National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-11-07
ADVENTURE IN ST. PAUL,S.

Going over for six months visit T.
England, one Of the first things prom
ised myself on landing was to see 81
Paul's; and yet it's a singular fact, tha
M to the very end OF my sojourn there
| had never been inside the great ca
thedral.
felt it impossible to GO back an,
face my relations and friends, il
e,uldnt say that I'd seen st. Paul'-
and made hali-a.dozen plans, at vari
ous times, Of paying il Il visit. But frs
one thing interyened, and then another
till my last day in England had come
nv pilgrimage nnperiormed. This las
day, however, had kept clear Of en-
cagements, on purpose 10 see the place
But before ! was out of bed in tn,
morning, | had telegram of import
ance. which took me off post. haste tc
the eastern counties; and il was pas
eight O'Clock in the evening before
reached the Shoreditch station, on my
return journey.
Now, ! WAS bound to start early next
morning, TO reach Liverpool in til1e fol
the steamer, and 1t thus seemed as if il
were my fate to miss my last chance OF
entering 81. Pauls. Still, l was deter.
mined not to throw away chance. II
might he that the cathedral was still
open; and ! picked out fast-looking
horse from the row of hansoms, and baae
the driver put me down in the shortest
nnsslble time at the corner of st. Paul's
church yard.
Az descended from the cab, and
st.,I m thH .A AZ thn IoA1y
,ng up at the giant bulk of the dome
the clock struck nine The sun had set /;
but high overhead the golden ball and
cross stood out against the sky, still
Furnished 10y tho evening glow. All the
lower part OF the building was in deep
shadow, rendered still darker bv the
thick coating of SCOT that encased it:
but the upper portion, towering clear OF
houses and chimneys, and swept and
sweetened by the winds and rains,
caught CLEAN Of brightness from the
clouds above. aud raised itself white
and fsir Iuto the evening sky.
lAe traffic Of the day had slackened
there were few pedestrians, and only
IN occasional cab ratified by. The big
warehouses; Bad retired from business
the shops we're smut ; the city seemed
to sleep. st. Pa ul's, also, was closely
iastened up. 1t misgsve me that all
should see of it would be the outside.
Bending back my neck, and gazing
upwards at the huge dome, | saw that
about the great golden cross and ball
was tracery as of cobwebs, and men
like flies were crawling abont those
slender flaments, Stout scaffJldings
and thick cables they were, no doubt
but from the street they looked like
the delicate fabric of the gossamer.
| walked quickly round the church,
hoping T. find some doorway open,
some access to the interior. The iron
gates were all closed, the doors were
fast Phul's portals look as inaccessi-
bic and forbidding as the rocky flank
OF mountain. was determin~ d
10 find my way in, if possible ; but ]
knew not how to set about II. Could ]
have come across any thing that looked |
Ike deanery or sacerdotAl residence,
! should have made bold to knock |
thereat, and ask the occnpiers for the |
key, But / could find nothing Of the |
sort Even at blin-shop, which was
sui open, where l inquired as to the
way OF getting into the church, the
people knew no more about ST. Pauls |
tnan If it had been n thousand miles
distant.
began 80 feel despondent about !
ule matter, bnt went lound the church
once more till Icame to the end of the
south transept--the shorter limb of the
ccross-and looked vacantly up at the
me semi circular portico, with its tall
columns and flight of steps. All this
ume, never thought of there being
anybody living inside of ST. Pau's
! should rs soon have expected to meet
NlVh furnished apartments in the Cata-
gnomhs, or a family residence in the
pyramids. But peering curiously
nooot, espied, in the angle formed by
'ne nave and transept on the western
SIDE, window, from which came the
i1int gleam of candle. I stood and
1ohed between the ratings, and saw
;lat somebody was moving about with
!u' There was n bnl-cage in the win
eo" ON the sill outside, some red
I'"er-pots. Presently, somebody came
IL q desk hear the window and began to
"iite IN old man, with white hair
II L could only make him see me, per.
maps he wonld take compassion on me,
ahd let me in. But it wasn't likely that
i Ee should see me. Looking from the
mshS room into the twilight outside, it
was hardly possible that he should see
tSilfthIng. tif ! thought of fiinging peb-
Jie Jie az the window but it was a good
.os'nee OH; | might break the glass,
oe taken into custody. l gave O
Jew shrlll whistles, holding nv fingers
IT. III my mouth but it was all of no use.
'He ola man didn't turn his head.
a. Ohce again l had almost given the
IN i'g up, and gone home but Just then
sn5 re nght disappeared from the window,
o@ u al was darkness. Was the old man
tn ~ 10 bed, 1 wondered, or had he gons
SbeeiP about among the crypts below ,
ino LIQUID ~ see his light presently twink
,.ns .a, IN those high windows? Did he {
rest;u n ~ some stone gallery, or find
IVsalhg Sa place in the golden bail Whilst
81 inns speculating, l heard door
st,,Iy $40; cosed, footstep on the stone
tor, case, and the iron gate at the bot
forwes m ersaked on its hinges: sprang
ma~ ~afd. and met a gray headed old
ina. imam with thin pallid face, who was
'',, M opeiang the iron grille.
with all the eloquepce of which am
master, l besoupbf him to 40 mo The j