The Portland daily press., 1897-06-26

Madam Eames in Lohengrin-St. Paul's
Cathedral-The Oldest Priory Church
in London-Crude Ideas About Ameri-
Windsor, May 80, 1897.
Our trip to Hampstead Heath gave us
such a delicious Whit of country air, that
late the following week we decided that
an excursion to Windsor was absolutely
essential to our health and happiness. We
are so pleased with our newly acquired
deliberation of movement, that we lose
no opportunity to put it in practice, and
with such telling effect on the day we
started for Windsor, that we reached
Paddington station ten minutes after the
express train had left, consequently had
half an hour to wait for the accommoda-
ton. How ffne,' cried Mrs. T. with
"Tapley MAN joviality, 'sby. losing
that quick train we can stop on the way,
and comfortably see Slough and Stoke
Pogis." The former is a pretty, though
unusual attraction to a stranger. It is
the church yard at Stoke Pogis, a drive
of two miles from Slough, which attracts
all tourists. The day was perfect, the sun
bright and warm without being too
warm. Our party drove in open landaus
through the lovely English country, the
road on both sides lined with trees on
which the new, tender shoots made deep
fringe of pale green foliage indescribably
beautiful while red and white hawthorns
filed the air with their sweetness. The
calm, the quietness Of that country
church yard only those can understand
who have been there. The verger allowed
us to gather some ivy, which grew be-
meath the spreading yew under whose
mothers tomb which inspired his death
less poem. We fingered reluctant to be
gone from such spot of restfulness and
Inspiration.
Arrived at Windsor, on leaving the
| station and walking short distance,
what was our surprise to see in front of
us the towers and battlements of Wind
sor Castle, and close to it's very walls the
markets and shops of the town. For
some unknown reason we had always
pictured to ourselves the Castle as situat-
ed in the very centre of Windsor Forest,
and completely surrounded by the ancient
trees, consequently our first sight of it
was something of disappointment, from
which we quickly recovered as we viewed
ageous point. "The pomp Of power" of
which one gains glimpse in the magnifi-
cent state apartments Of the Castle, did
not impress us half as deeply as standing
in the "Old Tower" where the "curfew
tolls the knell of parting day. as it did
for centuries, though the custom is now
discontinued. Formerly the bells were
rung whenever the Queen passed to and
from the Castle, but since the death of
the Prince Consort, they have been silent.
From the window we saw where the
wretched barber was hanged for criticising
King Henry VIII. marriage with Jane
Seymour; history must have erred as to
the sex of this unfortunate creature, for
no imam" was ever known to gossip-all
old, old stairs into the dark dungeons
that have been there since the time Of
Norman William, and saw where one
prisoner had tried, in vain, to cut his
way through to an underground passage,
and liberty; we gazed at thumb screws,
and other instruments of torture, till we
trembled. Dot and E. were locked in the
keeper, who was very communicative as
we were among the first American visit
ors of the season. tHave you never read
Ainsworth's Windsor Castle?'' he cried
in amazement. that's the book will tell
you all about this place." and he vigor-
ously slapped his own worn out volume.
Realizing as never before how much we
to secure copy Immediately. A very i'm
posing looking individual connected with
the Royal News showed us nearly one
hundred Of Victoria's horses, of every
color, the gray is her Majesty's favorite
hue. We enquired how many horses one
man cared for? ooh sometimes more,
sometimes less' was the reply, adding
''they don't throw money away ERE can
tell you, we're never hover manned but
h often rover 'orsed' 1t is only for one
day in year that visitors are allowed to
see the tomb of the Prince Consort but
the beautiful Albert Memorial chapel was
open and its decorations are superb. ST.
Georges chapel is filed with most inter-
estlng relics of past ages Here royal
children have been baptized, Princes and
Princesses Joined in marriage and here
mighty kings lie buried. The one object
in the chapel that held us spell bound was
the memorial to the Princess Charlotte
by whose untimely death at the age Of
nineteen Victoria inherited the throne.
A shrouded figure lies PROSTATE emblem
attic Of the earthly form of the Princess;
lowering above it in the air, seemingly
without support, and cut in almost flaw
less marble, is her glorified body. At the
four corners are yelled forms bowed with
grief, typifying the worlds sorrow at her
death. The afternoon sunlight streamed
through the stained windows and threw
a never-to- forgotten glory over the as
cending figure.
Although we have left London for
time, the spell is still upon US as we
write, and the manifold destinations, of
that great city are fresh in our minds.
The event SO far in the opera season has
brothers, Eames, Brema and Bispham
in ''Lohengrin, surely notable cast
The house was packed to the very dome,
cries of bravo" and repeated calls,
showing the regard in which the artists
were held. Eames made lovely Elsa
the-nart calls for hut little act;i np-and che