Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-01-31
An Adventure in st. Paul's.

we COiOuEtlS, Ou lHc WuOIc, Iuluh,
have more appreciation of st. Paurs
than of any other Of the London sights.
More than of Westminster Abbey, even.
For it wants deal of history to under
stand the Abbey and it's puzzling chap
els; and after certain amount of stock
driving one jumbles up the kings and
queens. Coming over from Australia
for six months visit to England, one
of tie first things l promised myself
on landing was to see st. Paul's; and
yet it's II singular fact that up to the
very end of my sojourn here had nev-
er been inside of your (or may I say
our Z? great cathedral.
felt it impossible to go back and
| face my relations and friends if could
mt say I'd seen st. Paul's, and I made
half a dozen plans at various times of
paying it visit But first one thing
intelvened and then another till my last
day in England had come, my pilgrim
age unperformed. This last day, how
ever, l kept clear of engagements on
purpose to see the place. Before was
out of bed in the morning had a tele-
gram of importance, which took me off
post haste to the eastern counties; and
it was eight o'clock in the evening he
fore reached Shoreditch station on my
return journey. Now, was bound to
start early next morning to reach Brin-
tlisi in time for the Italian mail, and it
thus seemed as if it were my fate to
miss my last chance of entering St.
Paul s. Still, l was determined not to
throw away chance. 1t might be that
the cathedral was still open; and l
picked out fast looking horse from n
row of hansoms, and babe the driver
put me down in the shortest possible
time at the corner of ST. Paul's church.
yard.
AS l descended from the cab and
stood on the edge of the pavement
looking 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 by the evening glow.
All the lower part of the building was
in deep shadow, rendered still darker
by the thick coating of SCOT that encased
it; but the upper portion, towering
clear of houses and chimneys, and swept
and sweetenel by the winds and rains,
caught CLEAN of brightness from the
and fair into the evening sky.
The traffic of the DAY had slackened; !;
there were few pedestrians, and only an
occasional cab ratified by. The big
warehouses had retired from business;
the shops were shut; the city seemed
to sleep. Paul's, also, was closely fas-
tened up. 1t misgave 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 of cobwebs, and men like
flies were crawling about those slender
tilaments. Stout scaffoldings and thick
cables they were, no doubt; but frcm
the street they looked like the delicate
fabric of the gossamer.
walked quickly around the church
hoping to find some doorway open,
some access to the interior The iron
gates were all closed, the doors were
fast. Pauls portals looked as inacces-
sible and forbidding as the rocky flank
of n mountain. was determined to
find my way in, if possible, but knew
not how to set about it. Could l have
come across anything that looked like n
deanery or sarcedotal residence, should
have made bold to knock thereat and
ask the occupiers for the key. But l
could find nothing of the sort. Even
at bun-shop, which was still open,
where l inquired as to the way of get
ting into the church, the people knew
no more about st. Paul's than if it had
been thousand miles distant.
began to feel Respondent about the
matter, but went around the church
once more till came to the end or the
the south transept-the shorter limb of
the cross and looked vacantly up at
the fine semicircular portico, with it's
tall columns and flight Of steps. All
this time never thought OF there be-
ing anybody living inside st. Paul's;
should as soon have expected to meet
with furnished apartments in the cata-
combs, OF family residence in the
pyramids. But peering cautiously
about l espied in the angle formed by
the nave and transept on the western
side, window from which came the
faint CLEAN of a candle. 1 stood aud
looked between the ratings and saw
that somebody was moving within.
There was bird-cage in the window;
on the sill outside some red fower-pots.
Presently somebody came to the desk
near the window and began to write;
an old man with white hair.
If 1 could only make him see me,
perhaps he would take compassion on
me and let me in. But it wasn't likely
that he would see me. Looking from
the lighted window into the twilight
outside it was hardly possible that he
should see anything. 1 thought of
fiinging pebble at the window; but it
was good distance off; might break
the glass and be taken into custody.
] I cave q few shrill whistles holdino NJ.