The Portland daily press., 1897-07-31
At OXFORD UNIVERSITY.
Strange Antics Of the Undergraduates
Commencement Week.
VISIT TO KENILWORTH AND WAR
WICK CASTLES.

Confusion of English Railway Systems -
Getting to Glasgow Under Diff1cu1ties-
A Brief Visit to the Lakes and Noun
tains of Northern England.
Especial Correspondence of the Press
Glasgow, July 5, 1S97.-It does not fall
to the lot of every tourist to reach Oxford
on "Commemoration Week. at which
time the founding of this ancient uni
versity is celebrated. The event of the
week was the comforting of degrees on a
number Of Colonial premiers, and one
New Yorker-Mr. Godkin When we
learned that Encaema this most charac-
teristic sight of Oxford was to occur on
the day following our arrival, we were
overjoyed, and the loveliest of June
mornings found us in good season before
Queens College awaiting the procession
which consisted of Dons and all the high
dignitaries wearing their black caps and
scarlet gowns The line o. march was to
the SheIdonian Theatre where the exer-
cises were held. Admission-"w without
money and without price '-could be OBJ
tanned only through friends. What posi-
BILE chance could two unknown American
women have, of securing the coveted
pieces Of cardboard? 1t was surely, in
our case, the wholly unexpected that
happened. We were looking and longing,
when from the crowd about us stepped a
young woman, stranger, and with
pleasant smile offered US a ticket which
she was unable to use! Gratitude nearly
rendered us speechless, but time was has
tening to midday and W. hastily entered
the theatre. There was scarcely time to
notice the lower gallery, filled with gaily
gowned young girls and their chaperones;
the upper, with rows of undergraduates;
and the floor densely packed with clergy
and fellows, before the organ peeled
forth, and the choir sang the National An
them as the mace bearers fled in. follow
ed by the line of candidates wearing the
red gown with deep pink sleeves, COM
bination of shades that only man smit-
ten with color blindness, could have CON
ceived. The gray bearded ce-chancel-
lor's address given in-what we presume
our amazement interrupted by cat-ca1ls,
cries of "don't gable so FAST where
does the laugh come imp etc., by the
students, and received with laughter and
applause by the audience; much of the
interest and all the impressiveness of the
exercises being thus destroyed. We were
told that this is the one day on which
the undergraduates have license, and that
really they were much more orderly than
usual, owing to the reprimand received
during the Prince of Wales visit in the
spring. To our unaecustomed ears it all
sounded most insulting, and the calm
ness and dignity with which those Pre-
miers from Australia, Africa and New
Zealand, bore such remarks as shit him
on the back "that is name, Sir George
Eastwood Lampman Goldiel where did
you get it?'' would have shamed and
silenced any but Oxford undergraduates,
At the close of the first half of the exer-
c1ses, still retaining the piece of paste
board W. left the hall, to give to e. her
share OF the sight, and at the door met
that young person on her way in, rejoic-
ing In having through the magical com
bination of a policeman and a sixpence'
obtained admission. The surprises of the
on our way to Merton College casually
glancing down side street we thought
WE. recognized familiar figure, we looked
again and in an instant were joyfully
shaking hands with a prominent Port
land minister the Rev. Mr.. Perkins, who
with his wife, had landed at Liverpool
only the previous day. and on whom we
afterward had the pleasure of calling, at
their hotel.
"Magdalen" with its tower and chapel
-venerated Addison Walk-the impress
i've grand quadrangle of Christ Church.
the ancient glory of New College-are not
for us to attempt to describe. The fine
dining hall and kitchen of Christ Church
were duly inspected, and much to our
'Meringues' which the chef
offered us lacked "classic' flavor as well
as vanilla. If any footsore and weary
traveller desiring few days in which to
recuperate, longs for the quiet of home
where beds are downy and the table 'ex-
cellent let such an one.seek,' Shakespeare
Inn at Warwick; it is all there, what
experience the pleasantest most com
Portable of landladies-Mrs. Hunt--the
neatest and deftest of English maids to
attend to all material wants. Warwick
is the most convenient starting point for
all excursions, and the drives are dreams
of quiet beauty. The driver to secure
Zone who knows his Warwick and its en-
virons) is Tom Mortimer, and his most
intelligent animal. "Artful Dodger''
Indeed Miss ices THAI artful Won
wouldn't believe' and certainly the
dropping head and general air of woari
ness about the 'orse, never would have
suggested any quality so brisk. We ques
toned, after our drive were over, if 1lom
did not share with his servants in simple