The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-08-16
EUROPEAN LETTERS.
A VISIT TO THE ROVAI. 20
OI.OGSICAI. GARDENS.
From Thence to south KenSimx-
ton where the Famous Museum
is Inspected and Some of Ills
wonders are Described.

From Thence to South KenSlmx-
ton where the Famous Museum
is Inspected and Some of Ills
wonders are Described.
LONDON, July 30, 1889.
Editor Citizen This is the day that
we longcd to have with us all the boys
and girls i'll BuncOmbc. OF course we
thought of our own little ones chiefly,
but still we did wish for all the others,
when we stood i'll the centre of the big
geological Garden, in which there were
hundreds of bright children waiting their
turn to mount to the back Of one of the
largest elephants we ever saw, who
would walk with dignity up to the scat
fold erected for the purpose allow his
precious burden to aIight, and wait pa
tiently until his broad back was covered
by another score Of happy urchins, and
then march gravcly away along the
paths, and between the beds of sweet,
bright flowers, until he thought these
had received their share of fun, and then
go back again to change his load. There
was Il sort of fascination to watch the
huge beast, so gentle towards his little
friends and admirers.
There were several elephants employed
ill this way, but none seemed to give and
take the same degree of pleasure as the
one that we have described; and there
were also some very fine, large camcls,
with their curious humps, and they too
were doing good service i'll riding the
children.
When we entered the monkey house we
again explained "Oh. if our children
were here" what fun they would have in
watching the funny antics of the nulncr-
,ous monkeys, of all kinds and dcscrip-
ti0ns, who are swinging and climbing,
and jumping, and chattcring to each
other and to all of us. One bright little
fellow, like a flash sprang to the side OF
the cage, thrust out his saucy paw, and
pluckcd flower from the hat of young
lady, but upon smelling at it and finding
il had no perfume he threw il at the right.
full owner, in high disgust, and went back
to chattering more than before, no doubt
telling how he had been taken in.
We are not ourselves SO far removed
from childhood but that we would have
liked to watch the monkeys all day, but
many other things are to be seen i'll the
few remaining days of our visit. So
away we go to South kcnSingtun Muse
um, and wander through its lengthy cor
ridorS, and see more strange and curious
IlllDpS lllilll bul lJOOl vi Citll IUDSSilllN
contain, and into its gallery Of sweet
paintings where we enjoy the famous
cartoons of Raphael, seven in number
representing scenes in the New Testament
The one which seemed to us the best was
The death of AnaniaS" and it was GER
tainv not calculated to encourage false
hood. The apostle seemed to speak
again sold ycthc land for so much and
the poor wretchcd liar seemed at this
very moment, to have fallen at their feet
Another most wonderful painting was
the death poor, sweet Amy Robsart,
in which her beautiful body is lying prone
on the rough stones, at the bottom OF
the terrible pit into which she had been
lurcd by the wretch Nardrcy, initiating
her husbands call. Horror and rcmorsc
are well depicted i'll the face of the earl,
as he discovers the body of his neglected
wife, whose sweet character is SO bcaut-
fully portrayed in ScOtt's kcnilwOrth.
Our next enjoyment is Il view OF "ThC
Arthur Memorial Il magnihCcnt obCliSk,
erected i'll kCnSingtOn Gardens i'll mem
orv of the Prince ConSort. We are told
that the cost was half million OfpOundS
sterling, and can readily believe it. The
height is two hundred and Scvcnty-llvc
feet, and ii covers a gigantic statue,
seated, of Prince Arthur, in FURNISHED
jbrass, while around its base are statues
in marble of distinguished men OF all pro
fcssions. We took time to count them,
and found them to number one hundred
and scvcntv-two, while at each corner
arc groups representing agriculture, Ell
.yinecring, commerce, manufactures, and
,on lower level Europe Asia, Africa,
and America, each of which cost ten
thousand pounds, and looks as if the
monev had been faithfully expended.
A weary walk through the vast Brit
jSh Museum winds up "A tatlguing day,
and we can only feel, that we wish we
were in a comfortable, apoosc-looliing
concern such as Cleopatra occupies,
where we would AT last be at rest from
aching bones and burning cornS. We
cooked upon the mummy spread out to
the gazc of the reckless herd which is la
1,eIcd "Clcopatra," and thought can this
be the end of the lovely Egyptian Queen
Truly with King Solomon we cry "Nan-
ity Of vanity, all is vanity"
A little bit of moralizing now which
YOU may print or not print, as you like.
1t will do us good all the same, to re-
iicye my mind of these thoughts. We
are traVcrsing some of Londons streets,
worse than any we ever saw i'll New
York or elsewhere. Abandoned, drunken,
dssolutc women on every side, men no
better; aye. much worse, when we cry
ont oh, for Dickens To write this up
to let these English sec the satire of their
life and warn to what it is lradng
Do YOU remember his opening sentence
in "Thc Tale of Two Cities how the
handsome king and the ugly queen sat
l. r tl,...
hoy had his flesh torn with red hot irons
,bccausc he failed to take off his hat when
Il Company of dirty monks passed at Il
distance, and how this sowcd the seed OF
the dreadful revolution and the bloody
,guilotine; how on Saturday last the
granddaughter Of Queen Victoria was
married, as our cabman told us, to the
''IIearl of Fife" who was forthwith
made "Dook," and the marriage was
solemnized by high official of the cstab-
1ished church, and the bridal party all
partook of the blessed sacrament, and
the chimes rang mcrrily, merrily and
the big bells pealed, and pcaled, and
pcaled in short all was done to show
what solemn and holy thing is mar
riagc; and yet before the chimes had
ceased, or the bells stopped pcaling, uIl-
der the shadows Of every church in Lon
don. not excepting Westminster Abbey
st. Pauls Cathedral, can he found
scores of poor forsakcn women, Queen
yictoria's $ subjects plying their awful,
soul destroying calling. Oh! We. who to-
day have solcmnizcd Il royal marriage SO
soicmnly, so appropriately, cannot you
do something to relieve or check this
dreadful evil lfnot,
"What will the harvest bc ?"
T. w. =.
A Great success.