Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-24
Where Shakespeare was Born.

Tie room In which Shakespeare was born is
ford-on- Avon. Itwas the only locality In which
any reverence seemed to fall upon me. The
graves OF great men are not especially impress
slve, for one cannot help saying, "The man +
lot here. This stone is but the symbol Of his
death; he is gone back into the eternal life
But tie room In which he was brought watlng
into the world, or the school-room In which he
was taught the alphabet, or the study In which
he worked, or painted or saDg-these are the
memorials which possess most touching inter-
9s In n t ms low ceed dagy heavily rated
stored shakespeare cottage On Henly street, one
may indulge In veneration: Here was born the
Ghiia VINO was TO give divine essor to poetry
to cynicism, have fanciedGhat he had come too
late TO world too old, for there was mighty
WITTY and strengthen literature; could hardly
realize that WIS standing in room in which
the infant Shakespeare was nursed when Cal
vim lay dying after his great life work; when
TaSso was singing in Italy; when the world of
art was mourning the recent death of Michael
Angelo; when CamOens was writing the Lusiad,
ana Morta1gne was In the first flush OF his fame
Some skeptics say that there is no authority for
the statement that Shakespeare was born in
this room; but the burden OF proof rests with
them and not with the gossips whom they con-
butchers shop, before the partial restoration
OF the cottage took place. The tens of thou
sar DIS OF pilgrims who have climbed the narrow
names on the blackened walls The guide
pointed out to me the signature, ssW Scott,
written clumslly enough on one of the panes Of
a window; and on the ceiling, which the dear:
tall old humoriSt could so readily have kissed II
he chose, was penciled "Wm. NJ. Thackeray," In
the very neatest OF script. The old guide, who
was extremely obliging, hunted me out some
more names Of celebrities, and on one of the
jams of the fireplace we discovered "VeStris."
Shades OF q past generation OF dancers! do
We also come to spend meditat1ve hour In the
loom where Shakespeare was born.
The old ladies who show the Shakespeare
asts, and between their stereotyped phrases
manage to convey TO the visitor no small
amount OF information, gracefully told, which
they have accumulated during lifetime of
patient study. 1t gr;eves them to the heart that
I'D the museum there Is not single specimen of
the poets handwriting. Shakespeare was prod
igal OF his script; what has become of it ali? or
curious wooden casket in which the poets will
VAST ound. There is the mask of his face taken
after death. One looks at 1t In vain in search
Of confirmation Of his views concerning the an
thenticity OF this Or that portrait; death had
done its work well. Washington Irving's IA
nous Ines written at Stratford, are framed
and hung In this museum. The bits OF furniture
the articles OF apparel, the books, the hundred
trifles, help us TO restore some faint image OF
the period, and it is to be hoped that the Shakes
peaTe Memorial Association will spend a good
deal OF their money on the museum which they
have attached to the new theater. Both mu-
scum and a library OF magnitude are contem-
plated II money enough to stock them can be
secured Over the doors OF the entrance to the
museum will be panels illustrating, In terra
Gotta or fresco, scenes from the best known
plays.-[Ed,card Kings Letter to the Boston Jour
nat