Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-11
wAKRMAn,s wANDRHINGs.


Odd Incidents of Foreign Travel and
Observation-An Abbey Tomb he.
side the Songful Tweed-Havans
Cafes Memories OF valdemusa-
Sodden Contentment OF European
Peasantry-LowlyG Galician shrines
-GIImpses OF Continental Railroad
Travel-Across the Island OF Cuba.
LONDON, Feb. %.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
If Melrose Abbey, the Mecca of all
American tourists in Scotland, furnishes
examples of art nearly as bewitching as
the most delicate expressions of nature It.
self, Dryburgh Abbsy, but four miles dis
tant down the Tweed, holds and fAscInates
the wsnderer with far more tender and
subtle charm. The founding of Dryburgh
Is of remotsr antiquity than even that of
the original Culdee house of Old Melrose.
Before the advent of Christian mission
aries the place was resorted to by the Dru-
ids for the celebration of their mystic rites
As Darachbrsuch or burgh, "the bank
clustsr of sacred oaks" Dryburgh's Celtic
name, implies. Modan, Culdee presby-
ter, set up the first Christian establish
ment of Dryburgh in 522. For six hun
dred and twenty eight years thereafter Its
history is Insignificant. The monks from
Alnwick, under the patronage of Sir Hugh
de Morville, constable of Scotland under
King David l., founded here a Premons-
tratentian Abbey of splendid dimensions.
This was burned along with Melrose Alb
hey by Edward IL, and restored by aid
granted by King Robert the Bruce.
Twice, in 1885 and In 1864, 1t was pill
lagsd and devastated by the English. The
reformation of doughty John Knox, six
teen years later, did the rest. Ths ruins
of Drybursh Abbey show that the. walls
of the completed edifcs stood on different
levels, and that the structure illustrated at
least four different styles of architecture.
This is seen in the maesive Roman arch
with Its ample, square sides; the deep
splayed and always impressive Saxon arch;
and the early English pointed arch. The
church was originally in the form of
cross with short transepts, and q small
but e1quisitely decorated choir, while the
interior was divided by light and graceful
colonnades into q central space and eide
aisles
Of the transepts portion of but one,
standing; but there is q no moro beautiful
specimen of the early Gothic to be found
in Scotland than is this, the solemn and
secluded burisl.plsce of Scotis's greatest
minstrel, the noble author of "Waverly" !"
The chapter houss,g tiny chapel of st.
Modsn, and Norman arch which formed
the western doorway, are Jet standing. A
stately yew, over eight hundred years old I,
casts its somber shade upon the lawn, op-
posite where once the abbots sat at their
easements, to mock the huge pile of stone
as 1t crumbles into the earth.
You feel more than you can see at Dry
burgh. The whole place is instinct with
repose. The horizon Is close, not = half
mile away in any direction. L. is fringed
with the boushs and verdure Of shelter
ing trees, save where, far to the fouth,
the weird Eilaon hills Of wizard renown
into the sunny copss. The Twesd, NOV
ing in silence for miles above, circling
here sweeps wide and grandly over glesm-
ing shadows, and sings its endless song
Just ct the edge of the olden Abbsy
grounds.
You come to the place through hushed
and silent avenue, ankle deep in the spring
time with hawthorn blossoms white "a
snow. In the grazing days the place is
filled by the browns and puces of rustling
drift from the beach, elm and sycamore.
Only the lodge keepers hsbitation reminds
of earthly activities. Nature alone holds
sway. Bloom and birds, grasses and vines.
odor and song, russet walls and emerald
masses of moss, oriels of ivy, fllets of
vines, pointed srches of roses, towers of
trees leaping from the old walls them
selves, reach the eye and sense tenderly,
slumbsroualy, pul.ing with hush and
balm.
Mslrose exslts Dryburgh soothes
The entire spot is ruin merged into Ely
stun, hallowed by one humble grave.
And so sweet and hushed Is all that even
your reverence for the ever, silent dissp-
pears; for you feel that your mighty
friend lies here az on the bosom of the
land he so loved and immortalized, and
that Scott only sleeps while sweetly all
nature-sonss to him are sung.
The cafes and fondas Tor eating houses,
for the latter are squally resorted toy are
the resting placss of the gay city Of Ha-
remarkable. They are all wide open 10
the street the year round. One fanciea
they are almost q part of II, as frequent.
| " more than one-half the cafe Is under
meath long, wide, huge-pillared porticos.
Here chatterinR crowds BY day and bril-.
liant crowds by night, under the fare Of
| lamps In great, century old metal frames,
| never cease cigarette smoking, gin and
wine drinking; although all liquors, how
ever frequently ordered, are used In
sparing quantities. And between the
ahrill cries of the dulceros or oonfectiou
peddlers, the hoarse opportunities of the
lottery ticket mobs, the ever-n minor mu.
sio of the wandering street minstrels
4 and the numberless sounds of q marvel.
ously gay but never brutal aud more
| than half oriental city life, the ecliek
click, clickl" of the universal aud never.
silent dominoes upon the marble tables
come TO you as an undertoned staccatc
OF myrisds Of unseen castinets.
If your own wandertngs ever lead you
to Gibraltar, to Barcelona or to Mar.
seilles upon the Mediterranean coast, dc
not fail to engage passage In one of the
pretty stsamer. which ply between thess
cities and the slumberous port OF Palma IN
the little Spanish isle of Majorica. 1t /,
quainter than Spain. more Moorish thar
Al2iers, and its pleasant folk arc the mos,
hospitable In all the world A visit TO Il.
half ruined ancient monastery of valde
musa and the Wild and marvellous north
coast scenery are alone worth q trip to th,
| island.
| With as magnificent and far more elias