Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-10-08
wAKEMAN,s wANDEHINGs.

The Finest aud Most Richly
Stocked Garden In the World.
LONDON, Sept. &c.
To the Editoro Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
"Hus is downtrod, the Lord knows, but
hus 'as our regular houtings, cheap enough
to get to, and wariouser than can be named
in jiffy."
Thus spoke hearty London stoker, who
sat beside me on top of a fourpenny Ham
mersmith bus Along with him were his
buxon wife and four red checked children.
1t was early of Saturday afternoon, and
there WAS not happier family, "down-
trod" or otherwise, in all London.
'My missus 'ere," proudly clapping his
huge hand on his wife's abundant knees,
AN Hi an the young uns be goin Ger to
Kew. Missus loikes Were she can plunk
'erser fiat T. grass, tho Hi allus says, 'Pol,
grass an rheumatic grows tgether,' an the
young uns romps an gallops like mad. Hi
ssys, Pol. them young uns'll waste their
sells to bone from 'oppin an steamipg
round Kew. But Pol says back to me.
Scat, Handrew, hit makes 'em sleep like
haldsrmen and heat like paupers,' an SO
Kew hit is if it takes my last bob for hour
houting. Been to Kew, siri"
No, had not, but should be glad to
see the gardens, told him.
"W'y, Lord bless husl come right long
WI hus. Hit'll do ye good, sir"
And so it did, for kept in the delight
full company of the ''downtrod" all the
way out on the pleasant journey, returned
to the city with them, and never lost sight
of them until the blazing evening lights of
the winding Strand shone on the tired
family safely ensconced on the deck of q
Whitechapel bus, which whirled them
away to their lowly home in that worlds
foulest slavepen-tne east end of mighty
| London.
1t is an interesting little journey by un
dergrouud railway, by river or BY road to
Royal Kew. Interesting below ground foI
the glimpses of the folk who live down
there in the bowels of the earth-statior
masters, porters, news clerks and bar
maids-out of whose faces, like the Corn
ish miners the light and color have gone
and who move about in a desolate, dis
coursged way, as though hopeless prison
ers there. You read pathos and heartach'
all along under these foul underground
waya; breathe prayer that our citie
shall never know them; and wish yoI
conld whisk all these white faced toiler
with "Handrew" and the young uns" fo
a romp about the lovely gardens of Kew
| A Thousand historic places and lordl.
structures are passed should you go b,
boat upon the Thames. 1t is not onl.
these and the vast throng of craft you se
from your steamers side. bat you recall
the royal PROFESSIONS of boat and barge o
| other days passing and repassing from
London to wondrous Hampton Court, ant
these bear you wrsithful company. Tn
whole stream is soundful with music
German bands, italian bands, Swiss bands
Hungarian bands and gypsy bands crow
these boats and give good music too
Swift are the steamers, and mighty wssl
is LETT behind them. while all the tin.
boats af1oat seem to dance and curvet II
your wake to the endless music OF tn
| Thames.
From the roof of your bus you sc
miles upon miles of the weslthiest part o
West London Here is Picsdilly, with 1t
aristocratic clubland on the right; Gree
Park and lordly Buckingham Palace are ol
the left; Hyde Park corner, Knightsbridge
| Albert Memorial Kensingtou Gardens
| Kensington, Holland Park, Olympia an
: Hammersmith follow, and then you com
to where the hedges. avenues and villa
hint of the restful cJuutry scenes OF Eng
land. Bright indeed is this road to KeT
through busy Hammersmith and drows
Chiswick, with its nursery grounds an
| !, r,l,a and fine IN
ket gardens crowded close by new houses
and dreamful Gunnersbury, where the al
\ | cient forests show in dark masses sgsins
| the horizon. There are lush orchards, tot
3 where the rich fruit dapples the fadin
| | leaves, and meadows wavy aud rich, whei
the late buttercups and daisies star tf
y tender green.
The old days are remembered more tha
i once on this winding highway-most SUI
I: gestively, perhaps, where on a new w re
brick wall is seen the inscription, "LoI
don Stile." Who that has read Dickens ,
Thackeray or Albert Smith (who barel
escaped being as great as either) does NJ
in fancy instantly live in the old coachir
:. DAYS and see disappearing to the west in
9 cloud of dust the "Flying Mail" or Il
+ "Wonder," OF with pathetic recognition r
member the country yokels resting on tn
- broad stile, the meantime murfching the
q crusts as they gazed down the Thames
# westminster's towers and S.. Pauls don
n and dream of the wondrous London stree
II all paved with shining goldi
And then the nossy bridges, with ste
= old fashioned pitch and broad, crumblil
u parapets, where rosy checked lasses st
le iinger and marvel as your bus goes ruI
bling by; gray turnstiles leading to brow
d deep footpaths that wind through gsrde
and fields, where some one, as in the O
~ days, always tarries and turns to gaze
a. paesers, gazing in their turn, as thou
- the two were the only ones seen in q wht
;. days journey; the gay but stolid looki
IA barges lying here and there In the bsc
water against the shore, and finally quai
old Kew green, where the years bring
sk change and where everything is so litt
ne odd and antiquated that you could feel
n! surprise if Farmer George and Que
n- Charlotte, with numbering caleche and
ut horses came dashing through the gates
Royal Kew.
About two hundred years ago Lord
81 pel laid out the garden which has since
- come not only one of London's most be