Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-19

hOugh 1T IS three ''lOng Scotch miles,
md the gates are locked 1T six o'clock.
The walk is between hawthorn hedges,
oordered with blue-bells in full bloom,
md most of the distance the river
Tweed is in view, flowing between the
7ery greenest of green banks. All the
'ertile meadows were waving with
golden harvests, and the sun was just
setting, apparently at the very ex-
5remity of the valley, lighting with his
asst lingering rays palace and cottage,
minarets and matched roofs, and gid
ing every cloud with a glorious light
When 1 reached Abbottsford I found
all the gates closed and access forbid
den. A very high enclosure running
around the brow of hill, shut out the
view 50 entirely that the chimney |
stacks could not be seen. But l had |
not walked all this distance, with a
humping, nervous headache, to be |
cheated out of sight that way f; SO l
even mounted fences and walls, and,
in the still twilight, strolled through
the grounds and gardens, and around
the buildings to my hearts content,
without meeting living soul. 1t is
the most beautiful place l have yet
seen, and is we'll said to ne a romance
in stone and mortar"
But the FUNNIEST old city in the
round world is undoubtedly York
with it's walls, its tiled roofs, its queer
overhanging houses, its narrow streets,
dark lanes and forbidding courts, its
public squares, where hucksters, jay
hawkers, quack doctors and itinerant
and night hideous with their constant
clatter.
I joined party of ladies and young
"Minster. Each paid sixpence, and
the attendant, in black gown, showed
us through the building, In his
speeches he singled me out, and, like
the ancient mariner, "ixed me with
his glitJeriDg eye," and held me with
his skinny hand" He pointed out all
the monuments to the various Arch
bishops and Bishops here ''inurned,
made talk at every shrine and at
every window, gave us the dimensions,
ages, and all other information he had
been able to stereotype concerning the
place, read for our edlficatlOn an
| inscription on one of the arches which,
| he said, a traveller had written long
| and merry, ago,-''As the Rose is the
| Flower of Flowers, so is this 'ouse the
'ouse of 'Ouses-a lama conclusion,
with all due respect to the distinguish
| ed author. He also related that forty
four years ago one Jonathan Martin
coming in as we had done, concealed
| himself in ono of the recesses, and
when everybody had left piled all the
| books and benches and curtains to-
gether III the choir, set fire to them,
| and destroyed much of the wood work
and fine carving-together with a
magnificent organ and the roof of the
Cathedral. The eyes of our party
grew wild at this recital. Jonathan
Martins fantasy, without more motive,
put ''toys of desperation into every
brain" His example, even after this
lapse of time, was morally infectious.
Each nearer was moved to conceal
himself, and eclipse the mailman. The
next day, being the Sabbath, Iattended
Divine Services at the Cathedral, and
must say, if clear understanding OF
what was done and said on the occ;-
sion is necessary to admission to
Heaven, there is no more hope for me
than there was for Capt. SCOTS coon.
Three Or four men with braZen rods
and black robes paraded about from
altar to altar and from pulpit to pulpit
and from reading desk to reading desk
followed by four or five men with
white robes, each one of whom had a
share in the conduct of the services.
| Everything was chanted or sung, pray,
ers, pslam for the day, litany, com
mandments, special prayers for the
Queen and Prince and Princess OF
Wales. Even the reading of the les
sons and the address-which latter was
about the ACCESSIBILITY of union with
the Church of Rome-"our true and
true, though erring mother re
cited in sing-song fashion, very
strange to any one not to the ''mannel
born. 1t seems difficult to compose
the heart and mind to an earnest, heart
searching exposure of self to God, in 6
set song to the droning of a tremen.
dous organ, but perhaps it's not i'm
possible. 1t seems to me, however,
that the Litany-the grandest prose
outside of the Bible-most eloquent in
its awful earnestness-dwindl into
pale moonshine when we hear the hum
bic and contrite sinner begging God
by His "agony and bloody sweat for
fol giveness-slnging the while with
evident pride in his voice-and keep
ing excellent time with the organ and
choir. I tried to thank God for all
His benefits, bat couldn't catch the
tune, and SO put it off, like Felix fo1
"a more convenient season." The
choir was composed of twenty eight
males, and the singing was of the
finest. There were no last years bon
nets and gloves in the congregation,
and when the ladies put their hands to
their foreheads in meditative devo-
tional way-which was very, very
often-you might see the diamond
clusters flashing through the "dim re,
ligious light like ''beads of the morn
ing, strung upon slender blades of
grass" You bet
Arriving at London, [ visited the
Parliament Houses on Monday, the 4th
instant. There was nothing of inter
est going on in the House of Lords. A
an appeal case, before ridiculous
looking individual in a wig, and he
wasn't doing it half as well as might
Lords. In fact he was hemming and
having and stammering Gin way !
despise p
[ got thoroughly wearied out trying
to get into the House of Commons, nor
was I only person. There was at the
door, among innumerable others, a party
of our Northern brethren and sisters,
rendered unpleasantly conspicuous by
young lady in black silk, and an i'm
mense hustle coupled on to her" who,
with great ostentation, wrote on a card
and sent it in by policeman to some
NJ. P, or imaginary M. 2. q thought
it was another "Mrs Harris and who,
| whilst they vainly waited for a sum-
mons to enter, paced impatiently to
and fro in front of the entrance, biting
her lip as an angry steed doth chide his
foaming bit, jerking out her watch,
stamping her little heels viciously upon
the Mosaic, and otherwise showing her
| weakness. [ gave fellow at the door
a shilling, and he took me at once to
the visitors gallery. A hooked nose
gentlemen was on his legs addressing
| the Speaker. He had not proceeded
| far with his little piece before an hon
orable gentlemen in the N. E. corner
heaved a very emphatic and doleful