The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-02-03

of interest, as wide apart In their respective
attractions as the sublime and the ridiculous.
Westminster Abbey, Mr.. Surgeons church
and Madame Tussaud's waxworks. Every
body goes once to look at, and to be stared
at. bv the stilted groups of round eyed, ruby
Tipped and rosy checked kings ana queens,
and other grandees of all the European ma
tions. The dead cannot help themselves, put
the living must revolt at sueh purlesque
and mockery of their grand estate, as these
Mandy PANTY figures are dressed IN sham
fnery of tinsel, satin sheen and paste dia-
monds We left the glitter of this gaudy dis
play to enter the Chamber OF Horrors where
were wax busts of hundred or more noted
criminals. 1t is truly descent from the
throne to the bottomless pit VINO can want
to stndy or stereotype in ones mind the Wis
aces of such human fiends as assassins, child
tortnrers and blood-thirsty creatures.
Everyone pauses with mournful philoso-
pbizing upon the folly of human greatness,
in the Napoleonic room, where Bonapartes
life is depicted from its beginning, in wax
figure of an infant in his princely cradle, and
bv innumerable relics of his life, marking
almost each step of his career Of glory to the
battle of Waterloo. The children mounted
the carriage in which he rode and touched
the garments he wore on that fatal day.
MIR. STURGEON.
Sunday morning we enjoyed a rich treat in
listening to Mr.. Spurgeon. There is nothing
in his church to attract the eye; there is
nothing in the man to elicit hero-worship
from his hearers, yet not whisper is heard
in the vast congregation of seven thousand
people who with one accord are spell-bound
by the earnest simplicity of the speaker who
thrusts not himself before his audience, but
leads his followers into the presence of his
master The seating of this assembly is adj
mirably managed without noise or ostenta-
ton. This whole service pictured the COM
plete reaction of the Dissenting Church from
the limitations and ceremonies of the Estab-
lished Church. The question of the State
controlling the church is as violently disput-
ed, and inficts social bondage not easy to
be borne, though with less outward perse-
cution today, as in the lives of our Puritan
Fathers. Here no fee or tax is required, no
salaried singers, not even violin, no favor
itisnl, and no permits to enter, but whose
ever will let him come"
In the afternoon we stood, without invita-
ton to sit, through the long service at West
minister Abbey surrounded by the perfection
of mans handiwork in sculpture and art.
The choral chantings and the sweet amens
floating toward us from the dim, unseen
arches, like a dream of angelic voices filed
us with blissful ecstacy. The canon's dis
course was in keeping with the surroundings,
- 10.
neity and life of Mr. Surgeons wrestling
with his fellow beings to rouse them from
their stupor. An earnest preacher might
feel the grandeur Of Westminster a barrier
between him and mankind at large, part Of
whom are prone to regard him only as liv-
ing figure in the great pantomime, while the
meaner portion dare not approach near
enough to feel the sympathetic touch of his
hand even if it were extended fer their saliva
ton. NJ. G. p. 3.