The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-08-31

1
to retiring rooms and water coolers such
things are unknown here. At prominent
stations along the roads lavatories and
retiring rooms are found both for ladies
and gentlemen. The English refresh
| meut rooms, always inseperable aujuncts
| of railway stations, are far more superior
to our railroad lunch rooms. They are
very much larger and much more elabo-
rately furnished than ours. They afford
you penny lunch or an expensive lunch
con or meal, they are invariably attended
respect are far superior to any similar
affairs in America. They seem to be
provided to meet the Englishman's ever
present desire to eat and drink. Whether
it be The moist climate, national habit,
OF whatever the Cause, our English
cousins always seem ready to eat. If he
isn't breakIasting he is lunching, if not
lunching he is dining, and between meals
is ever crunching something. Men and
women alike take good care of their
stomachs, even in the intermissions of a
morning concert or entertainments, the
inevitable lunch appears, either a meat
or mutton pie, a sandwich or some SUBJ
stancial refreshment for the inner man.
As for good cool drink OF water, /
havn't tasted such thing but twice since
| left New York. The high class hotels
patronized by Americans furnish ice wa
ter to their customers, but it is not the
popular drink. The native born English
man revels in his ale. If you mention
ice-water he laughs derisively, talks about
your Yankees dying of guzzling it, and
cites Bright's disease as the result of the
prevalent American habit of cold water
drinking. But tie strong drink habit is
tile curse Of England as 1t is Of Scotland.
Our British and Scottish cousins don't
drink to iHtoxication. That is, they do
not except in the lowest perlieus of Lon
don and Edinburgh, but they simply
guzzle ale habitually. Nine thousand
two hundred public houses supply an
nually the Inhabitants of London with
their gin and ale. The quantity consul
med is simply astounding, $50 millions
quarts of malt liquors, 81 millions quarts
of wine and Is millions quarts of spirits.
In the gin palaces of the Strand, every
where about the streets of the city Dor
dering on the Thames, in the suburbs,
anywhere and everywhere, you can see
the busy throng of drinkers, men and
women and mostly Young men and
youths. List Monday the fifth of Au-
gust was general holiday. In the eve
ming took walk through the Seven
Dials, once an infamous section, the re-
sort of thieves and ronghs, aud not too
reputable now. The side walks and en-
tire street from curb to curb, were packed
with dense mass of young men and wo-
men, half intoxicated, not wholly so.
Jack had his arms around Jill, and Jill
responded maudlingly to Jack. 1t was
good natured crowd, not rough in the
sense of being riotous or quarrelsome,
but as an Englishman would say 'alf seas
over. To the tunes of an old organ
grinder, they danced high and sung lusti-
ly, They were comparatively we'll dress
ed, the sons and daughters of laboring
men in their holiday attire. But there
was apparent on every hand a degree of
familiarity between the sexes, to which
the policemen gave little OF no attention,
that am sure would be impossible on
the streets of any American city.
But it is about time to say something
about London as first saw it. arrived
here as have already intima led ON Sat-
urday evening the Sd inst. 1T was too
late to attempt sight seeing, SO l kept
indoors, and devoted the evening hours
to study of a map of the city, having
taken comfortable but Inexpensive quar-.
tiers in Salisbury street, Strand, imme-
diately opposite Cleopatra's Needle on
the Thames embankment, at one of those
quiet little private hotels SO numerous
here, My bed was real English one,
neat, tidy and comfortable. Sunday
morning dawned bright for London. That
is, it was not raining, for anything in the
weather line short of falling mist or rain,
or fog, is bright day in London. The
Sun peeped out occasionally through the
vapory atmosphere, peeped out timidly,
as if disposed to encourage Church going,
just smiled little pleasantly on the sub
dued hum of the great metropolis, not
broad good humored and all day long
smile as he blesses US with in America,
but still enough to show that he hadn't
forgotten how to smile. AS in duty
bound, after good breakfast, l started
for Mr.. Spurgeon's Tabernacle, located
out the London road near the Elephant
and Castle, once a noted rendezvous in
the old coaching times. Of course rode
on top of the stage and took in the sights
of the streets as went. had no trouble
In finding the Tabernacle, being put
down" as they call it here, quite near it.
The front of the building is rather impo-
sing with six columns of stone, dark OF
course, as all buildings are in London
even of recent construction, and suggest
ing in it's facade Greoian temple. had
scarcely reached the side entrance, when
l was joined by eight other Sabbath OBJ
serving Americans, all shipmates of mine.
We were handed an envelope asking as
sort of ticket of admission voluntary
subscription to the charities of the
Church, which subscription, six-pence,
we deposited at the entrance. We pre-
ferred the gallery seats, and at the top
of the stairs l was met by a sweet-faced
old lady, who kindly suggested that we
pass around the gallery to the front of
the Tabernacle, where we would be given
seats. Strangers, particularly Americans
are very courteously treated. We were
soon located by twos In front pews which
commanded good view both of the
preacher and audience. Although the
Tabernacle seats 5000 persons, it was
soon filed. On simple platform on a
level with the first gallery, Mr.. Spurgeon
soon appeared, walking very slowly as
if weak in his legs. For a moment he
looked over his congregation, then seated
himself at q small table, while the upper
gallery rapidly filled. He is a short
stout man, rather heavy looking intellec-
tually, but when he opens his mouth to
speak all doubt as to his mental vigor
are dispelled. He read with clear voice
and decided English accent, the opening
hymn, when the leader of the singing