New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-20
THE TRIP To FRANCE.
4 RAILWAY JOURNEY IN ENGLAND
,,vop,u, OF RURAL scENEs-FRoM LONDON
TO povER-THE DICKENS COUNTRY
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
ACROSS THE CHANNEL.

Calais. France, AuguSJ o.
=. 3. corIv morning in London. Inc ram N'0
-, fol,nq all night and in the gray oil 'he ua""
). oon+inues 70 fal-nOt now IN showers. pu' ~ -
r,;ttontlv and in cold drzzlc. Inc SKY Is ""i1
and sullen. and through the humio miN" -
.ho towers and spires Of the maJes'ic Guy
sbodov.like. fantastic, and stIauge' oo''
victor stand here ard there 10 the steanins, o'p
nerv streets which are almost ueVoiu equ' %
vehicles and pedestrians. Inc snoPhecpe ~
Is,u.or have not vet awakened, and as my CAP
rolls through the solitary highways i ee' 49,,
gI,, IN q few places have the shutters ecn 'aAen
onS 1ioi, windows Victoria is presently reached
,rherc at this early hour, only few people are
-, en- that Che dire confusion and clainor VI
pri,ish travel hive not yet begun. Soon our trail,
l,-,hIos ont Of The station, and we feel thai all
PERSONAL responsibility for ourselves mas W.
Tnonno1 and that We have yielded TO fate-at ie"SO
en- go roach Dover. The skies begin to oflghVeh
1i+,1e os we cross the Thames, while, eehlS
ruf,lod nv the morning breeze, the broad eAP"nT'
~ the river shows like sheet OF crlnKleu '''i
A. first we spced above and among long rows Vi
horeos all built alike-the monotonous suDuio'i
d,,,oIlinos Of towns such as Wandsworth ana Ci"P
ham with their melancholy little gardens, all GRIP
ming with recent rain, in when tne ma -,
arc beginning TO bloom, and great
sunflowers hang their disconsolate heaus'
80. 1oro soems iovous except the grass, Dut
this. at least, has pr6fItcd by the per'i'"T ~
rain and is richer and grecner than ever Iie'
emily the gardens and dwellings grow more op"
lent The wind rises with the advance " u"S,
and soon the dense foliage about the hl,i ""o
vale of Herne stirs and rustes IN inc sii''''''
y, lis careless life Now begins the genue P"e'"iaV
Of English rural scenery-that blending VI o.,
color and quaint delicate object, the Hkc VI w.
: ,o,ybora to be found except in England Every
trfveller will remember--and Will reJoice w ~
member-the elements of that delicious picture
t,o o,en far-reaching stretches Of pasture level
room md fragrant: the beds of many-colored HOW
~, O.shino on emerald lawns; the fieecy sheep,
.bo eloe, horses and the cOmely cattle, grouPou
or scattered in the fields, some feeding, soie runi
nant some in motion, and some asleep Uhe u''P'
rsb GRASS and clover the nurseries OF trult Vree'
tho N,inr elimpscs of gray Church-tOwes un" Vi
shining streams: and over all the fTequenC nisn''
NJ solemn rocks and frolicsome starllngs thaV see
ot times almost to make darkness IN 'he ar.
Soon the opuIent, aristocratic facade OF anciehu
n,,I,,ia, CoIIccr-at once the memorial and the
sonuIchre of ShalIespeare's friend Edward AAeNhe
,ilos unon us across the meadows and witches uS
v;tb thnuobts of a storied and memorable past
Leaving Dnlv,ich we run through long tunnel
ord =, q fcw moments dashing across the pam
80 proo yvr nefccive the lofty tower ana
OIvnpjan fabric of the Crystal Palace SHINING d"
the hills of Sydenham. This IS fefuIe' ro,ii"s
countrv much diversified with hll ana N"iIeS
All around us the banks are scarlet WIN lhl".n0i
able standards OF the gorgeous poppy ana goiuen
with the flowers of the colts FOOT ana many ieu-
rooted farm-houses are momentorlH visible III 'ii'
green depths OF lofty groves. OuI way i''0
through hop fields now, and the ar i ueiio'U ,
,,.tI tho ze,tful perfume of their blossoms. We
traverse beds Of wild fern and many KINDS oil
yndcryoods and in fields that are divided py
tnd,,o, of lovely hawthorne we see many sheaves
If the yellow harvest. Quaint little villages are
messed each group of cottages nestled around It's
',r,v ola church, Ike children clustered al d
norent's knee. The doOr-yards arc gay with mari
oods. There are broad patches Of clover In
conioDs FRAGRANT bloom, and on the distant Aorl-
ION the green hills, crowned with dark groves
loom gloomy under Struggling coutS Inc
wind blows very chill. the sky takes on coid'
,lverv hue. and innumenble starlings, flying low
look ike black dots upon the dome oil heaven
Our snced is great, and we leave long trails oil
thick. smoky vapor that melts through the
tree; and hedges or seems to SILK INTO uc
ground. At Sole Street lovely rural region Is
opened. and the sky begins To smile Aondef Oh
the hillside venerable church-tower shows us
Grim pararet In the opposite quarter there are
hills thick wooded or capped with sheaveS oil the
UNNECESSARILY marred this autumn by the roush
| weather of as dreaT an August as England mas
| ever known All the same, this scene keeps Ht
| picturesque beadty-the peace OF deep Vaies' III
which the boughs wave, the streams nmr1hur' ana
The stately rocks seeking their food-Ole peace
of Old red or gray farm-houses yelled with ivy
| and nestled among flowers. The banks oil the
Midway are near at hand, and soon across the
| crystal bosom o. that beautiful river rises Jhe
! iJac,k ruin Of Rochester Castle, hccked with
1,chen and haunted by hosts of doves and near il
the pinnaclei tower Of Rochester Cathedral,
ro,uontje in itself, but made more romantic by the
art of the great genius who loved 1t so Wei
| Here Dickens LAID the scene of his exquisite
story Of " Edwin Brood" and not far away from
This spot stands the old, lonely house OF Gadslliil
| in which he died The little town of Rochester
| Is all asiIT The wet red roofs Of its cOs"y dwell
ms glisten in the welcome though transient, sun
! slime and Oh some OF those houses great mantle.
of green ivy sway gently in the rising wind. The
river is full OF slipping-small craft and steam
| hoats-and your gaze would dwell delighted Oh
brown sails, and tagering spars, and gay smoke
stacks. and the busy little boats that seem nevei
nj rest. Not many views in England possess sucl
animation as pervades the spectacle of the valley
af the Midway at Rochester, and the lover OF
Dickens m1y well look upon it with affection
and leave it with regret
| We dash through ravine Of Gladstone no"
and have fine prospect Of martial Chatham
which IS built in a 1elley, but extends up the
side Of the adjacent eastward hill; and through
one of it, long highways our gances follow the
plunging fight of large flock Of frightened
sheep. At New Brompton there are many smal
gray houses. and there is a great profusion o.
red and yellow flowers. A wide reach of gstert
ing water is presently seen, toward the eastwhicl
is the Midway, nearing the sea. Harvest field;
extend almost to its verge, and the country il
level for miles-a marsh-and intersected Will
channels and pools Presently we come again int
hop-felds and we recognize the rich and blooming
country of Kent At NewingtOn there are gloOmie