Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-11

Castle which Adeltns ~. ktsh shs 70.
snr her own mistress, ana 70 wu,ss =" ,st
turned this evening isgsny,, 49, - A. N,so.
S.s ,ssIer knowa 10 fame a. signof Moo
iini: -
The ro,d lies among some OF the faIrest
.cenrry al England. Starring from Pad
SInstoo by the early flying express ycu
,msS nsst slough, whence stately Windsor
n MANLY visible, and red Reading. with It's
Factories. You cross and recross the wind
ing waters OF the Thames-psst Pang'
bourne. swindou. and the Cotswold Hills,
where for moment you might fancy yonr.
sell IN Normandy. till the noble tower oil
gloucester cathedral comes In sigbt-a thing
a beauty and q Joy forever. A briei biil
IL taken, and then on again along the ever
widening banks OF the sluggish severn,
past Chepstow, and across The poetic wye.
lust falling to sec the exquisite ruins OF
Tintern Abbey.
IN WALES.
Another halt occurred at Newport, then
q, Cardiff, I'll the belchIng cbimneys ana
devastated hillside tells yen that Swansea Is
near, with It's copper and un.mines, US
smclting.works, and It's shipping. Here
ron change from the Tying express Tor the
slow Welsh parliamentary train, and plunge
into the Wild hin country. Up, up, up.
through the exhausted mines and cinder-
heaps, following past Swansea Valley, you
cone al last 10 the foIlorn little station
called Penwyllt.
THE CASTLE.
Here you alight, and serambling down
the rocky path you see crawling trout
stream whiriing through the green helds
and woods. and rustic bridge, beyond
which surmountng the terraced lawn
there rises gray stone pile, half castle,
bali country house, with great bare hill
behind u and quaint, stiff garden In front.
This Is Craig Nos.
AN IDEAL HOVE.
II Il an ideal home for al opera queen,
and the straDgest contrast 10 the scenes
amid which she wins her laurels. Not
even yillsge near, no society at ordinary
times but that OF the colllers. who swarm
round about. But life at /" the Castle" as
the Morgans and the Joneses in the valley
rather pompously call the diva's seat, Is not
the less luxurious on that account. Once
you enter the hall OF Craig y Nos you re-
turn 10 culture and civilization.
The CIVIL
The castle chimes rang out the hour rs
j Knocked to-day.
Mime. Patti and siguor Nicolini, with
their wedding guests, among them Nj.
Msgnard, the editor Of the Paris Figaro,
and his son; Mrs. Beatty Kingston, Miss
Kingston aud Herr CAM, the well-known
conductor. had gone 10 swansea, where the
civil MARRIAGE was being celebrated by the
French Viee-Consul. This gave me the
opportunity OF inspecting The building and
the preparations for the religious ceremony,
which takes place tomorrow nj the little
Protestant church Of Istradgynlais, six
miles distant.
CEREMONIAL PREPARATIONS.
The bride and the bridegroom have been
both divorced, but the Catholic Church re-
fuses TO recognize divorces, so, IA Nine.
PATTI insisted on having her second mar
riage sanctilied, they must go the Protestant
Church Of Wales.
The towers OF Craig Nos were gay to-
day with the flutieung banners on the
roof--ihe iTi.cOlOr Of France and the royal
standard floating side by side. over the
rateway waves the Union Jack between the
Stars aud Stripes and the royal standard OF
Prussia.
RUSTIC REJoICINGs.
In the roads leading 10 the castle the rag
ged rustlcs were busy raising poles and
weaving evergrecns for half dozen
trinmphal arches fer the bridal pair TO pass
under. on the way 70 the church the COL
liers and the factory hands for miles round
have struck till Thursday in honor OF the
occasion.
Thousands Of peasant children up aud
down the Swansea valley are practicing an
tbems 10 be sung tomorrow at Ystradgyn-
lars. Nine. Patti seems as popular here as
at Coyent Garden. "She's kind lady,
She is said wild Welsh leek-ea,er To me
to-day. "She does sight of GOOD with
her money down here. Lord knows, folks
need help. Most all OF them are living on
charity just now"
TROPHIES EVERYWHERE.
Nine. Patti is fond OF fishing, and throws
n fly almost ~ skiifully as old lZiak wal
ton.
In a glass ease in the hall Is monster
trout that she caught lately. over this
trophy hangs az Illuminated address OF con-
graduation from her neighbors at Brecon.
Countless bouquets and offerings OF her
friends and dependents were III all the re-
ception.rooms. Craig Nos Is sumpt1ous-
ly furnished. On every wall hang varied
portraits OF the diva. You see her tsweet
seventeen when her voice first thrilled
America--ir the flush Of her womanhood,
and IN her maturity. Yet, except for the
dates on the pictures, early and later por-
traits might be mistaken for each other.
INTERIOR OF TUE HOUSE.
Most OF the rooms are panelled with pol
ished walnut or oak richly carved. The
chairs and sofas are stamped with the diva's
monogram. In one OF the two large bill
liartl.rooms. added TO the original building
by Nine. Patti, Is huge orchestrion which
PLAYS operate selections. In the other is u
music-gallery.
TIE wEpDING.cAKE AND PRESENTS.
More interesting than all this, however,
was monster wedding-cake-a perfect
monument TO indigestiop-which adorned
the table in the centre OF the room adioln.
ing and wedding presents spread ont tempt
iugly on the billiard.table. There were
bropzes and vases, silver tea-services, and
teTra-cotta statuettes-enough to fill small
curiosity shop-but these were only the
humber offerings.
BRILLIANT JEWELS.
Inaseparate room were diamonds, rubies,
cold. and sllver-woTk, bronZes and porce-
lains that princes might coyet. Baron Al
fred dc Rothschild had senta diamond heart
with ruby cross In the centre. Lord and
Lady Rothsehild had sent diamond SPRAYS
forihe diya's headdress. DE Young, OF the
San Francisco Ckronicle, had contributed
a characteristic Californian tribute In the
shape Of amassiye gold tea and cofee-ser-
vice. The local gentry had given q rare
sents keep flowing In.
LETTERS or CONGRATULATIONS.
Perhaps Nine. Patti valued even more
than these the kind letters OF congratula'
ton from the Queen OF the Belgians, the
Prince OF Wales, and hundreds OF less ex
allied admirers In Europe and America
which the post brought her to-day.
After CHANGING ut the diyas drawing
room, which was filed with bric.a-brat
and daintily furnished with rsle-blue and
old gold, ! siro'led into the large conserya
tory aud ayiary, which tomorrow will be
used for the wedding breakfast.
oRsigucnoSisrs.
The speeches and toas,s viii be disturbed
good zeal by the sereeehing OF cockatoo
and parrots, the .witteripg Of cansries an,
loyc.birds, but, worse than ali, i've or 81!
volunteer bands threaten TO serenade tn
diva. One y az this moment rebearsiny
rev march entitled "Craig y Nos" eS
pressiy composed BY Miss Beatty Kingston
fne CHURCH.
Leaving the castle, drove over {