Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1875-09-23
An Interesting Letter From London
For the Advertiser.
TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON.
September 2, 1875.

| 'koCPtCulUOL ~ AOfo'
Dear -AdocrtiScr: According to prom
ise, we hasten to send you line from
the British Metropolis.
The Cunarder (Bothnia) on which we
were booked as passenger, sailed
promptly on the appointed day, from the
very docks, whence, over seventeen
years ago, we started upon our first Eu.
ropean tour.
The evening was as chilly and foggy
as the opening chapter i'll Bleak House
indeed as inauspicious as possible.
The landing was packed with dense
crowd bidding adieu to relatives and
friends.
As there wero no adieuX for us and
our trip-mission one of business, we
were somewhat impatient at the pro-
tracted farewell-and willing at every
seeming delay to exclaim, vogue Ia
galere.
The Bothnia is said to be the largest
and finest Steamer now on the high seas,
She is about two hundred feet in length,
which think is the square Of your town
park. at any rate she would almost
bridge the irrepressible C.y with your
Masonic Hall. Our berth though point
ed out as midships was numbered 402, SO
you can Judge Of the great capacity Of
the ''huge Cunarder."
The north castor and rolling sea soon
sent the land lubbers to their respective
berths--among others, your correspond
ent, who, during the night was as fully
purgcd Of his bile, as was ever Fale-uian
Horrce in the spring season, though
from an entirely different cause.
However, the savory steam of lamb
chops and coffee, together with the fresh,
ness of the morning air, induced us to
repair 10 the breakfast table-and as only
atew Of the passengers had appeared,
we had ample time to inspect the i'm
mense salon q diner and TO enquire for
our place. After an inspection Of few
moments, we were gratified to find that
we were sandwiched (pardon the word)
between the Hon. George A. Trenholm,
the Secretary Of the late Confederate
Treasury, and Dion Boucicault the IA
nous author and actor-the very an
tipodes one of the other. but neverthe-
less the two most distinguished persons
in the boat.
The Rev. Mr.. Trappier, of st. Michaels,
was our vis viS q table, flankcd by a
Rhode Island bride, pretty and graceful,
and not at all of the clam-bake style.
So far our lot had fallen among green
pastures-an ex-Treasurer, celebrated
actor and aramatist, distinguished di-
vine, from whom absolution could be
had at the first penitential peccaui, and
charming Rhode Island bride. with Mrs.
Dion Boucicault (nce, I think, Agnes
Robertson) by way of hors doeuure.
1t would be superflous to add that with
such compcgnonS dln uoyagc, and an unu-
sual exemption from sea sickness, our
allotted space of ten days passed away
quite agrecably. Indeed within the ten
days we not only reached Liverpool, but
found oursclf comfortably lodged on
Trafalgar Square, London, with the Mel
son column staring Us in the face.
On the morrow we repaired to the U.
S. Legation, with the hope of finding
some OF our brother Secretaries OF former
days-and were fortunate enough to fall
in with two of them, and for few hours.
inter pocula, "forgot all our thorns for
the flowers by the way" i. ropera az
'ieatrc, a,s ,j,t''din Cremorne, am-per-
haps our clients would prefer us to add
Ito business.
Well, so we did, in search of Attorneys
at law, to the queerest place, with the
qucerest name for Lawyers imaginable
F." Finsbury Circus" Certainly a STANCE
name for legal lodgings. Not so strange
either, upon reflection, for you know
that some ground and lofty tumblers are
nowadays attached to the profession.
Lawyers offices here are in fact entire
ly different from those in America-no
luxurious efrn chairs, Or ca'ees'@g.-
-ccSyiissTIi6ncI lounges, &C., but small
dingy roers, and bare floors, with CLERKS
sitting on the old fashioned three legged
stools, a. Ia Dodson & Fogg.
Indeed these Offices have the appear
ance OF legal dens, and it was relief to
us to hurry from them and hail cab for
Westminster.
Do not be alarmed, we have no idea of
intlicting upon you description Of t'at
famous Abbey. We attempted that on a
former roccasion--years ago, i'll our earlier
and it may be better days, when our
heart was Drawer and our head fresher,
and a second attempt strikes us with
dismay.
Indeed we now enter its portals with
feelings far different .:om those OF by
gone days, with feelings certainly Of ad-
mira:ion and awe, but in the inclination
to moralize, and with promptings TO pass
by tho gorgeous shrines of royalty and
the princely mausoleums OF nobility, and
to hurry on to the corner where lies poor
Gaya he of the garret and the Beggars
Opera, and to realize in his epitaph,
written by himself, the truths Of Eclesi-
astes-
This worlds cheat and all things
show it,
1 always thought so-now know it:
words almost identically repeated after
wards by M9EF,
"This wo5l4 all fleotiug show, &c"
Strange the modern Anacreon,
with % tbalis hand and a kiss on his
lip, and Bs author of the opera best
adapted Ig.A- -Hsae pangles and the stars,
should have uttered sentiments so stri-
lsingly analogous.
Is it not expressed equally in the dy-
ing request of Oldfiold, the famous ac-
.treAs, whose remains lio here, when in
life she wished them placed near to those
of the great Mr. Congreve, whom she
loved so tenderly, and whose "great
gouty feet' she washed so frequently.
She, whom Congreve also loved devoted
ly, but took care to leave his 10000
,unds to Sarah, Duchess of Marl-
borough, and not to his "dearest Old
field" because "she was Duchess and
an actress; but will be beautifulin
death. and shall be buried by him. Bet