New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-02

pLEsoME VICAR AT TRINITY CHURCH
CELEBRATIONS IN THE STORED
BUILDING-REIcs OF OLD
sTRATFoRD.
tynoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TRBusrl
Stratford-upon-Avon, July is
Little by little the face Of things Il
changing everywhere, and old Stratford
does not escape this law Of change At III.
Shakespeare birthplace you will no lonnr
meet those gentle and amiable ladies-so quaint
so Characteristic, so consonant with the place.
Miss Marie Cbataway and Miss Caroline Chat.
away. The former OF these was the Official
custodian of the cottage, and the latter assisted
her in the work Of its exposition. They have
just retired, after seventeen years Of service and
now-being too inirm for the active and inces2nt
duty that was required Of them--they dwell
quietly in little house the Warwick Road
where their old friends are welcome and where
venerable and honored age will henceiorth keep
tie flame from wasting by repose The new Gus
todian of the birthplace is Mr.. Joseph Skipssy,
OF Newcastle the miner poet, for NJ
Sl1psey was trained in the mines
OF Northumberland, was long a laborer there
and his muse sings in the simple accent of nature
and not in the scholars style You know him.
doubtless, as the author OF an essay on Burns
and of various other essays and miscellaneous
writings A new edition of his poems, under the
title OF Carols, Songs and Ballads has Just
been published in London, by Walter Scott. and
that book will be found very INTEREST," by those
who enjoy the study Of original character and Of
rhythmical experience that does not SAVIOR OF the
poetical schools. Mr.. Shpsey is an elderly man.
with grizzled hair, bright eyes, and a benign and
nj ms n he 70 e,.itL al onfva
ton about American poets, and especially about
Richard Henry Stoddard in whose rare and fine
genius he manifested thoughtful and, to me, most
gratifying interest; for Stoddard has done much
more for American literature than most OF thu
writers of the present period appear to know
Mr. Skpsey is assisted at the Shakespeare cottage
by his wife. The visitor no longer hears that
earnest. formal characteristic recital. descriptive
of the house, that was given daily, and repeat
enly for so many years, by Miss Caroline Chatawsy
that delightful allusion to the mighty DOME
that was the fit place for the mighty BRAIN
but doubtless, in time, Mr.. and Mrs. Skipsey will
frame q narrative Of suitable quaintness. The
cottage acquires new treasures from time 10 time
mainly in the library, which is kept in perfect
order by Mr.. Richard Savage, an ideal antiquarian.
This gentleman even collects and preserves the
bits Of the stone floor of the Shakespeare room.
that become detached by age. He showed me
finely carved goblet, the work Of Marshall, the
French wood-carver of Stratford, deceased last
year, made from the wood Of the original Shake
speare mulberry tree, planted by the hands of the
poet and cut down by the Rev. Mr. Gastren
in the last century. 1t is authentic relic.
Marshall was we'll known to me, and we had many
talks about the antiquities of the town. He
rests now in an unmarked grave, in Trinity
churchyard, close to the bank of the Avon-st the
foot of the grave of Mary Pickering; by which
token the future pilgrim may know the spot
And here come upon a painful subject. Tokens
of recognition will more and more be needed IN
this churchyard and likewise in this church, IL
the work Of improvement begun some ume ago
by the present vicar, the Rev. George Arbuthnot,
is allowed to be carried much further. Mr.,
Arbuthnot is High Churchman. He cares not
at all for Shakespeare except for the money thai
can be gathered IN his name. lie is a man OF
narrow mind, obstinate will and fractions dspo-
! sition He was appointed to the living by Lord
| Sackville. Since he came into Stratford he has
! been the fruitful cause OF disccrd and trouble.
| His proceedings ct the Shakespeare church have
been simply those of a Vandal His work has been
done, as a matter of course, in the name OF
Restoration" Trinity Church needed TO be re-
paired but it did not need 10 be changed. To
change it was to spoil it, The point oil discord
| lay Just here. The Rev. Mr.. Arbuthnot valued
the venerable building as church The rest 81
| the world valued 1t as relic. Mt Arbuthnot Is
fond of ecclesiastical PROFESSIONS he likes to array
himself In full canonicals and 70 walk uP and
down. Other people do not care nearly so much
for this imposing pageant as they do for the
shrine of Shakespeare's dust IL was the
general wish that the outside of the church might
] to POST ha
progress of decay. 1t was felt that the inside Of
it should be let alone. Mr.. Arbuthnot began by
tearing out the galleries. These galleries were,
probably as old as the present century. They
were not in the church in Shakespeare's time, but
other galleries were in it then, and galleries have
always been in it. The old oak pews were then
torn out and were replaced by others of a modern
style. The stone pulpit was removed, and was
sold in the town for one pound. The organ was
taken from its place in the north transept and
new organ, of huge dimensions and ornate char
acter now rears ITSELF in an unfinished condition,
above the arch between the nave and the cbancel-
dwarfing that arch, and greatly frightening the
spic< -and-span modern effect of the refurblshed
interior Many mural tablets were taken down
and are now hudded together in the south tram
sept which is used as a vestry, or at the foot OF
the High Altar. A wooden floor was laid-prob-
ably temporary THE original floor Of Stratford
! Church which has long been covered, is mass
of Qravestones for the church is built on arches
and there are vaults beneath the whole extent OK
the structure). The Hart tablet, commemorative
OF Shakespeare's second cousins, descendants OF
his sister JOAN WITS removed from the church wall
and placed as sort of curbstone at the margin OF
one of the churchyard paths; but this. in a much
injured condition. has been restored TO It's place, in
Difference to an irresistible public demand
The priests desks, of carved oak have disap-
peared. stained window in the south
| clerestory, commemorative Of former
vicar; is gone. New paths have been
made in the churchyard, involving the
displacement not only of many old gravestones,