New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-22
A STRATFORD RAMBLE.
EVERYDAY LIFE IN Observation-Disclosures.


MARY ANDERsoN's GIFTs-THE LIBRARY
trRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIDUSEJ
London July 2-To traverse Stratford-upon-
| Avon Is to return upon old tracks; but, no mat
| ter how often you visit this delightful place. You
will always see new sights there, and find new in
cdents had scarcely entered the town this time
before l came upon the fountain in Rothcr Square,
which was placed there last year by our generous
| and thoughtful countryman, Mr.. George W. Chllds
II is pleasing structure to look upon, not obtru-
sivc very symmetrical, already acquiring sort
of primcval tone Of sober color-as becomes
water fount-and it is doing all the good that its
kind-hearted glver intended or could wish. After
repeated visits to Stratford the traveller begins
to take more notice than perhaps at first he did
Of the actual everyday life of the town. The addi-
ton OF new wing to the ancient Red Horse Inn.
| the building of manse for tho excellent and es-
teemed priest, Father Stewart, upon St. Gregory's
Church Or. c., in the Warwick Road, the new
gardens around the Memorial, the ringing of the
new chimes of Holy Trinity-these and matters
| like to these attract attention now In former
days the observer had eyes except for the Shake
| spearean shrines This time have rambled in tho
cleaning through scented fields to Clifford Church,
and climbed the hills of Wecombe, to peer into
the darhening valleys Of the Avon and hear the
cucSoo-notc echoed and re-echoed from the great
mysterious elms that here embower the country
side for miles and miles around. This is the life
of Stratford to-day-the fertile farms, the beauti-
| fully garnished meadows the avenues Of white
and coral hawthorne, masses Of milky SNOWFALL,
honcysucllle and syrnga loading the soft air with
fragrance chestnuts dropping blooms Of both pink
and white, and laburnums swinging their golden
censers in the breeze
The building that forms tho northwest corner
Of Hign-st. and Bridgest. in Stratford was occu-
pied In Shakespeare's time by Richard Quincy, the
winedealer who married the poets youngest
| daughter, Judith, and an inscription appears
upon 1t stating that Judith lived in it for thirty
| six years. The fact was established by investi-
| cation of the town records Mr. Richard Savage,
o learned antiquarian and competent, patient
| and dlgent student Of oil the church registers and
| documentary treasures Of Warwickshire furnished
the proof of this-which is but one of many ser
vices that he has rendered to the old home of
Shakespeare Mr.. Savage is the librarian of the
Birthplace, and customary pursues his researches
in the museum department Of that venerable
building The Quincy premises are now occu-
pied by Mr. Edward Fox, the principal local dealer
in Shakespeare Photographic stOres-that is to say
souvenirs Of the Shakespeare localities and Of the
town of Stratford This house is called in the
ancient town records The Cage" and probably
| in early times, it was prison. Standing in the
cellar you perceive that its walls at least five
| feet thick. Here likewise appear traces of the
grooves down which the wine-casks were rolled, in
| the DAYS of Shakespeares sonn-aw, Richard
Quincy. The shop owned by Mr.. Fox has
| been established in Stratford more than hundred
years, and, this worthy man has long lease of
the building. and most energetic spirit in the pur
suit of his business, It bids fair to last much
| longer One notable sign of his sagacity was re-
vealed in the cellar where was heaped q consider
able quantity Of excellent old oak, recently taken
from the belfry of the Holy Trinity Church. in
which Shakespeare is buried. This oak, which
was there when Shakespeare lived, and which had
10 be removed because somewhat stronger struct-
ure was required for holding an augmented chime
of heavy bells, Mr.. Fox will turn into various
carved relics, such as must find ready favor with
Shakespearean worshippers-upward of 10000 of
whom visited Stratford last year, more than one
| fourth A4S2) being Americans. Crosses made
| from the belfry wood pleasing souvenirs
of the hallowed Shakespeare church. When the
poet saw that church the tower surmounted
not as now with n tall and graceful spre, but
with spirc Of timber covered with lead; but this
oaen structure to support the bells has been in the
tower more than 300 years.
| In the birthplace the kind sisters Caroline and
Maria Chataway still escort the visitors from room
to room and pleasantly tell the familiar of the
| aged house One of the ladies is seventy-seven
wears old the other seyenty-fve. frequent Wis
| itor, like myself, will not omit the pleasure of
drinking tea with these courteous and amlable
| ladies, and hearing their cordial praises of the
| great Shakespeare scholar and antiquary j. &.
| Ilalliwell- Phillips, and Of lovely Mary Anderson,
| whose portrait hangs upon their wall and whose
memory is cherished in their hearts. Miss Ander-
son has often been to Stratford since she made her
| first visit there, in $685. and Is now one Of the
| lfe-governors of the Shakespeare Memorial She
| acted for the benefit of this Memorial doubt
many readers will remember, in sS5 august 29,
| and the two sculptures, emblematic Of Comedy
| and Tragedy which have been added since then
upon the front of the building. the fruit of that
benefit performance. The emblem of History had
already been put in its pace-the scene from
King john in which Prince Arthur softens the
hard purpose and changes the cruel heart of
| Hubert In the emblem of Comedy the figure of
Rosand is that of Miss Anderson herself in the
| boys dress a figure inadequate TO the original,
but expressive of the ingenious manner and artless
grace of that noble and gentle lady. Tragedy is
represented by Hamlet and the Gravedgger, in
their colloquy over Yoricl1s skull. The grounds
all around the Memorial building are now laid out
with pathways lawns, trees and flowers and lit
tie lake has been made, upon the north-side
nearest to Clopton's bridge. Mr.. Charles f.
Flower, Of AvonbanS, the original promoter of the
Memorial, has caused this to be done, at his own
expense, and this par-lille enclosure is now free
to the people, to walk abroad and recreate them
| selves" beside the sweet lowing Avon. Inside the
| Memorial there is but little of novelty to he regis
tered. The picture gallery is amentably deficient
and contains several things that are mere daubs
unworthy Of the place. The Library continues to
grow, but the American department Of it needs ac-
cessions. Every American edition of Shakespeare
ought to be there and every book of American
origin, on a Shakespcarean subject. Mr.. +. Ilaw-
ley the Librarian purposes to set up special case,