Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-01-16
St. Louis 6s San Francisco
SfIAkESPEARES HOUSE
The Three Antique Ladies Who
Have Il in Charge.
The Explanatory Remarks Made TO
Group After GronP OF Visitors
Every Object Guarded
as Sacred.
raH. II. AS London Letter. J

1t would I've ancient history t. so many OF
my readers to write ri the house Shake
speare wa born in that | viii Isui run the
risk OF beng quit 50 iirc-ome. there is an
idea prevailing that the three an;iaue ladies'
who have the house and museum IN charge
are the last living desc dauts Of the great
poets family This Is tctiol. unfortunately,
but if the old ladies have not in point of
fact any blood relat uIIshlp to the Shake
speare family, they are thoroughly saturated
with the conviction that the little house on
Stratford-on-Ayon j., with The events that
have made il famous, the one Important and
imposing spot on the faes d tie earth; that
it Is, in fact. the AXIS around which every
thing else revolves. They also believe firmly
in the greatn- Of their own position az
guardians of these world reverei relics, and,
joking aside, ii is one OF great trust, and
probably could not DC ca8iidel to more zeal
Gus hands
The greatest care is taken that no accident
should occur Gentlemen are not permitted
to iring = lighted cigar over the threshold, a
match is never lighted in the hpusa. nor any
kind OF light or ire introduced. lhs build
ing is closei 1t dusk 10 prevent TIE necessity
of The former and Is heated 10y steam, which
is conveyed through pipes from half block
y
Shakespeare birthplace We're torn down a
few years since TO prevent danger from fire.
During the tourists s:sS.on ia ldrels OF
people daily make this pilgrimage, and hun
dreds and thou sands e times probably the
three little Old ladies' in their grim black silk
gowns. with velvet .paucerS and what the
English cali -drcsScap, urnImcating
their scant locks, repeat the explanatory
remarks In group after group of visitors, be-
ginning with De kini enough to pi.cs UNI
brellas AMI walking ks upon tins. the old
table of the poets father. next turning your
attention t. this, the living r ON ot the
family, unchanged in any respect since the
childhood Of TIE great author. Alter the
father OF The poet died tll5 room was rented
for butcher-shop winch accounts for the
defacine oi the ilocr, look, also, at the chin
ney with its corner seats: here William
Shake,Irare. as a lad doubtless little dream
ing Of the great future before him, often sat
on a winters evening after his return from
the village school Visitors are permitted t.
SIT a moment in the chimney selt'-thiS IN
tones at once solemn and VatrcnizinS. -" =
next have the second or best room IN the
house, and OF of ii our poets bedroom. but
a poor place ladies and gentlemen, 10 shelter
the king oi iutellectS.
Aud So from room b. room. While our party
IS in the -poet's so-callai bedroom, hear the
second old lady, vino l. evidently just begin
ming the tour with com any, chanting the
unchane inS refrain word for word "a our Old
lady did at hat point aai as We descend tie
narrow, or kei staircase. after seeing the
long upf,er room uhi-h ha~ the auto graph OF
Sir Walter Scott GU; with A diamond upon
the window rene. rIH against the third
-. O..