0oO.
To see that this magnificent garden of letters
is appreciated, We need only look through the
| doors upon the busy human bees sucking the
| sweet which they find in books:
In the course of the year between 200 and 10000
persons make use Of the reading-room. An averae,
days attendance comprises some 200 persons. The
utmost order, decoruIn, and quiet method prevail
cral supervision the room, who is always
to found at the Supernendeat's desk in the centre
Of the hau. To him Is conhded not only the general
task Of overseeing that the attendants perform heir
duty with order aud ceerity and preserving the deco
rum Of the room-he is also charged with the spc-
cial duty Of assisting the readers in their re-
searches.
| Foreigners as well as native born, arc allowed
access On liberal terms. Any one, no matter
| how obscure, mny use the matchless privileges
| of the institution.