Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-06-25


mfssed . the aged custodian into fair-siEeS
square room. in which vas a large fireplace
evidently the kitchen aud dining room of IN.
family We SAT- in the narrow stone seat il
the sane position as the poet Shen writing
bur fail. 10 catch the inspiration playful,
warrant j. After seribbling our autograph.
n Arzr volume the size Of 81
e1orBlous ger Of some stirring busines,
hO9se, vs assembled short nighi OF we'll
worn stairs 10 look upon the very room where
the great mah was born. This sas low
studded, square room, nhieh looked as th augh
II might once have been covered with white
wash Upon the walls window panes, and
in every other conceivable place. were auto
graphs of people mOre or less distinguished
that of Sir Walter Scott Gu; with a diamond
on the glass. being particularly pointed out.
In the museum in another part Of the house
qasntiue. of relics are displayed. some woven
I ~ith tradition and not few gulranteed au-
thentic.
! Several Of US thsn Sheeled rs.Ann Hsiha-
way cottage mile or so out Of town 10 see
The very place where SHAKE speare
~ooed aud won his wife. The cottage is
+ of uriinsry size, the roof matched with
straw. differing slightly if any, from its few
old ueighbOrs around, unless il is somewhat
better preserved Mrs, Baker, the kindly
old lady dwelling there, who is a lineal
/ descendant Of The Hathaway family, court
| tOusly exhibited the r09ins Of interest, point
j ou the bench upon which the p1at il.
supposed TO have passed many happy even
ing chatting with the beloved Ann. The old
fireplace Is almost undisIurhyd, aul il re-
/ qgi-rd but friling stretch of the imagins
tion 20 hear the flames of three centuries ago
crackllng upon the hearth and, aided By a
/ fine engraving on the wall, believe the hap
/ ~ couple sitting on the straight-bsc ked
/ bench The good woman also exhibited the
Old visitors books, and few people
have better collection of auto
( graphs of distinguished persons Some
of those seen were LOngfellow, o
| W. Holmes, Chas. Dickens, Mary AodersoG,
EIwin Booth Jas A. Garfield AMI L. 5.
Grant Mrs. Baker said she was huwell the
lay Gen Grant called, but she coul rcmcm
Der the General came to her room and shook
hands, expressing pleasure a; meeting her.
Gen Garfeli she could not recall, Exp ain
ing that the signature was written in 1867 be
fore he became particularly promi ent In
the garden bunch Of flowers vas handed
each one, aud al the gate the hand Of the Old
lady was cordially shaken. Ii was Il feast to
have seen AMI talsei 'yi'h a direct ae.c nd
est o: Shakespeare's wife.
Thr ride TO Oxford from here was plessur-
able, leading through pictures sque and high
| ly cultivated farming region But we
had our minds dissbused of the
idea that there are no hills ia
England for numerous steep and long
ones have been climbed, that is, it is NV
opinion that mile AMI a half hill would
not be considered short oae However
these are just as often compensated for by
'coa-ts' of equal length such as few places
in America can offer Let am eycler think
of sliding down an incline & mile or more
ioug without touching the brake and then
he can form a little conce epton of the spor,
we have been enjoying; per-ons unaccus-
toned to the wheel can but imperfect
imagine this pleasure. Half of u- have
changed for lighter wheels lit was useless
10 attempt to run an express wagon over the
route when buggy would ID just as well.
The American wheels taken have so far
given entire satisfaction.
One thing which impresses is the frequent
ringing of bells, oftentimes as chimes
Every city or village has its striking clock
and cathedral with many bells The pre-
dominance of soldiers is also very noticeable
In every place the relocated and pomponsly
"a il the native who is sure to advance with
the query ''aving 'oliday?" | have an
swered this question with Yes" NO
Beg pardon, but didn't understand. and
seemingly Thousand other ways for although
it has now become so familiar, it is some
times Only with difficulty can tell what the
man is trying TO say, for hardly think he is
entirely successful in his utterance. Eng
lish n. she is spoke" is very different from
the written language, particularly among the
lower classes The reason for dropping
III when 1t is written and adding it with
clock-like regularity when it is not. is quite
beyond the comprehension of an American
and greatly TO his confusion. But
of course, this experience is only
gentle precursor of the heaps
of trouble to follow in France and Germany,
though of the amusement we shall there fur
nish the natives it will do no good to prophecy
However. we are going to have an awkward
time just the same.
Along the road not nearly as many stops
have been made at farm houses as in Ireland,
though Why It's hard tn assign. The saloons
fo- Refreshments have not been a b more
plentiful but tie riding has been so much
better the need of frequent glass OF mix
or tea has not so frequently been ass rtrd.
AZ the few places where We have ling red
fo- moment. soon as our errsnI as
own the rece piion has been hearty, and il
has hacn astonishing how, ev1 in the
isolated cottages, one of the first
things to he expressed, after our tour
hi been EXPLAINED, ha. been sympa by
f-F our people be cause of the great flood.
Thtu frequent inquiries are made it we
krcv such and such person in the States,
ou! have 7ot heard any instances where
there have been scqusintances. The people
mere do not understand the size of our
C-rntIy.
We reached the historic city % Oxford in
40 condition, and there Sunday quickly
siipred away. At noon the college boys en-
ter'lined the party with pleasant lunch, a
courtesy particularly kind. in the lit le
group rhich diced the half dozen | happen
ii 70 be with, was only one cyclu As
tmeri ans We were entertained, arl il va a
tribute to our country we could not fail :oI
appreciate.
At oxford the most of us also
sav one or more of the 2s great
colleges walked along the charming
Broad Walk" on the mea'tws, and
CARED at the Martyrs Memorial erected near
the spot where in l555-6 Cranmer. Latimer
and Ridley suffered at the stake. oxford
saw the rise of Methodism. for here John
Wesley lived II seemed as though al every
turn some great college was staring you iu
the face. and they were all black siih the
weather and age.
Monday Vas rainv and so it ha' been up 10
date. or at least cloudy. We all started
sw heel but IL miles out a dozen of Us
weakened and boarded train, the under
signed because breaking his wheel. This was
Disappointing, for had fully decided to
approach the greatest metropolis in all
the world on bicycle, and not
ignominiously surrender to a railroad, but
there was no other course. Those who
braved the 81 miles iu the rain had the pleas
ure Of seeing Windsor and Hampton Court,
which | greatly regret missing.
But now we are all in mammoth London,
sround which no one man in the world fully
knows his way. We trained into the the city
a. far as ws cCull and then hal tT0 miles to
90 TO our hotel. Fhich is situated in an UNI
hrageous square near the British Museum.
The party i. di-banded for the rest Of the
week, and We are pursuing our Individual
plans for seeing the city, which is greater
than anything of which ever before dreamed
Wheels are dropped and 'snsoms employed :;
/ it is little use TO try to walk, the distances
are so enormous. Already ave seen the
I Tower. winch i., az the guide book truly says,
Z historically the most interesting place in
all Enzlani.~ |, would be useless to at
tempt 10 describe all we saw there, but
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