Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-17

charming confusion. Godivas and Peeping
Toms begin to smile and glover upon you
from every niche and window.
Up there to the right runs narrow street.
Your impulse leads you thither. Not an
hundred yards more and down to your left
opens one of the most characterful thorough
fares in Europe. 1t is Butchers Row. You
instantly step from the nineteenth to the
sixteenth century. A days lettering would
be ply rewarded here. Just behind its
ramshackle old houses, are perhaps primeval
trees fringing shadoYy close, into which
are huddled the churches of st. MichaePs
and Trinity All about them is almost un-
recorded age in architecture. Half-tim-
bered houses, two, three, four and five CEN
turies old, crowd around the place in all
manner of angles and fantastic facades.
AT the corner of Hay lane and Barley
lane, just where the fine old picture is mel
lowest as you look back upon the half
verdure-covered masses of angles and carv-
ings, stands a 3OO-year-old inn, restored in
its zigzag pattern of oak and mortar, black
and lavender paint and overhanging stories,
that the visitor may know how the old town
looked when its builders had left their work
spick -and-span in the glory of first compile
tion.
AN HISTORIC BUILDING.
A little beyond, its low, white front a
mass of crumbling carving, stands one of
the most interesting structures of a former
age in England. This is st. Mary's Hall.
The other, to me, most fascinating spot in
Coventry is Ford's Hospital in Gray Friar's
Lane, an almshouse for old, old women.
There are many, many other structures most
rare and curious here; among them st.
Michaels Church, over which even Haw-
thorne could be warmed into exclaiming:
Co al hfrorn Ri
Trinity Church, with its pulpit accounted
'the very finest in the kingdom;" and
Bonds Hospital, a remarkable structure,
founded nearly 400 years ago as home for
aged men.
As nearly as can be ascertained by an
tiquarians, the date of st. Mary's Hall is
between 14OO and 1926. 1t is therefore
nearly 800 years old. The ancient guilds
of Coventry were famous for their wealth
and stupendous hospitality, and this hall
was the gathering place for the united
guilds 1t stands entire, just as 1t was
built. 1t is also remarkable as being one OF
the few places of public interest to which
strangers are admitted in England where
fee is not demanded or expected. That
alone makes one fond of the splendid an
tique. Its entrance is opposite st. Michaels
Church.
AN ANCIENT HOSPITAL.
Only little way from st. Msry's Hall
down a narrow wynd called Gray Friar's
lane, Is found Fords Hospital an early
and unique specimen of architecture pre-
vailing in the early part of the sixteenth
century. The entire front Is covered with
the richest of wood carving. Three huge and
canopied gables project from the second
story A wide low carved archway leads to
long narrow court, open to the sky, whose
sides are wholly composed of carved sup
ports and frames set with countless tiny
panes. Thirty old women are in the
charity. Sixteen are housed here in its 16
euaintest rooms to be found In
the British Isles. The entire structure
stands precisely as it was built 364 years
ago, and is absolutely untouched by inno-
walton. The 16 housed hospitalers receive
each per week shillings, free washing and
physicians attendance, and, annually two
tons of coal They cook their own food,
and come and go at will. Those living out
side receive the allowance, and all are given
shillings and pence per annum for snun.
Potted flowers, loud-ticking clocks and pur-
ring cats are noticed in each room. The
garden wall behind is part of the old city
walls and is pierced for cannon. Each
hospitaler is allotted a separate bit of ground
10 feet wide and 90 feet long for ''gar-
den."
A Renaissance OF MRS. NOON.
I was shown one upon which aged Mrs.
Noon was bestowing the night of her dim
old life 1t was q marvel of neatness and
luxuriance; filed with candy tuft, field corn
flowers, few rose bushes some mint and
mignonette, several varieties of ferns and a
wealth of Aaron's rods with their gaudy
yellow blooms.
"Ah, yes" said Mrs. Rainbow, the brisk
matron, at parting, I'VE has what We might
call comfortable lot jess now; but some
times" this with sigh of commendable
federation, "it's proper rum lot, a proper
rum lot, as you'll find has to care forp'
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.