, 1884-12-06
SH~AKESPEARE's HOUSE
Fhe Explanatory Remarks Made { .
Group AMER Group of Visitors
Every objecs Guarded
M Sacred.


rH- II. Az London Letter.l
IL would be ancient history TO so many Of
my readers TO write Of the house Shake
speare was born in that I viii not run the
risk OF being quite 50 tirosome. There Il AZ
idea prevailing that the three antique ladies
who have the house and museum In charge
are the last living descendants OF the great
poets family This is fiction, unfortunately,
but II the old ladies have not in point Of
fact any blood relationship 10 the Shake
speare family, they are thoroughly saturated
with the conviction that tho little house on
strnfford-on-Avon Is, with the events that
have made It famous, the one important and
Imposing spot on the face OF the earth; that
It is, In fact, the axis around which every
thing else rovolves. They also believe firmly
in the greatness OF thar own position as
guardians OF these world-reyered relies. and,
joking aside, II Is one Of great trust, and
probably could not be oonfided 10 moro zeal
Gus hands.
Tho greatest care Is taken that no accident
should occur. Gentlaman are not permitted
20 bring n lighted cigar over the threshold, q
match Is never lighted In the house, nor any
kind OF light or fire introduced T build
ing Is closed at dusk 70 prevent the necessity
OF the formsr, and Is heated by steam, which
Is conveyed through pipes from half n block
away 40 - VI III. NA8R Va AA-
Shakespeare birthplace were torn down u
few yoan since to prevent danger from fire.
During the touriztn' session hundreds OF
people daily make this pilgrimage, and hun
dreds and thousands Of times probably the
fhrss little old ladies In their grim black silk
gowns, with velvet spencen and what the
English call Adrcss-caps" ornzmcnting
sheir pcant locks, repeat tho ~explnnat5ry
REMARKS 70 group after group OF visitors, be-
ginning with ~Bs kind enough to place UNI.
hrcIas and walking sticks upon this, the old
table Of the poets father, merit turning your
attention 70 this, the ~living<room Of the
family. unchanged In any respect since the
childhood Of the great author. After the
,athsr Of the post died this room was rented
for q butcher-shop, which accounts for ths
dafacing OF tho floor; look also, At the ohm
ney with Its corner seats; hero William
Shakespeare, aa a lad, doubtless little dream
ing Of tho great future before him, Co.,
on a winters evening after his return from
the village school Visitors are permitted 70
sit a moment In tho chimney seat'-this In
tones at once solemn and patroniking. I'VE
next have the second or best room In tho
house, and od OF II our poets bedroom, but
a poor place, ladies and gentlemen, to shelter
the king OF intellect4"
And 70 from room TO room- While our party
II In the poets so-callod bedroom, l heaNthe
second old lady. who h evidently just begin
ming the tour with a company, chanting the
~unchanging refrain word for word as our old
lady did at that point, and as we descend the
narrow, crooked staircase, after seeing the
long upper room which has tho autograph OF
Sir Walter Scott cut with a diamond upon
the window pane, We run against the third
OF the weird sisters Just a. she Is saying: "But
a poor place, ladies and gentlemen, TO shelter
the king Of intellects."
Tho Shakespeare houss Is like two houses,
now that there IA a partition wall cutting 10
directly through tho center from garnet TO
cellar or ground-door, which was put thefs
when the poets father met with rsvefsss
and rented part Of the houss as an inn"
This is now called the mussum, whsrein are
collected the various relies OF Shakespeare,
his family, and a few interszting objects per
tanning TO his time notably the form or desk
from the village school the poet attended,
and vouohed for by the boat authorities
about ssrutford as authentic. Every small
est object L. rellgiously guarded as some-
thing sacred, and In noticing this care and
solicitude one cannot but bless the happy
chance which awakened these sleeping old
villagers to n realization Of the treasures In
their midst.