The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-04


me more than TO be thought the hero of my
rhymes and stories. and the bIaeker the
character the better liked 1t.
f0u may have noted as you read this
screrd that Mr.. Winter found the wreath
on column. not on the wall where | had
placed it. This is because the old church
was torn down and rebuilt few years after
the controversy about the wreath. And so
you may say with truth that a lady in San
Francisco rebuilt the Church of st. James
at Hucknall Torkard and restored the
tomb Of Lord Byron by sending bay
wreath TO hang above the poets dust.
10 be exact. the church has been both re-
built and enlarged since the wreath was
hrst hung there In 1870; rebuilt in 1873 and
enlarged IN 1887. And let us note one thing
here for the instruction Of these who mag
Inc that the Old World. so far as this part
OF England goes, is dying out The popula-
ton oil that town in 1871 was 1000; IN 1887,
when the Duke OF Portland laid the corner
stone Tor the extension, the population was
120O0. Few Western towns have been built
up faster The exact facts about the increase
or population and need of extension were
brought out In answering fierce attack OF
the Saturday Review. which had desig-
nated tile proposed enlargement as van
dalsm.''
II was curious to note In the list of SUBJ
scrlbers for the extension fund. which was
sent to me, the name of the Duke of Port
land down for $4,000 Why curious? Well.
tHC OukS gOI us vast cOal HetuS anu cuu-
less fortune of ''the wicked Lord Byron,
who had killed his coachman and was SEN
fenced to be hanged for it, from this same
fiery Byron. This. of course, was some
generations back, but clearly not forgotten
by his Grace. Among the subscribers for
the rebuilding or extension did not see the
name of Musters, or any OF the descendants
OIL Jack MusteTs, who married ByrOn's Mary
Chaworth, the ocean to the river of his
house."
Annersly Hall, however, where Byron sat
at her feet, is not so far away from the dust
OF the great dead as is his own NeHstead.
The grounds OF Annersly Hall are exactly
as described in The Dream"-the fields of
waving corn, the abodes of men, and all.
The "long prOmontory crowned with oaks"
Is sholn of its diadem now, and rabbits
burrow there In grove OF pines; the sue
eessful rival having cut down the oaks, men
say, out Of diSpleasure at their mention In
that immortal poem.
The Musters fought in the Crimea as well
as the present owner of Newstead, and on
the highest point of the "long promontory"
stands a short but massive piece of granite,
with the one word, "Inkerman."
Jack Musters. you may know, took Mary
Chaworth to Colwick Hall, near Noting
ham. some time after marriage, where she
finally died most sad dea I'll at the hands of
a mob. This mob burned Nottingham
Castle, sacked Colwick Hall. and Mary Cha
worth Musters, escaping after some injury
and terrible fright, was found by her
friends dying under a hedge After that
the Musters went back to Anaersly Hall,
where they still live. dear, delightful
place! Here or the wall hangs the rusty
old sword with which one of the Lords
Byron killed a Musters. Byron speaks in
one of his letters to Moore OF healing this
old feud and also healing his crippled for
tunes by the possible marriage with Mary
ChawOrth.
l went 10 county fair with the Newstead
carriage full Of sweet young girls from New
stead and Annersly Hall one warm summer
day, and they chartered like birds. But l.
of course, could only think of Byron and
Mary Chaworth.
was once shown q small picture of Mary.
pain ted when she was but a girl, and she must
have been very beautiful--short, oval face
short, black hair in heavy curis about low,
wide brow. and rich, full lips. 1t reminded
ne very much of Anna Dickinson long
ago. Along with this small picture Of
Mary Chaworth at Amnesty Hall is kept
short poem by Byron. 1t is written with a
peneil-what cramped and weary hand he
wrote! and begins: Hills of Annersly,
Dleak and barrenl"
1 ought not to close this little sketch with
out first saying that Lord Byron is as en-.
tireiy loved and respected by an ever-in-
creasing number of good English people as
he was once hated and misunderstood. Nor
should willingly let it be taken for granted
nn11 Ho was csei entiieiy without iIienus.
Take for example his feliOw-student
at Harrow, Colonel WiIdman, who
bought Newsiead of Byron when
the poet could no longer held il.
Why, Colonel Wildman spent $4,000
on the three little rooms-called the
haunted rooms-in which Byron lived when
in the abbey, and which are mine when
there. All that lie could buy, far or near.
that once belonged TO Byron he bought
at any price and placed there. His
dog. boatswain's color, his boxer jack
sons gloves-all are there in those three
little rooms at the top of the abbey,
and the present 0wners-pardon the omis-
sion OF their names, for they still live, are
English, and have an honest English horror
OF public mention--have done and continue
10 do quite as much 10 keep sacred before
the world the memory of the noblest, bray-
est and purest poet in the heart OF honest
old England. JOAQUIN MILLER