Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-07

rious open-~ork creations IN England or
Italy. The spire of Strassburg carries
Inc eye upward, with tier on tier of
dainty arches, columns and May stone
embroidery, each tier throwing up a
smaller, till the eliminating point Is
reached. as gracefully and spontaue-
ously as fountain springs in the air.
The facade is the point chiefly admired
IN the Strassbur9 cathedral, however.
Just think of having that cathedral to
care for when
BOMBS WERE FALLING,
and cannon balls humping on the city
walls! in its helplessnrss, and in the
love of the people for it, 1t was like
great, beautiful baby that could not
possibly be hid away or rolled UP 10 COM
forters. The best thing the inhRbitunts
could do was to put q red republican cap
on the spire, but even then French
shell struck and bent the great cross on
top, and there were other injuries since
repaired.
The interior of the cathedral shows a
mixture of architecture. From a purely
Gothic nave, supported by slender,
clustered columns, ard lighted, like the
Freiburg, with two tiers OF great win
, dows, one looks into a thick walled Ro-
maDesque chancel, with massive pillars,
round arches and narrow, deep SET win
dows. Thus the two styles of architect
ure are brought into strong contrast; the
calm strength of the wide, round, Nor
man arch and stately pillars, with the
refinement and verve of the Gothic. 1t
is something the same difference as be-
tween
PHLEGMATIC AND NERVOUS TEMPERAMENT.
Gothic architecture is ell nerve, living,
tbrous structure, without a particle of
surplus flesh. The Romanesque is solid
body, comfortable and restful in its quiet
curves. The windows OF the Strassburg
cathedral are all, or nearly all, filled
with magnificent old stained glass, the
preservation of which testities TO the low
lug care of tia Strassburg people. Dur
Ing the Franco PrussiHD war every bit of
the glass (and there must he hundreds of
square tee: OF iD was taken out and
packed away out of harm g reach.
The admiration of old stained glass ia
not an afectatioh as is so much of this
ninsteenth century alteration of musti-
Ness ana rustiness, and fadeiness. The
old glass can be distinguished instantly
by the richness of the coloring: it is
translucent, not transparent, illu m
mated by light and glowing with the
sunshine like jewels. The new glass,
even the best of it is gIariug in contrast.
But although they are learning to imi-
tate the old colors more closely Dieter
here than in England, we think they
cannot make anything approaching to
the old
CREAMY, BRowNIsH- WHITE GLASS
which the old glass makers used 80
much 20 set off their colors. Some
times one sees windows almost filed
with figures of this glass, shaded in
brown, and touched up with colors; they
are beautiful, and one can look straight
ct them without suggestion of uisrOm-
fort. Whereas the white glass used in
u modern stained-glass window makes a
glare of light.
The wonderful clock in the transept of
the Strassbur,y cathedral tells you every
thing under the sun, and around, and
about and above the sun, except how
old you are, and when you are going TO
get married. We know all bout it, for
We had If deliberately explained oy a
huge and pompous beadle who trot-
ted all Us visitors around
hitler and thither as if we had
been hired out to him for the cay. The
special performance of the clock comes
of at noon. when cherubs, and apostles,
and allegorcal and NEUROLOGICAL pup
pets come ont,
RING BELLS AND BOW AROUND.
The only thing about it that impressed
me was the twenty eight years it took to
make it, aud the portrait of the maker,
who looked as if he ran by clockwork
himself, aud needed winding up.
Twentyeight years to make a clock TO
run 999 years! II he had only spent tine
years!
The next best thing TO having a great
mountain look down upon a town is to
have grand cathedral. The cathedral
dignifes place UNNECESSARILY, and adds
beautiful seriousness TO all that Its
towers look down upon. We learn to
love all things that are chaEgeless III our
outward SURROUNDINGS, whether in them
selves beautiful or not.
What then must be the affection with
which those who grow up unde the
shadow of great art-work regard il 1t
represents TO them all that was
HOTTEST AND BEST
to their fathers, their graudfsthers and
their great graudfathers, who perhaps
had seen the final cross placed on the
spire ana attended the great consecra-
ton ceremony. When ii w6s built, ali
surroundings were warlike; the houses
we're built for strength not beauty; my
lord 5 revenues must 20 for the keeping
of his castles, the cities must keep their
wall guarded and repaired; all thought
was FOR defense and security. Only there
upon the cathedral IVES all beauty Law
lshed, and it rose from year to year
above the plain town, growing in gracs-6'
full perfection of carved and fretted out
line, till il stood complete like q crown
and scepter 10 the place.
tine cathedral soou comes to be a
living thin. to one who loves it, with
which one has close ana individual rels-
tinns. You look UP at it the first thing
when you go out in the morning AID
there is silent greeting; you watch 1t
against
PINK SUNSET SKY;
you say goodnight when the stars seem
10 tip the spires. So there grows to be
sweet and mysterious association betweeuq