Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-10-20

champaign country, little wooded, n
with an unpleasant red Of the clayey soil
checkering the fields and outlining the
rather lonesome and hedgeless adjacent
highways. Entering the city from any di-
r~ection, modern streets bordered with
modern houses hint Of a sponging out OF
all the old hooks and nests, and give a
foreboding sense Of gainless quest. But
once well into High street, to the right and
left, in every direction and In interminable
maze, are narrow thoroughfares winding
and i~nterlacing in quaint and charming
confusion. Godivas and Peeping Toms be
gin TO smile and glover upon you from
every niche and window.
Up there to the right leads a narrow
street. Your impulse leads you thither.
Not a hundred yards more and down TO
your left opens one of the most character
full ~thoroughfares in all Europe. IL is
Butchers Row. You instantly step from
the Nineteenth to the Sixteenth century.
Aday's lettering would be amply rewarded
here. Just behind its ~ramsnackle old
houses, and perhaps primeval trees firing
ing a~shadowy close, into which are huddled
the churches Of St. Michaeps and Trinity.
All about them is almost unrecorded age
in architecture. Half timbered houses.
two, three, four and five centuries old,
crowd around the place in all manner Of
fantastic angles and facades. At the corner
Of Hay Lane and Barley Lane, just where
the fine old picture is mellOwest as you
look back upon the half verdure covered
masses Of angles and carvings, stand a
3O~O-year-old inn. restored 10 its zig-zag pat
tern Of oak and mortar, black and Lavender
paint aud o~verhanging stories, that the
visitor may know how the old town looked
r-hnn rHa hrrrINnua haH LIFE choir rr-arH AH.raE.
aud-span in the glory OF first completion.
A little beyond, its low, wild front, a
mass Of crumbling carving. stands one of
the most interesting structure, Of former
age ina England. This Is St. M4ry's Hail
The other. % me, most fascinating spot In
Coventry is Forl's Hospital in Gray
Friar's Lane, AN almshouse for old, old
women. There are many, many other
structures most rare and curious le-e.
among them, ST. M-oLael's Church, over
which even O. Hawthorne could ue warmed
into eNClaiminE; $50 olI. yet enduring, so
huge. so rich. with such Intricate mluute
ness On its finish that, look as long a., you
viii 40 &c., sou can always discover some
thing new directly before your eyes, and
that, cot all English things ] have seen, me
THINKS the churches ~di-lppoIut me least
Trinity Church, with its pulpit accounted
'the very finest IN the kingdom and
Bonds Hospital, "a remarkable structure,
founded nearly 400 years ago as "a home
for aged men. But these two places are So
perfect In their linking ui au olden with
the present day, preserve iu themselves
such striking pictures 90 "a remote and
mellow past. and witLal pre-eutso fully aud
al a glance the very rhine and mold Of that
which be-, held al English speaking lands
90 the pleasant pages from the golden age
Of English literature. that one comes 20
them 10 their haze aud sturdy age as we
turn with heart thrill and delight TO the
betmiug face. 1f dear OLD friends.
As nearly as can be ascertaiued 10y an
tiquariaus the date OF ST. Mary'- Hall Is be-
tweenI4OO and 1926. IL is therefore nearly GJg
years Old. Tne ancient guilds Of Coventry
were famous FOR their wealth and sumptI-
Gus hospitality, and this ball was the gath
ering place Of the city's united guilds. lt
stand entire just as il was built. 10 is also
remarkable ~ being one Of the few places
Of public interest TO which strangers are
admitted in England where a fee is not de-
manded or expected. That alone makes
one fond Of the splendid antique. It's en-
trance gate IS opposite st. Michael's Church.
The carvings, though crumbled badly, were
originally almost As rich as those Of Mel
rose Abbey. This arched way leads through
a s-umptuously decorated court over an
open gallery directly 20 the great hall OF
entertainment. In the other buildings
upon which the court opens are seen the
arrangements Of ages in which the whole
business Of festival was conducted within
the walls Of one establishment The kitch-
en-, entered beneath the gallery, Is one Of
the hugest and most antique now existing
in England. It's lofty arches are supported
by -octangular columns. A tremendous
arch vaults the coppers, and 40 each side is
an angel holding A shield. The -four chin
neys are the largest Of this kind now -ex-
taut, and have communicating arches. Ad-
joining the kitchen are the vaults in which
were stored records, treasure, wines and
ales. IL is said that the ~cellarage Of no
king or p~Otentate surpassed these in their
day. They are in every particular today az
they were used in the time Of their early
and splendid wassailry.
The entire walls and ceiling Of the in
terror Of the great ball is a solid mass Of
sculpture, painting, tapestry and carving.
Almost every development of art in EN-
blematic decoration for COO years has found
expression here: and, more extraordinary
than all else, each object or design stands
in its respective place just as it left some
masters hand. Coventry folk themselves
have no adequate comprehension Of the
mine Of art wealth these rOtting walls con
tain. / nave the word Of a famous London
counoisseur that be had, out Of personal
curiosity, attempted a careful valuation,
but had given up in Encouragement after
he had but fairly begun and had reached
the SUN Of 100000, or about 81 100000.
Only a little was from St. Mary's Hall.
down a narrow wynd called Gray Friar's
Lane, is found Forl's Hospital, a unique
specimen Of architecture prevailing 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 70 a long.
narrow court, open to the sky. whose sides
are wholly composed Of carved supports
and frames set with countless tiny panes.
Thirty old women are in the charity. Six
teen are housed herr in its sixteen quaint
est rooms 70 be found In the British Isles.
The entire structure stands precisely rs IL
was built 8o2 years ago. and "a absolutely
untouched by innovation The sixteen
housed hospitallers receive zach per week
four shillings. free washing and physician's
attendance. and annually two tons Of