The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-15
IN MERRIE ENGLAND.
The K0tzschmar Party Touring that
Country.
A Visit to Old Oh ester and Oxford Univer
sity.

A Visit to Old Oh ester and Oxford Univer-
sity.
London, April 21-" Ladies', it is $50,
the rising bell will ring Immediately
We are at Liverpool and breakfast will
be served at 6.3O." All this was said on
Easter Monday morning by the obliging
stewardess on the Partisan, in a voice
which blended encouragement, persuasive
ness and command, in way wholly in
describable. But "what was Liverpool to
us OF we to Liverpool" The ship was
steady. and sleep the one thing desir-
able; but in waking doze, we realized
that shortly after seven the steamer would
move to her own dock; SO we made a
hasty toilet, and still more hasty break
fast and prepared for the grand scramble
of luggage claiming and inspection. All
our traps were in our stateroom, marked
with a big, big K, and our business as
we walked up the movable pier, which
rises and falls with the tide, was to dis
cover and claim said traps, which had
been removed to the inspectors room,
where the alphabet, in large pasteboard
letters is suspended above ones head, and
where all luggage is placed under the
letter with which it is marked. 1t takes
time and patience to drag out ones be-
longings, and the earnest, appealing way
in which we denied having cigars, tobac-
CO, or perfumery must have touched the
officers heart, for he simply unlocked
the steamer-trunk, lifted the tray, which
he at once replaced, and obligingly re-
locked the trunk, not even opening our
bags. Mr.. and Mrs. H., friends of one
of our party, met us with the greatest cor
diality, and showed us the sights; the
first of course being the docks, for which
we took the elevated electrics, riding
north and south by seven miles Of dock,
and forty of anchorage, something one
can see nowhere but in Liverpool. We
had Intentionally left our "rush" in
Portland, and were sauntering along with
what we considered proper English re-
pose. Suddenly the electric began to
move, and we were left on platform. Mr.
II. demonstrated with the guard, and
we were surprised to hear him say "hur-
ry up but it did sound homelike. Be
fore leaving home we were advised to
make ourselves familiar with English
money. We now realize the wisdom of
the advice. And here let us say, if there
is a woman in Maine who is expecting
to visit England, and is not familiar
with the currency of that country, if she
will invest SO in silver pieces-half
crowns, shillings, threepenny pieces, &c
--practicing every day for week Or
more, making change, and will accustom
herself to think lbs, shillings and pence,
we know that when she reaches this side
of the Atlantic we shall win her everlast-
ing gratitude for the suggestion. 1t was
a novel experience to mount the narrow
steps that lead to the top of the trans
primitive looking horse cars), but the
sights one sees from this elevation are far
more interesting than those obtained in
a carriage drive. Two street gamins,
recognizinAat once that we were daught-
ers of HUncle Sam followed the tram
turning sunmersaults and hand-springs,
hoping for cha penny" Easter Mon
day is Bank holiday, and also Primrose
day" Beaconsfeld's statue, fronting
st. Georges Hall, was covered from the
base of the pedestal nearly to the top;
wreaths and shields with appropriate in
scriptions being sent by different socie-
ties; while every man, woman and child
we met woge a bunch of the bright bios
SONS. When we attempted to see the
interior of St. Georges Hall we were
told it was closed to the public. 1--WE
have only one day in Liverpool, and have
Just come from America" we cried in
chorus. 'fUnder those circumstances,
&C. was the courteous response, and in
we went.
The very funniest things we saw in
Liverpool were the baby carriages; how
can we describe them! A little box SEEM
ingly just large enough to squeeze in
moderate sized infant; this is mounted
ON four wheels so close together they al
most overlap; the whole surmounted
with black leather cover; this affair is
propelled from the front, and so accus-
toned to the young Britishers become to
ILLS SbylC Vi lUCOlllOtlOu UllctU THROUGHOUT
life they prefer riding backward. At 215
in the afternoon we left Liverpool for
Chester. Can we ever forget our first
peep at English country out of the win
dow, Of our compartment. "Look at that
dear little church" cried W. "Did you
ever, ever see such green grass? and those
cunning lambs" almost shrieked E.
Fortunately -FOUR eight filled the COM
partrnent, and we were at liberty to act
like lunatics. We were so absorbed in
watching the lovely landscape and en-
toying the easy motion of the railway
carriage that before we had the least in
timation from the guard that our destina-
ton was near, we read Chester upon the
station. Eight sprang simultaneously
EEsEEA MHEA