St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-25
MRS. BEECHER'S LETTER
Her Charming Trip Across the Atlantic
and Arrival in Dear Old
England.
Attending Gladstone Nesting at Liver
pool-Enthusiasm and Tumult
Beyond Description.
The Grand Old Mans Sublime E1o-
quence and Wonderful Power--
His Worshipers.a
The Trip Through veritable Garden
of Eden From Liverpool
to London.

to London.
| Written by Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher for
the St. Paul GLOBE
HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, N. W., July 10,
1SS6.-The anticipation of visit to En-
gland was to us as years ago the announce
ment OF our yearly visit Ito see grand
mother would cause our childish heart to
leap with unutterable joy. How promptly
we would perform our duties, and how
carefully we children would watch our
words and actions. lest through some trifi-
| ing Slip OF tongue OF hasty action we should
lose the promised happiness! Everything
was prepared for the happy event the even
Ing before the start, and how we'll and
quickly the slightest errand was performed!
From early childhood to ripper girlhood the
charms of that yearly visit were never lost
for us. But at length womanhood stole
away the careless, easy life of girlhood. and
IN Its stead brought the less gleeful yet no
less happy life which maturity. with it's
Soberer enJoymentS and graver responsible
ties, brings for all. Removed at length
far from the dear home among the hills.
where we had enjoyed so many pleasures
and none brighter or dearer than when we
all went Ito see grandmOther'-th memo
rles and enjoymentS of youth gradually
grew dim, fading from our thoughts or only
recalled now and then like tine memories of
SOME JOYFUL DREAM
And now, past the allotted three-score
years and ten of mortal life we were reused
to all the old enthusiasm and joyousness
experienced in days of childhood We
were going to see country whose people
and institutions we had so often pictured in
our mind, but had never personally beheld
x
The mighty ocean has been crossed with
less fear than when the too-much pampered
horses defled the masters strong hand and
attempted wild stampede down the rocky
descents of Break Neck Woods" only to
find that one held the reins who laughed
their fierce efforts to scorn. Past Queens
town we steamed by the coasts of Wales,
OF which we used to read, and in youthful
visions pictured as something entirely diff
ferent from all other countries And what
did we find? How did this first glimpse of
the "old country" which we have so many
years longed to see, affect US? Were we
like strangers in foreign land? No. 1t
was like our own New England, in its
rocky formation. its rugged hills, with
grassy slopes and wales between" which.
like New England. could only have been
thus cultivated and made productive by
delving and digging, by hard, untiring toll.
| to supply bread to the hungry and all nee
essary comforts by the sweat of the brow.
Further on, and we were passing those
wonderful wharves of England, the
STUPENDoUs STRENGTH
| IF ruhioh ~, Z
the widest storms or the most tempeStuous
waters AT last the sea Journey was at an
| end, and in brief time we were chartered
at the Northwestern hotel at Liverpool.
The suite of rooms provided for our accom-
mediation, the neat and home like table
spread in Our parlor, far away from the
confusion of public table, with room for
such friends as we chose to invite, the
ample and excellent food, the neat and
efficient attendant to serve and deity adj
minister to every want-all these made it
quite impossible for us to realize that we
were ON foreign shores, 5000 miles
from home. We might have quite forgotten
| in these pleasant apartments. the dreams
of childhood, the characteristic and charm
ing peculiarities they bring before us, had
not loud cries and the confusion and dis
cord that comes with political gatherings
recalled the fierce strife between Wings
and Tories, which so often affrighted us in
our early youth. A large and extremely
boisterous assembly-it was Sabbath after
noon. too-had gathered in the large space
before st. Georges hall and directly in
or for what party-if poltical-we did not
learn; but that
| ANGRY PASSIONS
were the governing force we could not
doubt for
| ''There rose so wild yell,
AS all the tends from heave that fell
| Had pealed the battle cry of hell"
and the voice Of the leader, if such there
contending parties, Put him out!' KNOCK
him down." each word emphasized by cruel
blows and broken heads until the police
came to the rescue, sienced the tumult for
time, and placed the wounded in the ply
! Sicians' care.
This sample of argument and debate is
one of the undesirable relics of olden times,
| more ancient even than our own history,
when 1.-The sons OF men Strove together, !"
| bringing dlSsenSlon and sin upon the people.
For through all these thousands of years
| the belligerant spirit which more or less
| finds hiding place in every heart, has re-
sisted all efforts to conciliate and spread the
gospel of peace and good will, or to teach
men kindly Ito agree to differ" even on
POLITICAL affairs. The names and perhaps
the distinguishing elements of the different
parties which every year or two are ready to
| STRUGGLE FOR SUPREMACY
may change. but the spirit which governs
them continues the same. Federals and
Democrats may be changed to Wing and
Tory, and these to Republicans and Demo-
Gratis, but no change of name has ever soft
ened the tempers of those who set their
forces in battle array to fight over every
election.
We remained in Liverpool until Monday
evening to hear Mr.. GladstOne's speech, and
accordingly, two hours before the meeting
was to open, we started for the large hail
where the grand old man. was to address
the populace. Even at that early hour we
found entrance very difficult. AS Mr..
Beecher'S ticket placed him on the platform
we parted company at the door, and. COM
hitting us to the care of Maj. Pond, he left
with no fear that with such stalwart at
| tendant we should have any difficulty in
reaching the seats our tickets called for
| But at the first step we were hemmed in by
a crowd such as we never met before
Every one has read and heard of the
densely- packed English crowds which can
be gathered on special occasions, and of the
compact and irresistible power which an
English mob can show. We thought we
knew something of its meaning. But our
poor gifts at description utterly fail us here.
HEAVEN DEFEND Us
from being ever so closely wedged in again!
No room to take one step; packed so crush
ingly that the chest had not room to ex-
pand sufficiently to enable US to draw one
full breath. But the crowd behind pressed
with ever increasing power on those who
were held immovable in front. and inch by
inch bore them forward, utterly powerless
to resist. 1t is we'll for all that the packing
was so effectually done that there was no
room to fall, or hundreds must have been