Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-04
IN MERRY ENGLAND.
raul fRYa IS HAvlNe 4 GoOD TIME
The Amusing Features of British Social Lie. Pigrimages to the Historic Shfnes
 of London.
ro tlln AcClIerald:

To the Age Herald:
 London. July live have been r-v in '.merry England" almost long en to realize that we are actually on the other side of the pond" and long, long way from home; but there is so much of his toric value and associations to be seen that it keeps one busy going all the time' and too, the English people afford us a great deal of interest by their peculiar in- donations and "beg pardon so curiously and constantly said-in fact, they are wonderfully polite in the number of thank yous" they can say. It amuses us very much. Often they don't give us tims to show our appreciation by eJaculauhS .thank you" ahead of us, and climax was certainly reached when beggar who had received nothing said thank you" The English women, too, have been observed by us. and the enormity of their bangs occasioned quite a sur prise Nothing could be more extreme from our latest fashion of dressing the hair at home than these English styles, very bushy enormous bangs, that exteni down to the eyebrows: and then the chlS- non that has not been seen In our coull- try for so many years IS plhneu oh-, least we presumed it was, couldn make
 
 arranged otherwise, looking very mucn like another small head attached-and then a great big hat rests uncertainty between these two punches or hair' A young Englishman gave us glapiilc description of an English lady as to tie advancement of her hair on the Circa ssld' but it did not give us any adequate lded' so if we could not tell our American com ra,les in any other way the bang would distinguish them. We have admired their color and good compleXions, though they laughingly say Amerleans iook so pale to them as to appear like ihNdilus' However, we sometimes decide we pre- fer to be pale to having the ruddy scar let faces that we see, and the heaNy, luii face that somehow suggests the hedNS eater But speaking of eating, our cap tain says he is going to start an ice inan- ufactory for the benefit of Americans Tn :. London. It is pitiable the troupie We have getting ice water at the Westmln- ster Palace hotel, one of the nnest ln London. We were wonderfully lm- pressed by the perfect quiet Of the place just as serene and peaceful as one s own home. Now, the Englishman says he pre- fers our American hotels, with their bus tie and life, but I believe the difference in the two rests entirely with the ab- sepce Of the ''bell boy" and the clicking Of pitchers of ice water. Here we nave maids that attend to your wants quiet IVY y, the whitest of little caps on their heads and strings waving down their backs, but their attention cannot compare with the felicity experienced when you ring twice" and negro boy flies to your door with a pitcher full of ice water In your room is carffe, with glass on top, and this is supposed to be all any mortal could desire, and good old glass of lemonade they know nothing about. except as they Vainly approach 1t Tn 4'lemon squash" But when it comes to English architecture l am forced to add my small tribute of praise and admira- tion. l have been agreeably surprised In the architecture here. There is something so stoid, so substantial and enduring in it all Somewhat monotonous at first when we remember the varied tints and newness of our own houses. But 1t is very like the English character and al- though there are many, many places of interest that bear the date of the last ten or fifteen years, still there is nothing new about it. All is old and massive and big and plain, lacking much of the grace of our own architecture. But then l like this best in many respects. Then there seems to be something in the foggy atmosphere of London that darkens and mellows the buildings as with the frosty finger of time and to me enhances the beauty and appearance tenfold. The English themselves do net know why the upper part of St. Paufs cathedral and !, of the abbeyter are so much lighter than , the lower dark mellow color. William Winter says that the American who visits London for the first time half eX- poets to find the ancient city in state of mild decay; and consequently IS lit tie startled at first upon realizing that the present is quite as vital as ever the past was, and it is quite true. l ma l harass my own soul trying to sever ana stinguish the old from the new, the ancient from the modern. We went early one morning to visit the houses of par liament It amuses me to note the gaze of astonishment and placid rapture on many an eager upturned face as they en- fer the queens robing room-with some thing of the feeling depicted that they are really in the presence or royaity itself I fear l am too true an Amerlcdh to be even daunted by the actual presence of the queen herself, unless 1t were ln- deed a matter of curiosity, of which nossess an abundance. The decorations, though. of these rooms are magnificent Tn the queens robing room the chief . feature Is the frescoe paintings py MT Dvce. representing. virtues Of chiValry, the subjects being taken lroii the legend of King Arthur.
 Next comes the Royal or Victoria gal le,v and it is interesting to watch eacn one of our party first pay court lo tie particular king or queen that mas dp- pealed to individual sentiment or 1ancy, or held the directions py soiie peeuii'i characteristic. ...., ,,
 The House of Peers is sumptuously dec orated in the richest Gothic style the twelve fine stained glass windows con tain pbrtraits of all the kings and queens of England since the conquest, and the bandsome walls are decorated with heraldic and other emblems, and the cele- brated woolsack of the-lord chanceiloi' d kind of cushioned ottoman stands Tn the front of the throne. On the walls are statues of the barons who eXtorted tne Maena charta from King John. The gilded throne of the queen Is mag hut far more impressive to us was the house of commons. A cramped and ap- narently small room in comparison 10 oui own house in Washington; The walls ,saat' are decorated with fitting emblems Of liberty and the statues of noted statesmen. re me these houses of parliament were very as interesting, and as we had gainea caIas .,i of admission regretted exceedingly the dissolution of parliament, as so greatly desired to see some of England great statesmen. ,
 Westminster hall is unique ana ln- teresting part of the building. IL IS one He, sY,t hn