The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-03-09
LETTERS FROM THE OLD COUNTRY
NO. XXIu.-BY Ell. d.


dull day, but the cheerlessness of the
ride was frightened by the reception
of our friends here a glowing fire,
cosy tea table. and hearty welcome,
soon warmed heart and body. Birm-
ingham is set on hills, whose rise and
fall are very pronounced, and it is
up and down, around, over and be-
tween many of them, that the 100000
inhabitants make their homes, and
set up the vast factories for which
this city is noted Smoke and fog
overhang this busy place like
dreary incubus. Sunny weather
being in. demand elsewhere, there
seems to have been a strike or corner
in the celestial factory and the sun
is running on very short hours now,
with a prospect of still greater re-
duction before the year is out. Our
hearts turn to the isles where the
supply of sunshine never runs short.
Happy Land!
The Sunday following our arrival
was the day for the Harvest Thanks
giving. The haze that lay on the
hills and through which the sun
shone with a softened color, indi-
Gated that the brief hours Of the
Indian summer were blessing the
land, and all hearts responded &C
cordingly. The church we attended
was the Edgbaston old church, and
although of ample dimensions, on
this occasion was filled to overflow
ing. The service was very apprO-
pirate and the music beautiful. The
subject of Patience" as illustrated
by the husbandman waiting for the
return of his labors, was we'll
handled. Especially was this point
enforced, that waiting was not lazi-
ness, nor could any idle person take
refuge behind the example, for only
after we had faithfully done our part
of the work could we wait and ex-
pect the blessing. The decorations
of the church were very fine and
emblematic. Every window was
banked with fruit, berries and grain,
artistically arranged, the scarlet ber-
ries of the mountain ash being most
effective. The entrance to the choir
had sheaves of grain, yellow
squashes and golden pumpkins, with
other vegetables, grouped most eff
fectively, while the altar was beauti-
fully hung with great clusters of
white and purple grapes. The bap-
tismal font was mass of beauty. A
circlet of white dahlias lay upon a
ground of trailing vines that was
bright with scarlet berries, the base
was lost in a mass of vines, ferns,
blackberry vines in fruit, and lilies.
A cross of white flowers foated in
the font. The old churchyard is
filled to the very doors of the church
itself with the resting places Of those
who have gone in and out of this
house of worship in long years gone
by. Very touching were many of
the tributes craven in their memory.
The graves of many were dressed IN
beautiful fresh flowers, and many of
the flowers were placed under large
plain glass covers, (like cheese
covers). These kept the flowers
fresh in their own dew, and did not
hide single charm. Washington
Irving's sister, Mrs. Van Wart,
lies here with her husband
There is fine botanical garden in
the city. The hot houses are built
on the crest of d hill, and the grounds
sweep down into valley and beyond,
giving opportunity for charming
walks more or less abrupt in ascent
and descent, interspersed with beau
tiful shrubbery and stretches of
lawn. These grounds are used as a
park, and were merry with little
children at the time of our visit. The
hot houses contain large variety of
exOtics from all parts of the world
One splendid stalk of sugar cane
was doing its best to fulfill it's des-
tiny, but it's attempts at sweetness
were almost pitifuI. Bananas and
breadfruit looked better Ferns and
orchids were quite at home. Many
plants were in full bloom, and
really it was a very cheerful place to
visit. A pleasant afternoon was
spent in a visit to Aston Hall. This
is now one of the public institutions
of Birmingham, and we'll repays a
visit. The building is three sides of
a parallelogram, four stories high,
and is of brick. It was commenced
in 1913 and finished IN 1638-the
style Of architecture resembles
Hampton Court. In the center of
the grand hall which you enter first,
stands faithful copy in bronze of
the famous Warich vase. The finest
thing about the hall is the magnif-
cent carved oak stairway, that leads
from one square landing to another,
quite to the top of the house. 1t
seems as firm and solid and beauti
full to day as when first completed.
The people of Birmingham attacked
the hall in 1913 because of its loyalty
to the House of Stuarts. The battle
ragged three days, and the hall was fin
ally taken. The cannonading was very
severe, the southern wing still show
ing signs of the siege. Seven can
non balls entered the building. One
crashed through the splendid balus-
trade, SCATTERING it somewhat, but it
is at this very spot that the quality
of the oak and its prospective dura-
bility are best discerned. The house
is strictly speaking a museum. It
was purchased by the city corpora
ton in 1858. Previous to this time
it had been private residence. It's