Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-17
OXFORD, ENGLAND.
A REVISIT TO THE GREAT UHrvER.
srrY TOWN.
student Life at the Famous Seat Of
Learning-The Buildings
Quaint By-Ways.
correspondence Of New Orleans PIcayune.l

LeaInluK-luo otkauihbs
Quaint By-Ways.
Correspondence OF New Orleans Plcayune.l
There are in this great university town
twenty-five colleges. several schools, be-
sides one or two word-famous Libraries
| and m,isuems. including the Bodlelan IL
| brayy aud The Ashmolean Museum. The
| colleges cover the larger part OF oxford,
which, hy the way. " city OF $1,000 in
habitanfs, and are generally clustered to-
| grthor in the heart of the town. Each
college l. distinctly separate from the
Others, and the particular ATTRACTIONS OF
each ere usually ITS chapel, where the
students attend service. it, refeciory
| or dining hail. hall, library. and quadrant
gle ard clOisiers, II 1t has any. Some OF
these colleges are more famous than others,
some are worth days OF study for their
beautiful architecture, and some are. to lli
intenis and purposes, 20 be seen at glance.
The buildings are OF stone, having the rich.
mellow, and reposefu look that belongs to
buildings OF great antiquity. and The en-
trance 10 each Il under 4 tine gateway or
opening in the building, which l. IN the
shape of hollow square. The count thus
formed il termed the QUADRANGLE or quad.
and sometimes the lower floor OF the build.
inc will have closters, being corridors en-
closed in beautiful stone gothic columns
and arches overgrown with ivy. The inte-
rior spaces Of the court are simply wide
yclvety carpets OF green grass. In the
quadrangular buildings. which will De two
and three, and not often four, short stories
high, presenting n great array OF little
square windows, the students have their
chambers, which they furnish themselves;
then generally in one corner will be
the grand stairway leading TO the re-
iectory, perhaps private gallery will
| lead from this to the chapel, really q fine,
large, and noble old church, and in
various parts OF the building will be
| Iecture.roOms. The students can live
pretty much as they please, and that they
| do so in more ways than one Is pretty
well known to the world at large. They are
| really under no restrictions as TO study,
| and as for their living, they can make that
| cheap or expensive, just as they please. In
| all OF the colleges except keble College
| they take breakfast and luncheon in their
| own rooms, and order from the kitchen
| lust what they please, separate account
| being kept for each student, and the great
| meal Of the day dinner, IL taken in
much state at $ O'Clock at night in the great
| dining hall, usually a magnificent hall, fl
nous for ITS lofty, groined ceilings, it, rich
| carvings, or its fine paintings, or all three,
| to say nothing Of the great men who Iave
| occupied 1t during their Oxford days.
our first visit This morning was paid to
| Christ College. the largest in Oxford, and
| which was founded in fifteen hundred and
/ something or other by Cardinal WolSey.
1 M ii. 10, IL i ha
| Cathedral. anOble stone-and.m1rble church,
and the reiectory !. one OF the most beluti-
| ml dining-halls in the world. Christ church
| has two quldrargles, and. therefore, two
| buildings. You enter from the street-a mar
| row, winding, little cobble-plyed street
with the big shoulder OF Pembroke College
| showing Just across the way. You enter
| from the street. rs | was saying. under
| fine old gateway cut through the building,
| aud find Yourself at once in the great space
| known rs Tom Quad. At the gateway there
| is n fine tower, in which HAMS great bell
| called Tom. Tom is over 300 years Old,
| weighs Il 600 pounds, and every night at .
| o'clock be tolls 10l times, that having been
| the original number OF Christ Church stu
| dent. Tom Quad, the great quadrangle
| i an imposing place. The great square
| Is lust like a picture Of beautiful green
grass set in heavy stone frame, but
| he stone frame is ut intervals here
and there broken by fine arched
| doorways, or by doorways like tiny
narrow lancet.sits in the wall. The court
| IL more than hall As large a Lafayette
| Square, in New Orleans, and Is one solid
| stretch OF grass. About il is broad pave
| ment OF white stone, and then the buildings,
| over the tops OF which show the tower OF
| the Cathedral, and there is fine arched en-
| trance to the church from the quad. In one
corner a doorway gives entrance to stone
| lobby, where a flight OF steps lead to the re-
| fectory. This lobby has a superb stone roof,
n fan-roof supported by q lovely cus-
| tered column springing from the centre
| OF the floor. The stone stairway, ap-
| proacbed by two side flights OF stars, runs
| M i'm the middle Of the lobby, which is
| lighted by finely carved windows Of stone.
| AT the TOP OF the stairs in second lobby
we pulled a bolt in the wall, a bell jan gled,
and an usher admitted us, after 4 fee OF
| "tuppence each" to the reiectOry. On the
| left was an old stone rOOm-ilOOr, ceiling,
walls, apparently built OF heavy blocks Of
| stone. and furnished with a few oak
| chests and benches and bullets, which
the usher said was the place where
| the bread and beer were served out
| for the students lunchcons and dinners.
| The reiectOry was A. long rs an ordinary
| church. the ceiling OF richiy-caryed oak
| dim and far above us, the walls partly OF
wood, and down at the further end OF the
| hall a raised platform crossing the entire
width Of the room, and at either side a
| noble square bow-wndOw OF rich stained
glass. The walls were covered with life
| Size portraits, and down either side ran a
long wooden bench or table, with rows OF
benches in place OF chairs.
The entrance TO the cathedral is nearly
| opposite the entrance to Tom Quad. The
entrance to the rcfectory is in one corner,
| and at the other, on the same side as the
| cathedral. Is the entrance TO the dean apart
menlS. The little narrow flights Of stone
steps poking down into Tom Quad from
various parts Of the college are the en-
frances used by the students to their own
rooms. Each floor and section are IN
charge OF attendants, whose duty 1t Is to
| serve meals. answer students calls, and
| fulfil the duties usual to walters in big
| hotels and lod ging-houses. The bed-mlkers
| are women.
II was Just time for morning service
| when we entered thebeautiiul chapel, with
| ITS lovely roof resting on heavy colu aus OF
stone. with it, many fine old tOmbs and
| monuments and rich stained windows, and
a bishops throne fit !or king carved out
| OF oak and adorned with a medallion por-
| trait OF Bishop Wilberforce. In the centre
II the church j. the choir, rows on either
side in thenaye Of carved oak stalls. read
| ing-d,sk, pulpit, and few pews for
| the use OF out.ide attendants ut SER
| vice. In one OF the transepts there
was beautiful hanging gallery Of
white stone, the space underneath
being a sort OF antc-rOom or rObing.rOOm
for the choristers. \ narrow doorway was
cut in the stone wall, and three or four lit
tie steps led from the robing.room down
into the body Of the church. We took our
seats in the carved oaken stalls, and just
then heard of In the distance a priests
voice making the invocation before enter
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