The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-18
ACROSS THE WATERS.
OUR CORRESPONDENT IN ENGLAND.
Mr.. Tom Page Gives Some Graphic
skesche.- His Lodging House I'm Lon
don-Ihe Ctsy's Multitude and soiem
nifty 90 some Interesting Hem'"ts-
ceuccs.
JUNE /, 1859.

Editor Of the Times:
Our first taste of England was not in
spring. | remember my first day IN
Ireland. Not Paradise could nave been
lovelier La England II was Lot So Inc
difference was farther than from the
east 10 the vest. In Ireland that day
the skies beamed. the earth smiled. l
remember two fresh-faced young girls,
with cheeks as pink az Irish blackberry
blossoms, got into the railway carriage
with us. aud little sister outside, as
the train started. said IN a rich, sweet
voice Pheasant day" 1t seemed
| fitting benediction on a day that was
perfect. Heaven seemed about us. IN
England, If there. was "A heaven, II
was hid. We started in the
custom-house at Liverpool. and ended
| in fog in the streets Of London, Tor
we found on cur arrival at Brown
Hotel, to which our party had teie-
graphed from Queenstown that, OWING
TO our long delay in Liverpool, they
had given us out. and had put other
parties into our beds, and checrlully
informed Us that they had no idea
where we could get others. This was
at 1880 A. NJ. However, we had
..'bus." which Is not great numbering
shin on wheels, like bus IN America,
which rattles and i0lts as if II was made
only for those two things. but IS a KIND
of waconette, which runs smoothly;
so we started out on our tour, and
struck first for the nest Of large hotels
about Trafalgar Square. From one TO-
a. % fIQsa drove.
at each having to ring
and knock, for In England
all the hotels lock their doors at bed
time; but received from all the same
response. Not bed vacant In the
house" At last at Charing Cross we
heard of a private hotel" where, 1t
was thought. we might fiud rooms.
So thither we drove, and modestiy be-
sought admittance, our American IN
dependence having, by this time. been
pretty well knocked cut Of US. 10 our
delight we were this time successful,
and the four of US became dodgers at
the York Hotel" Southampton, st.
Strand. The York Hotel could only be
done Justice to by Dickens. How It
ever got i'm between those houses is
mystery. 1t Tas just as If II nad
been put in there fresh, and then
had been squeezed between the
contiguous buildings rs flower
is pressed between the leaves OF big
dictionary. Ii is possible that this was
actually the case. for it ran up over the
edges Of the adjoining houses and made
mn i'm height what il lacked in breadth;
heing not more than fourteen feet wide
and four stories high. Up. up, up, the
narrow stairs We went, lighted by a
dim. little, old man who carried a dim.
little. old candle, and were shown into
suit of apartments, the largest OF
which was not bigger than an ordinary
ballroom. As our guide withdrew
and the four Of us surveyed curiously
our quaint apartments, Il. SAID: MI.
Pickwick has slept in this room. lie
might have done so.
The next day we spent getting
straight" London has certain charac-
teristIcs which strike the observer at
sight and distinguish it from all other
cities. The first of these is its multi
tude. Some cities have immensely:
some magnihcence some life; but Lon
don his multitude. There is nothing
here like the business section Of New
York: and the boulevards of Paris
have no rivals: but in the multitude OF
men. women, horses, houses, equipages'
shops. etc, ETC., etc, London IS unap-
preached. One may take bus and
drive for miles and find the streets
swarming with dense throng Of peo-
ple. denser than he will find on Wall
street in New York; then he may take
another bus and take another route
and he will see the same thing people,
people. people. We have observed cabs
numbered TO over $4,000, and buses 10
vet higher number. whilst people
swarm about the streets like bees about
hive. Here one can understand the
full significance of the phrase used by
dramatists. ALONE In London" 1t Is
the isolation of a wilderness, the lone
illness of the desert
Another distinguishing feature OF
London is it's solennity. John Bull
takes life solemuly. lie does not hurry
and tear along . the 10 10 New York,
and he doe not -aupter through with
easy. indiffel nee as sc do in Richmond.
On the contrary he works hard, that Is
steadily. but it Is with sOlemnness
which is affecting. He always seems to
have time. He gets 10 his ONCE ABOUT
nine, riding in a bus or cab, takes an
hour or more for his.lunch, and Is home
to dinner. after which he goes into his
other business Of pleasure. ms Is the
most serious part of all; even ceremonies
of all kinds ere "solemnized. a dinner
or a reception ia grave Altar. AZ en- |
tertainments we Southerners are III |
elined. it is said, 10 making speeches. /
We have it from our ancestors. WIN /
hs there is at least this palliation. that /
the speeches are generally hight, you |
will hear something about 1.-THE ladies'
or good story will aid the gastric
iuices. Here speeches are the order,
but they are statistical, solemn, SAD
they are addresses" 10 constituents !
through the press reports; q man takes
this means to put himself on
record as to home rule, the poor rates
the schools. or the Bulgarian troubles.
If you 20 through the streets you VIII
be struck by the serious expression oil
the people. In the Row, where all the
world gathers in the afternoon to see
all the rest Of the world, tho solemnity
is appalling. 1t is not mere gravity, 1t
is solemnity. Countenances wear the
same expression we see in crowd at
house when q funeral is TO take place.
John on the box with white loggngs
and crossed arms feels that solemnity Is
expected of him and performs his duty,
and his mistress within knows that she
is on exhibition. and gravity weighs her
down. The crowd looks, but oh so Sc
riously. Even the newsboys are seri-
Gus. and instead of crying their papers
with that aggressive and independent
whoop which carries the public. they
glide along and call mourufully out, or
slip up beside you with a meek request
to contribute "ounly penny It's in
the atmosphere. Where it rains every
day, and one sees the sun only few
moments at time, life is solemn
thing.
The newspapers are solemn, the jokes
are sad. The Star was the first paper
in London to tighten things up, and to
introduce little of the humorousness
which characterizes American papers.
1t shocked sensibiities. but il took, and