Telegram-herald., 1889-04-21
EAsTER e THR ABBEY


tuzi4as tii4sfEieas Dread
Wesiulsastfr Abbey E. of antiquarian
interest containing sh shFne ~ tae
s,se. of some u tae mosl liusgrous
aaa greatest AZ Engand aeaf ol every
rank. Tie charch uas frst hait ey
>.tslt King - the Ea.t >axoas of
E.,.K. atout A. u el1 u which ae ald
BAL, qaeen has been barred.
"a asa hefeli elth deep ssfeafshmeat.
itl7-s 81 e,flatas-ef ae" arfs fr>,ftV
tltt.- Nfsssf af sIsl.ts flal 1sE -.
Tie Pl.a.e- sne gre aorftlfs ~ 4l s4rtes
li..r asi >fr lrfe't.'f N.tili
Is nIth'-f fsa t.aIpf. er ffttr or asfent ttliQal
a.a 4l.sr lIea afelFrI Il~>e majesty.
Naked af pe4p ~ eafft-s aeni aaf.eas
AHl Isa f.I Al, game ~ a i.ttatfet ,tHle
feufrut AID tlIef upe fhr silent spirits
naam al tne ueid "h.en i-ie tArs stood
utaN
CeaIa 6at content a7r euenth their appeiiIes.
iif- tsa fresf - scli ~ -fie.
Aa8 death fae thas of aiI eur sanitir."
Ne passed several hour, lu rambling
ahoat Westmn,ier Abbey laere Was
something c0ugenal n tho moumful
maguln..ues of tne o.i g.e aHd a.
ue PASSED it, threshold. seemed Ike
.rp pfn- back ntp the regions II au-
LlurF Aud losing our-'ivl- among TOE
~hiie- or former ages. The gray walls
aro i ,co.or0j hy damp. and clunhang
with age. A coat oI mo,s has gathered
over tue inscriptions of some ot the
death heads and other cmhlems. The
sharp t0uche, of the chl,ei are gone
from tne rich tractTy of tle arches,
and roses which adorned the key
stones have lost their beauty. Every
thing hear- marks oi the gradual dilap-
dauou, 0i time, winch Vet has SOME
thing touching and pleasing ln IT. very
decay. While wandering about the
gloomy vaults and silent aislcs ,tudyng
I the records OF the dead, the sound ot
/ busy * i,tcncc from the streets occasion
/ allv reaches the car; the rumbhug OF the
passing equpags; the murmur OF
the multitude, aud the light laugh OF
pleasure. The contrast j. striking with
the death-like repoSc around. and II
has strange effect upon the feelings,
10 hear the surges OF active life hurry
ing along and heating against the very
walls of the sepuchre. The Sepulchrc
of the naughty Elizabeth and one
Of her victims, the lovely and unfor-
tunate Mary, presents n touching IN
stance of the equality of the grave,
which brings down the Oppressor to
! level with the oppressed, and mngles
the dust of the bitterest enemies to-
! gcther. Not an hour in the day but
some ejaculation of pity Il uttered over
the fate of Mary, mingled with lndlgna-
ton at her oppresSOr. The walls of
! Elizabeth's sepulchre continually echo
with the sighs of sympathy heaved at
the grave of her rival 4 marble fig
ure of Mary is stretched upon the
tomb. round which Is an IRON railing,
much c0rrOded. bearing her national
| emblem, the thistle. We were weary
with wandering. and sat down 10 rest
! ourselves by the monument, and talked
| about the checkered and diSa StrOus
story of poor Mary. The sound of
! casual footsteps had ceased from the
! Abbey. We could only hear, now and
| then. the distant voice of the minister
repeating the service, and the faint re-
| spOnscs Of the choir; these paused for
| time. and all was hushed. The stiffness,
/ the dcsertiOn and obscurlty that were
/ gradually prevailing around, gave a
/ deeper and more solemn interest To the
/ place.
| For in the silent grave no conversation.
/ No JOY fu tread of friends. no voice OF lovers,
| No careful fathers councll-nothlng heard,
/ For nothing is. but all oblivion.
/ Dust and an endless darkness
What Is to insure this pile, which now
towers above Us. from sharing the fate
of mightier mausoleums2 The time
must come when its glded vaults,
which now spring so loftily, shall lie in
rubbish beneath the feet: when, instead
of the melody and praise, the wind
shall whistle through the broken arches,
and the owl hoot from the shattered
tower when the garish sunbcamS shall
break into these gloomy mansions of
death. and the IVY twine round the
fallen column. and the foxglovc hang
It's blossoms about the nameless urn,
a if in mockcry OF the dead. Thus
man passes away, his name perishes
from record and recollectious; his his
tory i a tale that j. told. and MS
very monument becomes ruin.
j. L. ANDREws.