Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-24
A FAMOUS WATERTNG-PLAOE
4 chat About Brighton. Eug'nnd--IIow
Three Americans Passed Pleasant
Week There.
Correspondence of The Phoenix ]


Week There.
Correspondence Of The Phoenix
Have you ever been to Brighton? That
merry haunt where every nationality meets
his counterpart. Never shall | forget my
week there and the swift succession of
pleasures that each day brought with it, as
it slipped into its place on the calendar,
which we had pinned upon the wall.
arrived one bright starlight night,
straight from Liverpool, where | had left
the Cunard steamer, with all my senses
keenly on the alert to see the novelties Of
foreign life Joined by my friends we drove
directly to the Hotel Metropole, and sought
the seclusion of our own rooms which had
been put in readiness for us.
Let me say word or two in praise of
the Hotel Metropole, which is eXcelled by
few. Built on generous, and even lavish
plan, the luxurious American can find every
comfort here. The house accommodating
some thousand persons, is built round three
sides of hollow square, forming good
sized garden with bricked walls, flowers in
profusion. and the usual splashing fOun-
tain. Here within the quiet is served, at
will, afternoon tea, or a little later on the
ladies sip their after dinner coffee, while
the men in converse smoke their post
prandia cigars. These small groups of
people seated around the little tables give
the garden a comfortable, habitable look
which is very inviting. The hotel itself.
some six or seven stories high. presents
broad front to the street. and commands
limitless view OF the ocean.
But now for Brighton itself How can
| give to those who have not seen it. an
adequate idea of the place? 1t seems to me
a word picture must always fall short. and
only sight can show il as it is.
To start with it is the merriest. the gayest
place one could imagine. The holiday
spirit pervades everything and everybody.
All are incorporating. Fancy long.
broad street. miles i'm length. lined on one
side with hotels, shops, parks and private
residences. while the other side is fanked
by broad esplanade, upon which all the
world is walking The swell. the jew and
the Gentle all abound.
At stated intervals along the way are
maSsed groups of seats with protecting
cover to keep OFF sun or rain, for one is out
all sorts Of weather in Brighton. These
seats are always occupied. never did see
! them empty, for there were always those
becoming weary who waited for their va
cancy, to sink down upon their hard, un-
polished surfaces in order to snatch mo-
| ment's rest.
Then there We're other means of rest sup
! plied-the perambulator-tha busy little
three-wheced carriage was active all day
long and always freighted. II seemed as
though it must groan with the amount of
activity exacted from it every day.
And then, and then the beach. \ long
broad expanse of soft, slippery sand, cover
ed with men, women, children, sail-boats,
row-boats, bathing carriages. benches.
booths and dogs. Shows of all kinds going
on. Minstrels in fancy garb, clowns in
still more fancy attire, trained monkeys
with master in tinsel and lace. itnerant
bands. children in fancy costume playing
banjos and singing, blind men in artistic
pose. men yariously attired perched on very
high stills, circus professions on the street,
| tally-hos, with the merry, ringing notes of
the horn. dog carts-and YOU are expected
to stop and look and laugh at every thing.
No one cares for anybody. You are simply
to amuse yourself. After an hour or two
nf u-an
! pleasant diversity to step into one of the
many open carriages always on hand. and
drive along to the beautiful chalk cliffs.
which shine out so brilliantly and look so
wonderfully pure and white Or YOU stroll
down on to the long pier where the water
dashes and foams under your feet. and
where there is every sort of exhibition go
| ing on ready to catch your pennies. Lady
| Godiva is advertised, but not feeling in
clined to witness the exhibition cannot
tell how close a representation she gives to
| the experience of her namesake. Here are
trained tieas, a camera obscura. swim
ming match, and all sorts of mechanical
| toys worked by the slot, and another. and
more bands. You have plenty 10 claim
| your time and your attention. The shops
! in themselves would be sufficient occupa-
| ton, and the scores of windows are most
attractive with their old furniture and an
! tique bric-a-brac.
| Here one naturally has visions of Beckie
Sharp and you watch the old ship hotel
with a feeling of almost expecting to see
Beckie herself step forth into view.
! Then we, with our alert American eyes,
were much interested and amused with
! the English woman's clothes. They SEEM
ed to have a sort of uniform, and all looked
so much alike you could not tell whether
| you had seen this one before or whether
/ she was some one else A straight. plain
| skirt Of dark blue flannel with its scant
| fullnesS drawn into a narrow back The
mans white shirt front and stiff. square
/ tie, the GETAWAY coat and sailor hat perch
/ ed at a wonderful angle, bringing the front
/ brim close over the wearer's eyes. Then
/ the hair, an intricate maze of puffs, crmps
/ and short curls built up to meet the hat in
| the back, and you have an outline hideOus
! in the extreme. In almost all instances
the hair was bleached, and judging from
/ this the blondes were claiming their day.
Though the season had not begun, there
was a sufficient number of celebrities stay