The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-08-22

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leased by the fall of the glittering axe.
just outside, on Great Tower Hill, Is the
site Of the scaffold where those fell who
were beheaded Here under true or false
imputation of treason, except four only.
who suffered Within the walls; one of
whom was Lady Jane Grey. Instead of one
tower there are fifteen, bearing many
dates, enclosed within lofty ramparts. 1t
has served in turn as a mint, menagerie
and an observatory, as well as a factory
for gunpowder in the far distant days of
Criey; while Chaucer. Thomas Moore, and
Walter Raleigh have here added to the
worlds literature. The conqueror built
yet on an earlier foundation, built by the
Romans and rebuilt by Alfred the Great,
in the center the great four-square
white tower. The Traitors Gate yawns
beneath the waters of the Thames to ad-
nit by boat the passage of hapless victims
fresh from their judgment at Westminster
Hall-even the future Queen Elizabeth at
one time passed within the threatening por-
tails. 1t is only picturesque now. Behind It
rises the Bloody Tower, where persisted
the infant princess, who stood in Richards
path. In the Weltte Tower Richard ii. gave
up his crown TO Bolingbroke, and Annie
Askew and Guy Fawkes were tortured;
in Bowyer Tower the unfortunate Duke OF
Clarence was drowned in butt of Malm-
sey and in the Wakefield Tower Henry
VI. was murdered. The walls of the Beau
champ Tower are inscribed with many
sad record of despair. The words are few.
sometimes there is but an emblem; sim
,Nln
words, 'There is no sadder spot on EARTH
So peacefully and quiet now-but, chi the
memories-the memories of by-gone days,
for, as Macauley further says, Death is
associated with whatever is darkest in
teman nature and destiny"
Surely it is a witness of "mans inhu-
manity TO man." At the other extremity
of London proper and a long, long ride on
a bus past beautiful old Hyde park, where
the notables appear in the late evening
review drives" We visited Kensington
palace, only recently opened to the public.
This was an unusually interesting place
to me for 1t was the royal residence for a
number of years and here Queen Victoria
was born and reared and here she received
the announcement of her succession to the
luIOH6 anu subsequently ucIu MOI
council meeting. The palace contains many
notable paintings and especially those re-
lating to the marriage of the queen and
the subsequent events of her life-the
christening of the royal babies, marriage
of the Prince of Wales, etc. But, OF
course, of greatest interest to US was the
nursery where the aged and revered
queen played as little girl; for after all
she was just like all the other little girls
since the world began and had her dolls
and her doll houses, and her various toys,
all of which are now displayed to curious
but interested public.
By the way, you must not say Hotel
Cecil any more but Hotel Sessel, for that
is the way they call it over here. No Won
der the Americans changed their patron
age from the Metropole to the "Sessel, tor
it is truly a palatial place. Then, too, 1t
overlooks the Victoria embankment ana
the Thames, which adds greatly to the
beauty of its situation. 1t is an enormous
hotel, containing some six or seven hum
dred rooms, and when brilliantly lighted at
night thronged as it is with Americans, 1t
makes a goodly sight to look upon With
In its spacious portals we saw congregated
the Americans of every type from the
forty-niner, with his Irish wife, to the lat
est rich of our metropolis. But
many do have good clothes and it was
positive treat to the eyes to see some OF
our own stylish girls who here take time
to wear their good clothes and dress for
dinner. However, notwithstanding the fact
that Americans drop such goodly amount
hnra hay n n
say that the hotel is not yet on success
full financial basis. At the "Cecil'' the Har-
ward and Yale boys were entertained at
royal dinner on the evening of the contest
by their English adversaries in the sports,
and no doubt royal good time they had
even If they didn't win the odd event.
PAUL PRY.
Nh IT A NCE THE SYSTEM