The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-20
THE ROYAL BRIDAL.
Reception of the Duke and Duchess
Of Edinburgh in England.
HOW LONDON BROUGHT MARIA HOME
I'm the Pier Amid Soldiers, Aldermen, Do
tectives, Royalists and Roughs.

teetives, Royalists and Roughs.
LONDON, March Z, 1874
Not for me the uprising at preposterously earJ
hour this morning. the hunting for cab to take
me to the station, and the fighting into train
crammed with camOrOus cockneys all bound ia
Gravesend. had taken time by the forelocK had
gone out OF town over night, and when arose this
morning it was in pleasant chamber OF the now
historic house, where but few years ago the
greatest OF England's modern 1ctonists lived and
died, and where his son still administers grace
Jul hospitality. At eight A. NJ. the shin.
ing strongly, the birds twitterlng loudly, and
one would have needed all the slothiulness of DR..
Watts sluggard to have remained any longer in
bed.
GAD'sHILL PLACE
is but five miles from Gravesend on the high road
leading from Rochester, looking on to which ove
the boar, irost-sprlnked, broad lawn l ind sigma
OF the forthcoming festivities. A troop OF yeo-
many, in blue and silver Uniform, with bearsEin
busbys and white shaving-brush feathers, mounted
stout nags and with bits and sabres clanking,
trot by. Then follows snug family party-a
bridesmaids, prObably-in a lOur.wneeed chasei
then lot OF people in a van, then our-in-hand
drag, covered all over with swells In long, tawny
Observation-Disclosures from Chatham garrison. BY
the time nau dressed anu Dreaklasteu anu WAS
by the side OF my host in his phaeton the road was
as crowded as is the way TO EPSON on the Derby
Day; but we ratified on merrily, and scarcely had
occasion to draw rem until We entered the Old
town OF Gravesend
THE DECORATIONS.
Gravesend simply unrecogniZable. IL 10
usually very unpleasant little town, Jul Of
drunken sailors and fresh shrimps and cockneys
out for holiday. The architecture OF the low
brick houses OF the meanest and squalidest Brit
ish order. But to-day 1t had blossomed out in tho
most extraordinary manner All the balconies Of
the houses had been covered with crimson cl0tn,
notices in English and Russian 1T was half sus-
pected that Gravesend being great Hibernan
colony, the unreliable notices really in Irish,
but it looked to me very like what had recently
seen in st. PetersDurg), bidding the happy couple
welcome, were ubiquitous. Venetian masts with
connecting links OF artificial flowers lined the road
side at intervals, and there were more tri'
umphal arches than could have im-
agined could have been crammed into so
small space All the shops were shut,
the church bells were changing from the steeples.
Open balconies, prettly adorned, had been erected
in front Of all the public buildings and at the cor.
ners of the streets, and these filed with Well
dressed women and pOEpous old gentlemen, who
were taking the opportunity OF finishing the pc
rusal OF their morning newspaper. Gravesend IL
close to two or three military stations, but 1T has
rarely seen so many uniforms or such variety; Tor
not merely were there my friends, the yeomanry,
but volunteer rifle regiments, III dark green and
dark gray; marines marching at quickstep. with
their splendid band, and squadron OF nussars
dasnlng at a hand gallop through the little town,
their way to the pier, where theJ We're to form
the escort
IN THE STONE JUG.
1t will be necessary Tor me TO go about without
let hindrance, even when the carriers are closed
| at hall past tea. And WIFI That OBJECT III view J
present myself at the police station to ootaln
pass such as is always given TO representatives Vi
the press On my arrival find the little station
crammed with very motley and ilooklng crowd
wno are beng nuddled INTO corner anu rapidly
searched by tue constaDies. while their names and
addresses are taken down 10y the sergeant. sew.
erai London detectives, some in pain clothes,
some in rough DISCUSSES, are standing by, and
among them | nna my acquaintance, Inspector
are London pickpockets and that there are
'.troops oi them coming down." Later In the day
again meet the Inspector, who mentions that
there are already Jhirty-lVe plrus IN MS cage.
ON The PIER. -
The streets had been cleared by this time, aud
walked urOuga two rows OF doubtless appreclo
tive people to the commencement OF the pier,
where was stopped by several portly gentlemen
glanclng at my pass courteously ted me to
proceed. thought, by the by, that tue gentena
curiously, ana that alter had passed was rather
stared alter ny nun ana some friends TO whom ne
spoke received thls however. as tribute 10
MY popularity; put a little tme afterwards hap
IenIng my sell TO look al the TICKET, saw written
| l
consequently felt somewhat small In the large
space fronting the entrance to the pier was
gathered together motley company. Here were
Tue royal carriages, eacn with lour masnincent
horses with Positions IN DARK blue and
outrders in scarlet with Grape band around the
lett arm, the Court being IN mourning l0r some
German prince KIN. Here was the squadron Oh nus.
sars d rawn up III double line and battalion OF loot
fronting them; here caperlng about On hlon met,
tied chargers, were generals ana staff officers, aud
here was tire Recorder, In MS huge. Iuil.3ottomea
whiie wig, with the manuscrpt Of an address n
| ha nd.
which was to be taken as read"
The entrance the pier was beautifully deco
rated with red velvet, ON wnicl. IN gold letters,
were the words .'Kent Welcomes her Earl and his
Bride,u And the pier Itself, when IS a covered III
structure, had las moor covered with crimson Dalze.
ana Itself DIVIDED into two large partitions, with
broad path between, wnlcn pdrtltionS we're hueo
with raised seats occupied by well-dressed laolea
and gentlemen. Inc shriil sound OF youthful
voices from the otner END OF the pier came rom
some hundred little girls, whO AL beautifully
dressed alike, i'll KIND OF feminine sailors garb o.
wnIte SERGE edged with blue, and Win ''4iarla"
on toe ribbon round their white straw hats, are 10
attendance to scatter violes in the BRIDES path.
THE ARRIVAL.
The royal yacht Victoria AID Albert which mad
| arrived ia GIavesend reach early In the morning,
now dropped down from ner moorlngs until she
| arrived opposite the pier. barge with the royal
| ensign OF england lying from the stern was LIN.
mediatey manned, into which the royal couple
| descended, and precisely at i've minutes TO eleven
o'cocS amid the tnunder from the iron-clads
Audacious and Duncan, the yards OF winch were
| manned, the Duchess OF Edinburgh set her loot on
| what may be metaphorically called the SOIL OF her
| future home but what was In reality the crimson
baize covering the dummy lighter" at the emu d
tue Gravesend pier. There
TO RECEIVE HER . 90,
/ were her brotnern-aw, Prince Arthur, ~ LIP
usual rine UNIFORM; Lord sydney the Lord Lieu.
tenant oil the county, looking more pompous ano
/ innated than ever since he has been raised iroM
| VIscount 10 an Earl, and Jolly LORD Alred Paaet,
1 VINO nad been sent down by the queen 70 wnoM
he IL chief equeIry-always red-iaced, cneeFy sno
genial. -
THE BRIDE.
The Duchess OF Edinburgh was dressed entirely
/ In white, with "A wmte Donnet imagine sue
must nave been iatgued with the journey or
suffered from seasckness, as sue aiu not LOOK
nearly so wen six weeks since III s' re'ersourg:
oIIered her py the Mayors daughter WIN rather an