Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-08-13

pher Wren in 1881; but before DR.. Teni.
son, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury,
had preached Nell Gwynne's funeral ser
mon, In 1890, there truly tslowly rose be.
fore her eyes beautiful palace of aNthou-
sand chambers," where, though she did
not live long enough to know 1t, there
have been many blessings from grateful
throats in grizzled frames, if not for
Charles, for the lowly orange-girl who,
whatever her life or faults, was ever great
enough to move a profligste king to most
of the good and generous acts which he
performed.
An easy and delightful way to visit
Chelsea hospital is to take one of the
countless Thames steamers. These ply up
and down the river at all hours of the
day and night, taking on and landing hun
dreds of passengers at piers about quar-
ter of a mile apart on each side of the riv-
or; something as the little Philadelphia
pleasure boats puff up and down the
Schuylkill, between the dam and the Wis
sihickon.
This zigzsg trip on the Thames is the
most interesting In all the world for Its
distance; providing you 60 on board, say,
at the 'Old Swan" pier, on the city side of
London bridge; for the Tower, the Monu-
ment, st. Pauls, Westminster Abbey, par
lament houses, Lambeth palace and num-
berless other of London's greatest and
most historic structures are passed; while
the Thames here not only presents its live
LEST panoramss of stupendous interests,
varied scenes and characterful life, but
shows that portion most renowned in fc-
tion and history for more than thousand
years.
Abutting Albert bridge, at the western
end of that portion of the Thames called
Chelsea Reach, you step upon little pier
and thence upon the upper Thames en-
bankment, and at once are within a
charmed and charming region. Almost
within stones throw of the hospital
grounds have tarried, or lived or died,
hundreds famous In history, literature and
art. Smollet came here to live in retire
ment, in 1850, In house once owned by
Henry VIII. Sir Thomas More's black
memorial slab is in Chelsea Old Church;
Lady Dacre, Lady Jane Cheyne and the
Duchess of Northumberland, three of
Chelsea's grand ladies, lie beneath monu-
ments within the church; while Charles,
George and Henry Kingsley once lived in
the rectory with their father, who had re-
ceived the '1iving" from Lord Cardigan.
In Cheyns Walk lived Turner, the paint
er; and in Cheyne Row lived George Eliot
and rugged old Carlyle. Queen Elizabeth
used to visit the Earl of Shrewsbury
House, just back of Cheyne Walk; and
daughty old Samuel johnson, who thought
he could mold China as well as make 6
dictionary, for long time came here every
day to the old Chelsea china works at the
corner of Lawrence street and Justice
walk, his faithful housekeeper trudging
after him with huge basket containing
his daily food.
The poet George Herbert dwelt in this
neighborhood; Rosetti lived and sang here
amid his garden of flowers; and at little
barber shop and coffee heuse, "Don Salte-
roe, 1t was called, in Cheyne Walk, Rich
ard Cromwell, Steele and Addison and
Benz iamin Franklin, who worked in a
printing shop in Bartholomew Close. came
to get shaved and to loiter over their cof-
fee "where the Literati then sat in coun-
Gil"
Indeed a grand, good, sweet book could
be written about the folk who have loved
and known old Chelsea, whom we have
known and loved for what they did for the
world. Sauntering on through the quaint
streets with their ancient and picturesque
mansions, hosts of the silent great will
throng about you. But now and then
your delightful memories will be not un-
pleasantly broken in upon by the appear
ance of some shriveled old man, often
flaming red.
You will find these venerable old fellows
in red, who become more frequent as you
near the hospital, either moody. contem-
plative and contemptuous, with the cor
| ners of their mouths drawn in deep lines
| and their puffy lower lips in a sort of end
less tremulous activity of scornful repair
tee or objurgation, or with bright, pop
eyed looks of garrulousness and good
greeting. All have pipes in their mouths,
and all hold them there with a ferocious
kind of grasp, as though whatever else
they might lose, the pipe was the one good
friend of old that should never be torn
from them without mighty struggle.
Many an odd little study you will find
among these oantankerous past age heroes
in the quiet streets of Chelsea. Chelsea
would hardly be Chelsea without them.
Struggling along its thoroughfares, sitting
bent and silent on sunny benches, leaning
against fountains, vases and statues, rest
| ing as composedly as house owners on
house steps and vestibules, or stumping
| along with orders to this and that servant,
as if long habit had given them acquired
| supervisory rights over the affairs of resi-
dents, they irresistibly suggest bevy of
croaking cockatoos turned lose in park and
garden, each one harping upon some fau-
| cied grievance or delight.
| Many are the snug little public houses
hard by, worse luck to the British citizen
and pensionerl and you will find it easy
enough to make friendships with these old
fellows, who have little to do and much tc
remember while awaiting the last lone
muster. 1t would be sorely ungracious IL
you not to cement an acquaintauceship oi
this sort with little purchase of "backy'
and several purchases of 'four ale," ever
4 - -
home. Thus you will learn msrvelou
things of British valor sheld, all, of course
in the old days when, different than now
fighting was fighting indeed. You viii
secure a willing aud taleful guide to Chel
sea hos1ital. And above all you will learl
how British pensioners pride in his owl
| and his country's achievements may b
mingled, in the same breath, with his owl
everlasting discomfort and contempt.
You will find Chelsea hospital a darl
and imposing structure, possessing tha
builder, Sir Christopher Wren, gave as
marked characteristic to all his architect
} ural creations. Indeed one may well sa
Wren seems to stare at you from out th
facades of all great London buildings
But the grounds are wide and ample, an
the noblest trees in London eyerywher
J flank the fine old building, far enous
3 away to give floods of sunshine in th
courts and large parade grounds betwee
the hospital and the Thames embankmen
The building comprises three huge court
the largest facing the south, the Thsms
= and the masses of foliage of Batterse
Park, across the river.
The wings of the great southern coul
are three hundred and sixty-five feet lons
b and are forty feet wide. In these a
found the pensioners wards. Each one
!, about two hundred feet in length Twel
ty-six compartments are situated on eac
y side of division partition running slor
Q the center of each ward. These partition