Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-08
"ROBIN0 ABROAD.

osbsOhS ~ "a ANoNANo IA sAAO YIN
WOrld-England and Scotland.
Special Correspondence of State journal.
INNS OF Court HOTEL, LONDON, June
IA, 18so.-How or where to begin this
letter Is a conundrum ! Because for every
thing write, I must omit dozen-a
hundred, indeed-which l am equally
anxious to give you. Five days in Great
Britain has given me new notions enough
to fill a respectable book. Why the very
air breaths novelty, it Is SO soft.and sweet
and different from our bracing, sharp
New England atmosphere. The cities
which we have Glasgow, Edin-
burg and London--are nrt so especially for
eigu in their appearance, except in the
feature of solidity, which is really re-
markable aud which gives one the impress.
sion that the people who live in these
fortress like buildings must excel in Ion
gevity themselves. This impression is
strengthened by observing the people
that is, those of the poorer olass--who are
so dry and old and withered that it would
be impossible to guess within fifty years of
their age.
As to the cities, however, it is only in
| the business sections that they look
familiar. In the older and poorer parts,
there are very strange gabled cottages, the
low walls made of stucco, and the bits of
latticed windows swinging out, and always
filled with plants and flowers. But the
strsngest houses that we have senior
probably shall see anywhere on our
travels-are the huts in which the shep-
herds and few small farmers live, in the
lake region OF Scotland Driving over
from Loeb Lomand to Loeb Katrine, we
had grand opportunity to see these
queer dwelling places, in one of which
still live the last survivors of family
which has occupied it for over 800 years
| past. Gan many of our rich aristocracy trace
their lineage as far as these poor hillside
| people? The cottages are built of rough
stone filled in with cement, but stone
being rather dear, the walls are very low,
often so low that one must stoop to enter
a door which reaches quite to the roof.
The roof itself slopes sharply, and is
| thiekly matched with heather which is
brown and dry. There are no chimneys
| the smoke Issuing from hole in one end
of the roof. For windows there is but one
tiny opening, perhaps two feet square, and
if there was any glass failed to see it. l
! think there wae only wooden shutter.
But must give you at least
an outline OF what We have done
in these long, long five days.
dreaded for three days before we
came within sight of land the time when
l should have to leave the steamer, and the
glorious ocean which had become so dear
to me. But the moment that we sighted
ireland, and rose at 9. 30 a. M. to see it
in the distant horizon, and oh what
miserable, cold, sleepy crowd we were
who were SO injudiciously ambitious after
the first excitement had subsidized my
dread changed to feverish Impotence to
get to Scotland, and on shore. Half the
beauty of our sail along the coast and up
the Clyde was lost upon me, because of
the fear that we should not be able to land
that night. This was Tuesday actually
only last Tuesday, day ahead of the
time We expected to make AZ announced
by DR.. Tourjee in his Itinerary, and there
was some fear also that it we did land. the
conductor would not be ready to meet u.s.
But no sooner had the little steamer from
Greenoch Pier met us, than our leader
was on board. And leader he is, by the
way, in every SENSE of the word You
never saw such man on this side of the
world before. Everything il rs slow here
rs plu lluuuitu even tue railway
trains don't start till it is
perfectly convenient for all the attaches
of the road, time being always given the
fireman to go back and kiss his wife. Con-
sequently one has to wait at stations any
where from one to two hours before he
can get his train. But they are glorious
trains when you do get them, or at least
those we happy Tourjeans ride in are. If
there was ever story that [ believed i'm
plicitly, it was that European travelling
was hard and tiresome and miserable, but
[ have been wonderfully disappointed
There is not sleeping car in all America
to equal that in which rode from Edin-
burgh to London. Each car was longer
than our sleeping cars at home, and yet it
was devoted to but six berths, there being
three compartments, connected by doors,
and having broad, long easy berth on
each side. The most complete and
abundant toilette accomn. odations, cup.
boards in the walls, hooks for clothes, seats
in corners and n table for lunch, and after
we had slept soundly all Might've ladies
we left the car iu the morning at s, were
driven to charming inn at Kenilworth,
| where we breakfasted, after which al
hour was spent among the wonderful ole
ruins, and returned to find our berths
transformed into great easy chairs, in
which we continued our ride to London
breaking the journey again at Stratford
where we lunched at the famous Rec
Horse Iun, did" the birthplace of Shake
l speare, the church where he and numer
7 GUS other ancients are buried, and bought
: extremely pretty souvenirs of the place al
2 extremely low prices.
/ But how did l get to Stratford, whan
9 Was falling about our landing, late tina
G Tuesday evening? l must go back tt
4 that bright, active, level. headed conductor
t of ours, who so quickly brought order on
v of the direst confusion, and got his hil
d party of troubled travellers and thei
. luggage you see have the English wore
y and you ought to hear me talk ''tuppene,
r ha penny" and ask for "underdone' beef
e which, by-the.way, can't get) through
{ the Custom House inspection and into til,
o little boat which took us to Greenocl
s pier, where we took the train to Glasgow
\ We took that train at about 10 80 o'clocl
y at night, but it was still light enough II
Il read fine print Do you realize that TIL
Z sun doesn't set in Scotland now till abou
k 10 p. M and with an hour of twilight Il
e follow2
is When we arrived in Glasgow-it was b,
a special train-tne cabmen had given vi
o the arrival of the DeUoRia for that nigh
), and gone home, but that conductor o
), ours secured the streets and sent messen
Ie gers till he raised cabs enough TO take u
l. all to our hotel, where we sat down to
1t full dinner at precisely midnight. Mar
q Twain pufls his pet courier by name i
1t his last book, and why shouldn't do til
N same! Some of our party. whose secon
9. summer it il with the Fourjee Gaze excul
Slons, wrote to London beforehand special
begging that MIR. Crunden should be on
guide, and this is Just "a hint to you VIII
n may De intending to make the tour, to
/. likewise. There isn't a man who en-
in accomplish as many impossbilities in
p given length of time in the Unite
ie Kingdom.
II Sunday in Glasgow was one of "ind
III pendent action and of rest. Principal
{ we went to the Cathedral with its anciei
!" crypts, q wasn't impressed with it, an
10 was AFRAID it would spoil my appetite fc
40 cathedrals, but my visit yesterday morl
sc ing to st. Pauls magnificent structul
70 dispelled that fear. to the Metropolis
fa otherwise the cemetry-and to the store
y where delightful silver jewelry set vii
eu clear yellow cairngorm stones and beaut
OF full Scotch pebbles were to be bought.
m Thursday was spent on the lakes, in IL
- romantic Trossach's, and at Sterlir
~ oastle-a day SO repete with beauty al
- charm in its variety that it would be us
IS less to attempt to describe it here. Fl
~ day at Edinburgh was long round
10 sight seeing; the wonderful old castl