Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-06
MILDRED RUssELLs LETTER.


Especial correspondence ofshe D's~sch.l
PARIS, November, 1885.
Passing up our traps after three
months Of settled life made us feel Ike
soldiers once more on the march aite'
having turned lazy with being so lon(
y barracks But whom the trouble o.
packing was over our spirits rose im'
msdiAtely with the rapidity, indeed, o.
The dissmbodied ones that are always
ready 10 rise in this land Of visions,
We len Forfarshirc on the afternoon o.
the 9th Of October, and soon Perth
came into view. This time the busting
station was astir with parties Of
people Of oil kinds returning south
or who had come to the station
TO see what was going on. Mem
bers Of the Queens family on their
way from Balmoral, her favorite home,
were taking the express for London in
the guise Of ordinary citizens. High.
land soldiers from the Perth garrison
in their. picturesque uniforms, and stray
members Of Parliament, endeavoring to
look Is IL they had thrown off the cares
Of ambition; sportsmen, too, were
here with their dogs and retinue OF
servants laden with gun-cases and other
accessories, while hail-storm OF broad
Scotch dialect was pelting around and
mystifyipg the Saxons, who could not
make anything out Of it except that it
was Enthusiastically bewildering. At
z O'Clock the express came up
with the sleeping-car, which differs
from an American one, and is like a col
lection Of state-rooms on board ship.
The car was not heated, and was there
fore very cold. II also rolled about SO
much that in the morning we woke up
with feelings akin to oceanic. The
near approach to London, however,
soon revived us, and comfortable
breakfast set all right.
NOT LOOKING ITS BEST.
In spite of very fine weather, London
was not looking its best, owing to the
streets being half empty of carriages
and people, for as yet no one who calls
himself anybody owns to having return
ed to his town home. Still, in COMPARE
son with the Scotch moors, there were
crowds, and we made our way along
with . renewed sense Of living in .
world Of throbbing humanity, instead
Of an untold expsnse Of heather and
ones nextdoor neighbor ten miles
away. As we went on the sight was
and pleasurably exciting,
and was like an electric shock,
awakening US into life again after
months Of doing. After short
time in London, devoted to affairs
Of no general interest, we took the
train and went to Southampton,
\ seaport about midway on the south
ern coast Of England. The country
along this line is Of the pretty English
type, slightly billy, with white chalk
cuttings suggesting the cliffs Of Dover.
The North-German steamers call at
Southampton on their way to and from
and friend being homeward
bound We went down to say the last
Forewells, without even q thought of
trying to get the tiniest parcel across
he Atlantic free of trouble and expense
10 ourselves. But that was because we
bad arranged it all beforehand So our
eaye-taking was an honest performance,
md mingled with genuine pangs Of
at being left behind even
70 the destinations Of European travel.
ACROSS TO HAvRE.
From Southampton we crossed over
% Havre, leaving at ll:30 O'Clock P, NJ.
md arriving at $50, long crossing,
put convenient to US in one sense, as
Fe were close on the spot for starting.
Il was fortunately a fairly quiet sea,
put we had enough Of it to bring to
mind Atlantic experiences. No one
yoes by this route unless he is acci-
or by necessity at Southampton
,r Havre. We had no sooner taken a
;ab on leaving the boat than unmistaka-
bic signs of France showed themselves.
Half dozen times between the boat
md the railway station our driver got
into an alteration with other drivers or
slse with foot-passengers crossing the
street as to the right Of road. Which
EVER side had the worst of it began hurl-
ing abuse at the one which had the best
Of it; then came retaliation, which only
ended as new alteration began.
Hayre lies at the mouth of the Seine,
and is q comparatively modern town,
well built and planned, and the most
important French seaport on the At
lantic. The country is fiat and SEEM
ingly fertile between Havre and Rouen,
and poplars in rows miles long are
features Of it, and so are will
lows, swaying backwards and forwards
and dropping over the water as if they
had posed themselves in imitation Of
Corot's pictures.
AT RoUEN.
On arriving at Rouen we went from
the station through the centre of the
town to our hotel on the Quai Boiel-
dieu, by long street named after the
heroine Joan Of Arc. This street
must always be a fayorite with any
young Americans who may happen to
see il, as il has tempting candy and
cake-shops enough to bring up congo.
NAL reminder Of home. A special kind
Of candy is made here in round sticks,
that are wrapped up in colored papers,
and then tied in bundles like fsgots. II
is fairly good from European point Of
view, but failure from an American
one. At Rouen we stayed couple o.
nights 10 see the Cathedral and churches
but the shortnsss Of time and the worst
possible weather prevented our doing
30 to advantage. We had therefore only
q cursory view, and came away witt
vague impressions Of innumerable stain
ed-glass windows Of mellowness Of tin
unattsipable till the work Of the arts
has been touched up by the hand Q
cunning old Father Time. Towers, pill
lars. and facades, rows Of archways en-
exquisite carving, como slowly in pane
ramic succession before our minds, q
IL the grand whole had been taken {
pieces and each detail was content
be on its own merits without any add
tional glory reflected on 1t.
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