Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-15

k in plain sealed envsloPo n de.
81 sional confidence. NO CO.p;
ce-tion nor impositiOn oil any nature. n -"
tonsI renuiation lacks this Offer. Address
Erie Medical Co. Buffalo, H'f'
prsck was facile pr.nceps among them
md was foremost with jest ana repartee
0uring the entertainment. AggressNeiy
Scottish in his sentiments, he railieo ms
host for backsliding. laughingly chaI ,i,
ferlzed his acknowledgement paruanty
for things American as waving lne pan
ner." and capped the climax ny duDOins
him the "star-Spangled Scotchman."
qbe drive from "Charing Cross TO lifra-
cornbo" via Guildford, Winchester
Salisbury. SherbOurne, Exeter, ETC.
through one OF the most interesting parts
Of England was made doubtly interesting
NV Blacks "reminiscences and by MS never
Tagging spirits. Although thoroughly IA
mlHar with the country he eYinced az,
the interest Of C stranger In the sloi ieu
landscape, and greeted each historic si'o
with the enthusiasm OF schooipoy. ~
was natural he drew special atteh'lol
TO the sites made famous through nv i'i'
associations. and I'm that he was AMY Sc
conded bv Matthew Arnold. who, WIN MS
family. had Joined the party at CONAN.
Now our attention was called 10 NlOOi
park where Swift wrote the "BattIe Ol
the Books" and "The Tale OF Iuo
now TO the Jolly Farmer Inn' assoc!alsu
with the early life Of William CopDet',
ana now TO The tomb Of the Immortal
fisherman, who sleeps his last steep III
Prior Silkstede's chapel, IN WlhcAts'S-
Cathedral This was the country Hi@ue a
familiar by Thomas Hardy; this t .i
sacred TO the memory Of Sir Phihp Sla-
al IA
the scenes crowded with memories OF
"Anvas Leigh" and Of Lorna boone
while Black and Arnold expatiated on
each site of literary or historic i".erest'
Edwin Abbey. whom Black lovingly call
ed the boy" and "the youth, amused
himself with the ladies Of the party by
sketching hasty bits which appealed 10
his artistic eye And so we rolled on
through the land. a happy company Oh
a dozen or more, for we had several reiayS
Of guests en- route, some or the party me
ing unable on account Of business oil
other ENGAGEMENTS 10 make the entire
Journey. Among those whom all were
sorry to lose was Samuel storey Member
Of Parliament for Sunderland, who was
summoned back by q telegram from OKe-
hampton to his seat i'm the House OF
Commons by the Liberal whip on account
of bad news from Gordon in Khartoum.
our experiences, of course, brought up
many "reminiscences Of the strange Al
ventures Of a Phaeton." and We We're let
into some Of the secrets Of "Nolande,
then just published, which we were told
to pronounce "Yolawnde." Ii Is probable
that the first idea Of the Strange Al
ventures Of a Houseboat" was conceived
on this jaunt. for We saw many Oh THESE
peripatetic houses on the Thames on the
! nd subject
freely discussed afterward Black had
critical eye for old furniture and bric-a-
brac. and was never tired Of nous 3
around old shops in the towns thro u
which we passed in hope Of picking up
some rarity to add to his already large
and interesting collection at pastor
House, Brighton, ono Of his three homes,
/ for he kept also rooms in London, and
had q summer house at Oban, the centre
| Of his Yachting experiences. He bought
in the curiosity shops in Salisbury, which
| he explored one evening In company with
the boy" and myself, some so worth
| of old furniture, china, and ornaments
which no ordered sent to his rooms ID
| London. He was an expert in MS JuuB-
ment Of furniture, and | remember MS
getting down on his knees to examine the
interior of an apparently worm-eaten
| u,
the earmarks Of antiquity, but which was
| finally pronounced by him to be an eX-
cellent modern imitation.
Blacks rooms in London, in Bucking-
ham street, Strand overlooking the
Thames embankment, are historic, nav
ing been occupied by many prominent
persons. among them, If we may trust
tablet on the front Of the building, Peter
the Great In later days they were the
home for a time of Charles Dickens. III
a note before me, written after our re-
turn to London and addressed TO Mr.
Carnegie. whose guest ] was, BlacF
writes concerning them
'If YOU would like TO see the rooms tha'
Dickens occupied when he was a gallery
reporter. and IN which David CopperhelC
(absit omen) got rather confused pelor'
going to the theatre with Steerforth, vii
vop and Mir. Champlain come along oil
Thursday evg. next, at ESQ morninl
dress). and eat a humble chop with tn
: Missis and me, as a prelude TO going L
see the other Claudian? ! hope you ar
/ disengaged and my wife is now wrltin
3 to the youth Abbey, to see If he Is also.
The "other Claudian" was Wilson Bar
D rett who had just then made success o
5 his "Claudian." and had kindly sent u
5 an invitation 10 occupy box at the Flln
: cess's Theatre and to visit him atter IN
4 play I'm the green room. The youth Al
:. bey'' failed 10 materialize, but the rest Q
r the party were glad to accept the sun
e mons TO the humble chop" which IN
9 initiated always understood TO mea
e something unique II not elaborate Black
70 rooms were up two long flights Of stair
@ which we mounted without eXperiencin
any of the sensations of David Copper
4 field IN descending them. At the landln
a az the top Of the first fight we were II
5 ceived with shouts Of laughter by NV
> prettv children. a girl and Il boy VIII
: polnted gleefully to a placard on the wal
u inscribed "Half-Way House" and II
p yited US to partake Of refreshments, Hell
: Offering champagne and Ganymede ging'
e ale. As we concluded not 20 initial
Dickens's hero, we took the children
the hand and went up the remainir
flight. where we were received by OF
hosts with the cordial greeting given
all admitted 10 their hospitality.
Black was a connoisseur in wines. e
y pecially champagnes, OF which he laid
a large stock yearly, carefully selected
France He seldom drank anything els
and would take considerable pains to m
n a particular brand. l remember taking
S long walk with him one night TO the f1ei
S ing Club in COyent Garden, where he sa
i champagne of a special year was To
q had. Another hobby OF his was cigars,
h which he kept a sideboard full, and ha'
= known him TO offer a guest choice
Il fifteen or twenty kinds. He was, in eve
e respect. a good liver, who enjoyed III
n and who got the most out of It, His lar
e dinners, given usually at the Reform Gu
G we're quite cosmopolitan in character. !
h Guiding men OF all shades OF opinio
4 I I.ttx To- In m