The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-26
A PASSION FOR CHURCHES
Continued from Ninth Pone.


hotels as much as possible for at least
two reasons Firstly, because theys- are
nuisance. One must tip the waiter, tip the
porter, tip the luggage man, tip the chamber
maid, tip the clerk, tip the bartender, tip the
bell boy and all others either directly or re-
motely connected with, the hotel. At least
these people expect fee, and unless you give
IL they have way of making you feel de-
cidedly uncomfortable. Then when one is
sightseeing he is often some distance from
the hotel at meal time and finds It inconve-
nient to go there to strengthen the inner-man
It's much pleasanter and more convenient to
drop into the nearest coffee-house or restau-
rant for lunch where, usually, even in the
cheaper eating-houses the fare is well served.
The average visitor to Europe travels from
hotel to hotel in the beaten route of tourists
generally. To my way of thinking 1t is not
the best way to see the country. Go into the
by-ways and hedges, GO Summing, take tramps
across the country and see the people, their
habits and customs as thev exist. What idea
OF the real life OF country can one obtain by
going from city to city, stopping at popular
hotels, where one meets mainly other travellers
who are as Ignorant on local subjects as our
self? Dress comfortably, and with fellow
traveller, ii 1T can be arranged, go out of the
beaten track of the ordinary tourist, stop at
country houses talk with the natives, eat
with them and for the time be one of them.
This is the way to travel IL you wish to obtain
correct notion Of a country and its people,
their daily life, habits and customs. One rea-
son, too, for avoiding hotels was because they
interfered with some Of the objects of our
trip. Another reason-and potent one-is
this: 1t is cheaper We have to economize
now and then, Smith and do, and so IL in
the future we seem a little eccentric in our
movements, If we don't mention our cham
pagne suppers, our long stays at fashionable
hotels and expensive watering places, and If
we don't speak of the class OF our railroad
tickets trust you will save us another pain
full explanation by not asking us why we have
not mentioned these things l know some
people whose hearts it would break to confess
that they were poor, who skimp and go half
clad and half fed at home in order to make
some people IN public believe they are men
and women of large resources. Don't do it.
It's not so bad to be poor. l rather like
it. No, we haven't extensive bank ac-
counts, but our capacity for enjoyment
Is unlimited. We both, as yet, have vigor-
Gus digestions and each a well-trained
conscience. We therefore sleep well. We do
not wonder If this bank or that bank will fail
But digress. turn back few pages and
find we have not yet left the cathedral. At
this point, not having anything more to say,
consult my diary and find the following
notes, which were evidently intended as mere
points for some future letter. l will not ex-
pand them, however. The notes relate to
our visit to the cathedral as follows: ssWent
to cathedral Qook up history; Gothic style
(read up on architecture write something on
the evolution of the Gothic style); saw crypt
in which Rob Roy took shelter (look UP
the story of r. R.; be certain about the
author; draw scene here; have r. H. and
peradoes, fight like hyenas; find out how
hyonas fight; compare them to something else II
hyenas don't do; find out how to spell 'hyenas;'
II X. K. is some saint find out what kind
and why he was there; make it pathetic;
make him have long flowing hair and great
hollow eyes; portray the religious feeling of
the time); saw the well of st. Someone's
(ind out who this saint was and why he had
u well here; II the history is obscure, don't
hesitate to be liberal with the Imagination;
might work up comparison to Rebecca-be
sure 1t l0ds Rebecca-and her well; read q
little biblical history on Rebecca-if found it
IS Rebecca, and IL there is any similarity, end
by saying how true it is that history only re-
peats itself'); the guide said it was groined
roof (fnd out what 'groined' means, also
'reredos,' nave, and several other words that
the guide used-learn how to spell them cor
rectly); beautiful windows (here write some
thing about the process of making window
glass-give description Of the effect these
windows have on the light; work off 'the
weird play of multi-colorS as they chase each
other up and down the gloomy aisles');
visited the old graveyard around the cathedral
work up something pathetic here, better have
it moonlight: see that the date of the letter
corresponds to a time when the moon
alone amidst 'the silent sentinels of the dead'-
be sure and use this expression: While the
soft mellow moonshine flooded with an un-
certain light the Silent City of the Dead
incorporate this expression In an appropriate
place-don't use 1t too near the other as they
sound too much alike-might have the tdista mt
rumble of the busy city, family audible-draw
the scene and then have the writer soliloquize.
Here is chance for fine work. J"
And SO my notes run on, but time and the
| editor of The HERALD will not permit me to
expand them as intimated in the suggestions
| following each item.
We are now going to leave the cathedral.
| We have left, and are now on our way to the
| nearest restaurant. By the aid of strong will
and an increasing appetite Smith was enabled
| to tear himself away from the old church.
| We had now not tasted food for two hours
long time between meals for few days
after sea voyage of twelve days. Duration
and we were well nigh exhausted from hun
| ger. We reach an eating house, and it is a
| real pleasure to see Smith come back to earth
| again and diminish that restaurants stock of
meat pies. My diary again: "Went to room
about 73O p. m.; cold; damp, misty night
| typical Scotch weather; unpleasant in room;
lighted the talloW CANDLE wrapped my feet In
blanket, and wrote letters. Then wrote my
diary for the day; retired about 1870 p. IN.
July AROSE at a. M, had breakfast, and at
9:l5 took train for Stirling-fare Is. Cd At Stir
ling 1880; went to castle; fine view from bat
tlement. Stirling Castle Is built on an i'm
mense rock rising abruptly from level plain.
and has figured conspicuously in the numer-
GUS conflicts in early Scotch history. 1t has
always been considered key to the north
4 country. 1T is now a barrack, and the red
coats may be seen at any hour of the day
passing along the winding walks and drives