Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-17

had IL not been for the superior fasclna-
lions Of a gentleman we took to be a
grand duke on the night Of our arrival
but whom. to our overwhelming embar-
rassment. we discovered 10 be the head
waiter of the Warwick Arms.
SHAKESPEARIAN INSPIRATION.
We visited the home OF Shakespeare,
sat on his own little bench in the corner
Of the great fireplace, rode on the Avon
saw Ann Hathaway's cottage. and, yet,
to-day, with the additional inspiration Of
the home Of the MOntagus and Capulets
TO aid me, I cannot write anything 10
equal his Romeo and Juliet!
TO oxford next we went and there /
hoped i imbibed some knowledge-if only
through the pores Of my skin-from the
intellectual atmospheric diffused by its
twcnty-six grand colleges. l have steadily
intended TO try as an experiment hair
pinnng a sheet Of paper on the top Of my
head just TO see If some Of the thoughts
bubbling up about all these wonderful
places will imprint themselves thereon
without mental effort. or what Is more
valuable. loss Of time on my part. But,
revenons a nos mJutOns The Channel
treated me most courteOusly though IL
PLAYED some tricks unpleasing to recall
upon our enthusiast. it is enough 10 say
that she did not recover sufficiently 10
give voice TO even one little rapt, How
perfectly lovely !" all the way 10 Paris.
LA Belle France" is deservediy So
called. for our way lay along the banks
of the Seine. which ran like silver rib
bon through field, meadow and vine
yard, with many a bare-headed peasant
group at work. which might have served
as a model for one or another Of Millets
great pictures
WITH 4 DREFUSITE.
We found Paris, as the gude-books tell
us. TO be "a very delightful
city" but very much upset by
the extensive exposition prepara-
tons and Dreyfus, As 10 the
former. / saw nothing which promised 70
eclipse our Court of Honor OF Worlds
Fair memory, and concerning the latter,
we only heard one opinion, as mine
host" is an ardent Dreyfus sympathizer.
In fact. it was hard for US to believe
that a certain Monsieur Guerin and ms
adherents could exist in the selfsame
city.
What n hot-headed. emotional. eXcita-
BILE people the French are! Pollshed
pleasiiro-loving. gallant. but so often
lacking that finer courtesy which springs
from "a good heart For instance, II ~
nothing unusual TO be almost knocked on
the platform Of a car by a man VINO
might easily have avoided the caiastro-
phe. and 10 find yourself overlooking mat
fact amidst the profuseness Of his smil-
ing apologies.
We went TO Versailles, mounted the
steps down which Marie Antoinette flew
TO beg Louis 10 ieaye his clock-maklnS
and speak to the angry mob surrounding
the palace; and stood on he balcony
where. after her husbands weak refusal
She appeared with the Dauphin in her
arms Tie recollection Of this magnlh-
cent bravery thrilled US TO the core, Tor
those were turbulent passions she sought
10 uuell.
small not try TO tell you Of Notre Dame.
the Jewel Chapel, the Luxembourg, and
Louvre, as each is too large subject for
nv pen. After them came our shopping
expeditions. which our wise and willy
chaperon reserved for the last days Of
our stay.
had nv fore-lnowledge concerning the
enticing things i'm these stores equalled
Ulysses's in regard to the allurements
Of the Gree, / would have taken leaf
out of that gentleman's book by exact
ing from my friends a promise to Keep
me locked in my room, despite my en-
treaties. while the Bon Marche was ac-
cessible.
on leaving the French capital we each
breathed a sigh of thankfulness that the
funds for our return passage had been
turned over to the North German Llyod
Steamship Company before reaching that
city. Now you will, perhaps, understand
the situation.
SHE BATHED AND WORSHIPPED.
Next we went 10 Germany. where l took
a bath in Cologne and worshpped in the
grandest gothic cathedral in the world.
II was after this experience that my
friend. who is not fond Of the study OF
church architecture. formed the habit or
tying her shoes securely To some article
of furniture each night lest they might
start on the quest in the morning before
their owner had a chance 10 jump into
them. After our visit to Cologne We ex-
perienced a neyer-tO- be-forgotten day on
the Rhine and then went through the
Black Forest where the trees are all just
the shape for Santa Claus, and where the
little, old women. bending low under their
load of faggots, look for all the world
Ike tn 0se Grimm has so graphically de-
scribed. Indeed, l found myself watching
for the good youths TO relieve some old
lady and be rewarded by a benevolent
fairy with the gift of a palace and the
hand OF a lovely princess, with whom
"he should live happily ever after
WHERE THE SHOWS NEVER MELT.
From the scene of this enchantment We
proceeded TO Lucerne, where We enjoyed
a week Of rest. guarded by the Alps and
then We went up the Lauterbrunnen
Valley, the most exquisite country my
ewes ever rested upon, for the closer IN
spection Of those snOw-clad peaks. Up
above the clouds we climbed. till we stood
where the snow never mclts, and looked
down at the cattle grazing In the
meadows far below or noted where
cereals gave place TO grass; grass, in It's
turn. TO trees. and trees to shrubs, and
shrubs TO MOSES, lichens. and rocks,
which last of all were crowned by snow
on which the sun shed an indescribable
radiance. How l wished for you TO see
IL all with me.
Next 10 the marvellous scenery, the in
renuity of man in planning and his in
dustry in building these Swiss railroads
appeal TO one Ii IS said that the legls-
latiye body Of Switzerland is never called
i'm session except to grant charter Ior
new railroad.
After our mountain climbing we pushed
ON through the St. Gothard Pass, which
tunnels thrty-eight times under the
mighty Alps into the Italian lake coun-
trv and here. let me tell you, every ad-
iective hitherto used might in bunch be
fittingly applied. If you have never no
ticed the exceeding poverty of our Ian
guage in descriptive words. come 10 Italy.
TO Venice, and see how soon the supply
will be exhausted There Is nothing to do
when the round is made but TO begin and
use the same ones over again.
QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC."
This did when at sunset last Monday
we reached "the Queen OF the Adriatc
bowed myself in homage. 1t Is the en-
bodiment OF poetry. this city that noats