St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-28
A r1ONTH IN NUREMBERG.
A Charming Letter from former st. Johns
bury Lady.

Through the kindness oil MISS Glines
we present to our readers letter from
Miss Laura Watson, former teacher in
the Academy. Miss Watson sends it as
a greeting and message to her st. Johns
bury friends.
A month in Nuremberg is boon not
granted to the fitting tourist. The
claims of the great capitals and the la
nous resorts must be satisfied before the
pleading voice from medieval walls and
towers can be heard and needed. But
whoever even pauses in this old Fran
CONAN town for only passing glimpse
of its picturesque features comes under
spell which will never be broken and car
ries away memories which will abide for
ever. Its historyis replete with accounts
of struggles and friendships with emper-
ors and electors; OF diets, sieges, and tax.
alton; oil industry, trade, and art. But
though its historic interest belongs to
the Middle Ages, there is no oppressive
sense of ruin and decay; but, rather. of
an unbounding present life and activity.
Nuremberg is entirely surrounded by
wall and moat which, in the days of pig
my warfare, must have sufficiently pro-
tected it's citizens; Tor we read OF terri
BILE sieges" which were successfully re-
sisted for many weeks. So carefully does
the city preserve its antiquities that no
imperfection is allowed in the wall which
now serves only as beautiful ornament
for the ancient town, and one would seek
in vain for a spot that needs repair.
Built OF brownish.gray stone, crowned
with red tiled towers and gables or into
the well-kept overhanging shrubbery OF
an age of peace, it satisfies the love OF
the picturesque and is vocal with stories
of an historic past. The moat below is
but long and narrow winding park,
the city promenade. Luxuriant shrub
berry and the greenest turf soften and
beautify it; for no richer soil can be
found in Europe than that in the bottom
of old meats. AS in Venice, when other
pleasures fail, one floats aimlessly about
in gondola. and in Rome drives dream
lily across the Campagna; so in Nurem-
berg, when other joys are exhausted, one
finds ramble in the moat never fail
ing source Of delight.
Nuremberg architecture" is not a
meaningless expression; for surely no.
where else on earth has the builder
fancy given itself up to such soaring
flights in gabled roofs that vie in lofti-
ness with the neighboring church spires,
in oriel windows, balconies, towers and
pinacles, in endless variety Of form and
detail. III Eber's novel, "Margery, a
Tale of Old Nuremberg" we read that
the heroines house was so narrow and
so high that "in it there was no going to
and fro, but only up and down." and
this may well be true of the homes o
modern as of mediaevaI heroines; fol
whenever new structure is to replac,
an old home, it is built in the same sky
reaching style, with the same pointed
roof, with upward stretching gables ant
with the same bewildering confusion o
pinacles and oriels.
Indeed, reverence for the historic
whether in life or art, is characteristic o
the Nuremberger today, and the endeav
or to preserve, perpetuate and reproduce
whatever was best in the thoughts ant
methods of the past is an energizing mo
tive in the efforts Of the present. 1t i
this which makes this beautiful city, a
no other in the land, an epitome of me
di@val Germany, in it's outward aspect
and in it's spirit of art and toll and it i
this which makes it sometimes Difficult
to distinguish between the works of tn
artist of past centuries and the works c
the artisan of today, so loyal is the spirit
so consummate the imitation.
The visitor who would see Nurember
face to face and heart to heart shout
compass its walls in the first afternoo
stroll. On the highest elevation in til
, town the old castle whose foundation
were laid "in gray antiquity" invites t
explorations OF towers, courts and stat,
ly halls mot ruined, but so perfect
renewed in ancient manner that til
Emperor and Empress think themselvt
royalty honored when they take up the
quarters there. The churches of st. LIZ
! renzo and st. Sebald are beautiful exam
, Piles OF ornate Gothic-worth coming ia
r to see-with their deliberately sculpture
, portals, soaring towers and rare oil
painted windows of such splendor tha
their equal can hardly be found elsewhel
in Europe. The old Town Hall with il
great council chamber is haunted wit
memories OF those majestic councils whe
i stately patrician and honorable burght
e met together to brood over their reli
tions with their emperor or to fran
treaties Of commerce with Venice an
Genoa. The home OF Albert Durer, I'll
c great painter, must be visited, and the
, one should leave the city walls benin
r. ~