The record-union., 1894-12-05
4 SACRAMENTO GIRL TN ENGLAND.
Her Description of Some Interesting
Historical Spots.
Visit to the House in Which Shakes
peare Was Born-Warwick Cas-
tie and Other Noted Spots.

The following letter to DIR. T. NJ.
Shields from his daughter Grace, who has
spent the summer in Europe, contains
many things of interest. The letter was
written on November 24th, after Miss
Shields arrived on this side of the At
lantic:
Jfy, Dear Father: You are probably
wondering where we are and if we have
landed in America. [ hardly know
where to begin, but shall try to give you
an IDEA OF our travels from the time we left
London, which was on the 9th Of Octo-
ber.
We first visited Oxford, whose ancient
colleges are celebrated all over the world.
Some look as if they had stood seven
or eight hundred years. AS it was the
vacation season quietness pervaded the
streets, and the colleges and grounds,
winch at other times teem with the life of
three thousand students, were deserted.
we had an opportunity TO ramble at Ieis-
ure wherever we wished, and one even
ing attended chapel services in Christ's
Church, which was founded in 1925.
Magdalene College, beautifully situated
on the banks of the Tweed, has a charm
ing avenue called "Addison's Walk" the
1aVorite resort of that famous author
when studying there st. Mary's Chapel
is the university church, and university
sermons are preached Sunday morning
and afternoon. Beside the twenty one
colleges, there are other places Of interest
AD and around Oxford.
An hours ride takes us to Leaning
ton, fashionable watering-pIace on the
Lean River, tributary of the Avon.
There are noted mineral springs here,
but not much of interest to detain the
slght-seer. However, we make this our
starting point for trips to places OF more
historic note.
One
Strat1ord-on-Avon, an interesting coun-
Try town Of $500 inhabitants. We went
directly to the church OF the Holy Trim
1ty, an edifice of the fifteenth century.
dere are the remains of Shakespeare,
and close by are those of his wife Anne
hathaway. A bust of Shakespeare, with
quill pen in his hand, is pointed out to
the visitor; and above, the stained-glass
window presented by Americans. The
font in which Shakespeare was chris
tened, the old chain Bible. together with
the registers containing the entries of his
baptism and funeral, are very interesting.
We visited the house in which Shake
speare was born. 1t has been recently re-
stored, but the framework is the same
1t Is like the pictures | used to see in my
schoolbooks. When studying them L
little thought / should ever stand in that
little chamber where the greatest poet
was born. The room is said to be the
same as during the poets lifetime and is
on the first floor, facing the street The
walls and ceiling are covered with names,
and on the window is v alter Scotjs sig
nature, scratched with his diamond-ring;
also, the names of Byron, Thackeray,
TennysOn and Dickens.
The next room is where his father kept
wool. 1t contains an old portrait of the
poet, which is kept in a fireprooT case
The kitchen has the original stone floor.
The museum contains relics of the Doet-
~ nANTrl mr. mo e,/Nf
some Of his works; the only known en-
velope addressed to him; the desk which
he used at school, also his signet ring;
goblet made from piece OF his pear tree:
small iron safe III the shape of a trunk, in
which he kept his will: facsimile of The
house and paintings Of the house; also
Anne Hathaway's cottage. In the rear Of
the house IS garden, in which is cuIti-
waited all the flowers spoken of in his
works.
We visited Warwick Castle, said to
have been founded about a thousand
years ago by daughter of Alfred the
Great. Like other castles, 1t is built on a
rock, and It's surroundings are beautiful
The outlook upon the Avon and the
picturesque mill was enjoyed almost as
much as the rooms containing the an
cient furniture and armor and the his
toric relics of the days gone by. The
rooms were elegant, the walls being of
silk tapestry and the ceilings painted to
match There were many paintings by
well-known artists. some of them being:
"a Portrait of Charles t." on horseback,
by Van Dyck; card Players" Teniers;
Napoleon" by Rubens, and Laughing
Boy" by MuriIlo. St. Mary's Church,
in the town Of Warwick, contains the
tomb Of the founder, Richard Beau
champ. considered the finest tomb in
England next to that Of Henry VII. in
London.
We spent day in Chester which is a
walled city, and contains the remains of
a Roman camp. The cathedral is very
interesting. Part OF it is said to have
been built in the seventh century. The
stained-glass windows are modern. The
rows are peculiar-tbe ceiling of the
ground floor forms the footpath, while
the roof is formed by the stones above
We went by boat up the River Dee to
Eaton Hall, the home OF the Duke of
Westminster. The house is magnificent
and beautifully fitted up. The deer park
and gardens are very fine.
We next went to Liverpool to Join the
rest of our party, and were glad when the
Etruria left British shores and we were
homeward bound. Alter stormy yoy-
age we landed i'll New York at S:l5 p. NJ.
on Saturday, the 9th of October, our boat
having crossed in six days, eight hours
and tifty-one minutes. Having landed
in New York. l will say good night for
the present.