The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-06


patron. He caught her "a she wa,
oting on. and, calling 10 Others e
join IN. led the waltz with her. Tn,
lltlla maid was too much embarrassed
by her sudden elevation IL e. Joy tn,
darce. bi. saw her whsp ring with
her companions after she Ri 3iued them,
and | thought she was nightly pleased.
There were number Of the orph ms.
both girls ana boys. among the guests.
for Mr.. Gilliat dispenses kindness with
a lavish hand.
Later. as the theatre wa too small 10
seat all the guests. the Ministries gave
another exhibition on the lawn. with
their audience in a ring arounI them.
One of the fellows was genius and
he made deal of fun out Of his sur
roundirgs We were on the lawnYhen
we heard the mellow notes If the bells
tn the "ivy-mantied tower. mile and
"A half away. With thrill came the
line:
IN, curfew tolls the kncll ofparting day
The next day We - Or-bippeJ IN
THE OLD oHUnCu
whose yard l. SO famous | vasali dress
ed with wheat AMI fruits aud flowers for
the harvest festival. aud both morning
and evening was packed wI'h PEI pie.
How old aud quaint It looked sur
rounded by its country church yard. -
one cannot but believe that the poet
wrote his elegy in the very spot. 50 adj
m'rably has he pictured Il
"Eeneath those rugged elms that ycw-trecs
shade.
Where heaves the turf i'm a numbering
heap
The description is perfect. no other
words could have fitled 90 well.
The poet lies close 10 the chuIch. wal
in the same tomb with ms mother.
wh, Sc touching epi aph be wrote. de.
scrlbiug her tenderness to her children.
zone of whom alone bad the misfortune
{ survive her. \ monument TO HIM.
the ugliest in the world stands out on
the lca" a few hundred yards from
the Church. One of the quaint things
shout The Church Is the pew of the
Lord 5 of the Manor, which occupies an
entife transepl and i iiltel up hkearOOm
with chairs and a stove. II has a pr
vate entrance from safe Park.
The present Lord OF the MINOR is Mr.
Bryant. the great match manufacturer,
who has a splendid house OF the Italian
style in the fine old park. The Prnns
used to b. Lords of the Manor, ADD the
son of William Penn has monument
III the church. but it + not so great as
that OF his father three thousand miles
across the water. It was one Of the
penns who committed the vandalism OF
pulling down the greater part of the
old Stoke manor house. Even The one
wing that remains Is. next To the church
aud church yard. themselves the most
lntere sting thing around Stoke. iOi
here lived Sir Christopher HattOn. ard
here lived Sir Edward Coke afcr
he had married Sir Christopher ricn
and shrewish widow. Iii her cane
Francis BicOn a counting lu the day,
when he and Sir Edward were rivals. /
wooing both the widow and Fame. /
The wig that remains Is in the finest /
style. The great kitchen !
l. now waiuscolted and carved. and Sir /
Edwin Lapdseer had here his studio. I
and painted stays where once stag /
bastcd before the great fireplace.
4 great statue OF Sir Edward Coke /
towers on an eminence across the little /
lake. figure On tall pillar. But ! 7
cannot but think the rich widow 5 other /
lover has higher pinnacle than he. We
spent an afternoon sauntering about the
beautiful park with Mr. GIiiiat aud M.
Bryant. and then Mrs. Bryant. hand
some. sweet woman. gave Us tea. When
we came cut Of church that night
the only light came from band Of
White along the western sky. IL wa
the very "ghmmerug landscape
which Gray saw. \ hundred year
md more have passed since then. Gen
'ratiOus have come and gone, leay.n-
20 more than the lowing head evel
he ivy mautl,d tower of the OLD
,hurch has grown older. 0nly the
'glimmeriug landscape and the poets
Ong have remained the same.
Next day We drove over aud slW
Cation and Windsor. / hal never seen
eaton before. but ] spent one Of TIE
'appiest days Of my lie ia Nind,0.
Park. DR.. Mcclure viii remember it.
or he was with ~.
THOMAS NELSON PAGE.