Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-20


matted rock
A maze of lily cobbled streets with
narrow pavements crowd toward the
these are dreamful inns; dark book
shops where bargains which would do
credit to London East End dickerics are
made with lads for schoolbooks old and
new; few pert diapers stores; as many
jewellers and music dealers, and the
print shops Of the cathedral
town where sad eyed old folk, who
seem to have been left over from Rufus
time, doze over dusty cathedral views;
and any number of sweets" stalls, with
endless temptings to the college lads
palate and purse.
The latter are all half houses and
shops. A bell like lire gong announces
yourentrance. Four generations of serv-
ers are in waiting. Old, old men remind
ing one of Little Ncll's" grandfather
are perched i'll dark, platformcd corners
on carved old chairs Of state. y daugh-
ter, nearly MS old, appears with rush
from the living rooms, as though long
and varied skirmishcs with solemn WIS.,
aged but ingenious youths had made her
alert for device or reprisal. A still
younger matron, perhaps widow, is
pothering among the boxes and shelves;
and prim, peachy and prudent, Il young
miss, conscious of her value as trade
magnet, where there are half Il thousand
lads to know pretty face when they
see it, comes out of the half lights, a
radiant, wheedling presence. In every
one of these bystreet shops the shillings
and pence of the Wykehum lads are the
entire quarry; and everything dear to q
boys heart, from cricket bat to lcaden
"pasties,' comprise the stock in trade.
Queer old shopkcepcrs all, are they;
quaint as from the last century picture
books, and they still keep the coin of
the realm in leatherll bags, and test sus-
picious sixpcnces and threc-penny bits
with their teeth, here in Winchester.
Again the ancient city is given color
and interest to the stranger by the pres
ence at all times, US in all English pro-
vinclal towns Or sleepy old cathedral
cities, of sturdy country folk from
roundabout. 1t is as though fair or u
market had just been held or was about
to open. Heavy iowed stock buyers
are here. Frocked yeomcn look Won
dcrinsly into little shop windows as
though they held the marvels Of Regent
street or the Strand. Shocked louis
from near hamlets dawdle about the
streets, snappy eyed farmers wives have
come, and best Of all there are bcyies of
countryside iasses with all the radiance
Of English roses in their flaming, peachy
checks.
In and out of this motley crowd glide
the clicked masters, gently pass deans
and dcaCons, dart the bright-faced
Wykcham boys, or prance the military;
for Winchester is not only cathedral
town, "A college town, and the London
Of Wiltshire for all its thriving country
folk and farmers, but it is one of the i'm.
portant military centres Of England, be.
ing about equidistant from Aldershot
its greatest military station, and Ports.
mouth, its greatest naval station. 1t is
especially station for recruits, depot
for ten regiments. Four are of rifles
called the Kings Royal Rifles, four from
| rifle brigade, called the Prince Consort's
| Own, while two are the Thirty-seventh
and Sixty Territorial Troops
Recruits are constantly arriving, and as
constantly being drafted into service al
Al the different stations in England and tc
7 the distant commands in South America
Africa and India.
The building now used rs barracks a
| Winchester was originally intended fol
y palace by Charles H., who built it fol
Nell Gwynne, with whom he lived a
| Winchester, but Charles died before thu
palace was finished. When the kin!
brought pretty Nell" to Wincheste
lie begged Ken, then dignitary in til,
cathedral and afterward known a
Bishop Ken, to accept the fair orang,
girl as his guest at his house in TIL
cathedral close, but he pcremptorily re
fused, So the king was Obliged to tax,
lodgings for Nell in st. Peter street
Charles, however, showed no resent
ment to Ken, but after promoted hin
TO be Bishop of Wells.
The gray old mass of college build
ings is reached through the close along
side the cathedral, thence passing int
College street under the archway of 81
Swithin's church. The outer gate open
directly into a quadrangle, on the cas-
side of which is the warden's residence
from this, through another gateway
called "middle gate" above which i
election chamber" the great quad
rangle is entered. Here the whole of tn
principal offices form one length 0
about 100 feet. The southern side
formed by the chapel and hall, and tn
western side chiefly by the kitchen. Be
meath the hall, adjoining the great ha
staircase is passage called sevent
chamoef passage. ms leads INTO
lesser quadrangle known as "Schoc
Court @...-
On the south side of this is the schoo
and the chapel cloisters extend along til
eastern side. At the western side al
the buildings Of the 'commoners