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


Especial correspondence Of the PRESS
While at Edinburgh everyone must take
fine day to drive out Of the city to Arthur's
| Seat, to st. Giles Cathedral over the stone
| pavement in which is carved the Heart of
Midlothian, to take the view from Cations
| Hill, where stands Nelson's monument, of
| which there is one in each large city of the
! British Empire. Then spare half hour to
visit the home of John Knox, which, aside
| from the associations, is very quaint house
of the sixteenth century. We stoop to enter
| the doorway, over which is cut his charac-
teristic inscription: 'Lufe. God. abuf all.
| and We. nychtbor as. yeself." We enter the
| little living room, whose many and irregular
sides are wainscotted to the ceiling with oak,
worm-eaten and of a dun brown hue, which
| absorbs every ray of sunlight that penetrates
| the checkerboard panes of dormer window.
| In this window recess the sterling and
| staunch old reformer used to stand, throw
| open the sash and preach to the crowds be-
low. He was determined the people should
hear the gospel in its simplicity, and some
times we fear he seasoned it with considera-
bic salt and sharpness, which called forth
revengeful shot from the gun of an assassin
III JHt puDllC SqudiOs liz CoSdpSd Will Hlo
life, and kept on preaching until they lis
tened gladly and accepted his new version of
old truths. Like many homes of early days,
the kitchen here was close under the roof
which at first, to practical housekeeper of
the nineteenth century, appeared extremely
i'll managed; but the low ceilings, the scanty
windows, and the poor chimneys, which
often were fues to draw the smoke down.
ward, rather than concentrate the heat upon
the roasting jack, would have made cook
ing upon the hearth of the ground floor in
tolerable to the occupants of the house.
One cannot spend week at Edinburgh
without feeling even this day. the blessed
effect of John Knoxs preaching and exam
pie, which seem to give a different tone to
the domestic and mercantile life from that of
other foreign cities. Nowhere have we
spent such a restful Sabbath, whose very air
was hallowed. To our surprise we were
hurried out of dry goods establishment at
three in the afternoon as the store must be
closed and at four every place Of business,
even the restaurants were all shut up. One
funny feature Of national physiology attract
ed our attention, during long walk, that of
the crooked limbs of the pedestrians. We
have often heard of bandy-legged Scotch
men, but never attributed any measure of
truth to it, until we began to scan each brace
of legs, as they appeared in our horizon, and
counted no less than dozen. 1t might be
curious study for anatomists to trace the
origin and causes of so marked characters
TIC Putting aside the memories of kings
and queens-the martyrs and coyenanters,
and many knights and fair women, who
have been actors, or suffered for others
sakes in this ancient city, Edinburgh of to-
day is a city lovely for situation-the mod
ern Athens. Its streets are broad and clean.
From the castle are seen in the blue distance
the Pentrose and Grainpian Hills; a little
nearer to view lie the haZy Lammermoors
while the foreground is broken by the har-
Dor of Leith and many matchless lakes. The
cathedrals, public buildings and homes are
of simple, chaste style, quite as pleasing
as the overpowering grandeur and ornateness
of similar edifices in England and the CONT
nent. The whole air of the city and the
courteous manners of the residents combine
to extend to everyone such cordial hospi-
tality that the stranger loses the sense of
onelness, and not only enjoys the welcome
of guest for the time of his sojourn, but
ever after in his peregrinations over the
world, returns in his thoughts to Edinburg
as to home which he must, sooner or later,
see again.
The store keepers show remarkable taste
in selection of their wares, and display
them most artistcally in their windows.
Their honesty, truthfulness and eagerness
to satisfy the buyer is almost millennial. Our
STAY at Edinburgh changed our preconceived
ideas of the Scotch as a coarse, homely and
hearty people, to an apprehension of the del-
icacy and refinement of their natures, with
out robbing them of the sterner virtues,
which are quite as essential to a symmetri-
cal character. Having been so lorg subju-
gated people, and still holding an inferior
place relatively in the leading kingdom OF
the world, they have been overshadoWed by
English conceit, and cast into the shad"
LONDON.
On our arrival in London we found COM
Portable quarters in family boarding house
near Regents Park, which seems to be a
resting place for missionaries from India and
Persia on their journey to and from America.
1t is kept by two American ladies'. who for
tunately have never adopted, in thirty
years residence in London, English modes of
housekeeping and cuisine. Thick fogs and
bad odors from the sewers determined us to
forego the pleasure of ''seeing the lions" for
the present, and rest from journeying for a
space to enjoy the luxury of sea bathing at
the Isle of Wight. During the few days we
spent in London we visited but three places