The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-20

heard of anybody going twice. The
work is curious and Interesting, bearing
about the same resemblance to life that
wax fruit and flowers do to the original
quite enough to make one start with
surprise at. the first glance. In "a little
ante-room at the entrance Charles Dick
ems stands resting one hand upon table.
Every one is impelled to ask Charles the
way into the exhibition. A curious illu-
sion is that of an old gentleman seated
on a bench, looking at the figures and
wagging his head as if in mild astonish-
ment. AS he occupies the middle of the
bench he has been frequently requested
to move and make room, some of the
people going so far as to give his waxship
nudge. Two. of the figures are wonder
fully like life-a Japaneze gentleman,
who seems absolutely to have "specula-
ton in his eyes," and Walter Scott,
whose face beams with intelligence and
good humor. Napoleon the First looks
much like Billy Florence, the actor, and
Murat like a brutal cut-throat. Napo-
leon the Third is dead and stretched out
on bier An Irish gentleman asserted
that it was the most life-Gke thing in the
collection. These wax-works must have
suggested Mrs. farley to Charles Dick
| ems.
From the wax-works our party went to
the Zoo in Regents Park. At the gate
of the park we discovered new branch
of industry. A lame man stands there
waiting for some one to ask him which
path must be taken-a fatal question
always weighs penny, and sometimes
three. The Zoo is a magnificent collec-
ton, embracing almost every known ami
NAL. There is large family of kanga-
roos, the inventors of dancing, and snakes
enough to set up a numerous family with
the leliriuaa tremeas. The English raven
struck me by its enormous size, and by
its singular resemblance to the great car
rion crow of the Southern States, wear
ing, like that pleasant object, black
cut-away coat with a very square tail.
There is an elephant in daily use as a
saddle horse for boys, the largest ever
saw-at least four feet higher than the
celebrated Romeo. The grounds are not
particularly beautiful. A dirty canal
runs through them, and from bridge
over this stream of traffic one gets view
of Primrose Hill, a cone-like eminence,
utterly dreary and barren, from the top
| of which, however, an extensive view of
London can be obtained. The Zoo gar
den is plentifully sprinkled with refresh
ment rooms, without which it would be
failure, these being necessities in every
| place of amusement. At one of these
places, where there were chairs and little
round tables under the trees, I saw a
young gentleman of ten years, accom-
panied by another of six, order lunch as
follows: "Cold roast beef for two, and a
half pint of bitter beer; and here, waiter,
don't forget the mustard" The waiter
came back. The old man of ten, after
graveiy asking, "What's the swindle?"
paid, and gave the waiter a six-pence.
There are so many things to like in
London, that it is difficult to complain
even if one were viciously disposed to
find fault. The eternal pour 6oire is the
most annoying among small things. The
cab and bus system is absolutely perfect.
The streets of London are clean-in fact
l have not seen dirty or badly paved
street. Did mention the wooden pave
ment? I have forgotten; but at the
risk of repetition, l will say that it is
perfect success here. 1t is laid, however,
more carefully than in America. A
body of concrete six inches thick is first
laid upon carefully prepared bed, and
on this three inches of asphalt; then the
wooden blocks are put down. I have
seen some Of this pavement which has
been down seven years, and there is not
hole or depression in it, Perhaps
this thorough good work would stand in
America. The west end of London is
delightful. There are plenty of little
squares and spaces filled with flowers.
There is no beauty in the houses, but
there is no end of comfort in them. The
brick are coarse and generally of a dark
lead color, but in spite of this the resi-.
dences have an uncommonly cheerful
look. [ think it was on the corner of
Portman Place that the bus driver called
my attention to large, dull, but surpris.
ingly ugly, comfortable looking house,
much overrun by ivy, which he said was
No American Duke of Dry Goods or
Count of Hardware would live in such a
house for any consideration. The differ
ence is largely in favor of the English
man, who prefers solid comfort to mere
outside show. The thing that has sur
prised me more than all is that since 1
have been in the country I have not
heard an oath, witnessed a quarrel, or
seen drunken man-Yes, once. /
heard an oath, from lady, whose pro-
tesslonal avocations caused her to hunt
mankind in company with many of her
sex ranging from the Haymarket through
the Strand. Some one, I think, had re-
flected upon her character. Judging
from effects, London is the best governed
city in the world. The climate, so far,
has been delightful. In the form Of
rain, we have had but two little showers
of brief duration. 1t has been cool
enough to compel me to wear a pea
jacket in prowling about, although the
sun has had very fair chance to show
what it could do.
To sum up London, with my brief ex
perience, it is the most charming city I
have ever visited. From the commence
ment of November, with its pea-soup
fogs, until spring, it is doubtless the re-
verse OF agreeable. The London season,
however, closes the 1st of July, to COM
mence in January, after the Christmas
holidays. The people who can get away,
and, especially those who own places in
the country, are sensible enough to give
to the country the fall months, and do
not commit the folly of our people who
rush back to the city on the 1st Of Sep
tember. In winter, also, there is no
place so charming as Devonshire, where
roses blow in the open air the whole
year round. The English climate is
lovely to one who abhors our two pests
flies and mosquitoes-a1d to whom
roasting-hot weather is foretaste of the
sinners doom. I shall certainly leave
England with the greatest regret, temper
ed only by the hope of return next
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