The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-08-22
PAUL PRY TELLS
OF PARLIAMENT
Talks Interestingly of the House
of Commons.
SAW REED AND CH0ATE
Quaint Differences OF London Life as
Contrasted With American Cities
The English in Their
Home Circle
SAW REED AND CH0ATE


the great Westminster hall on your way
out you drop down GREATNESS, only to be
ordered by another policeman to move
on like little Joe. And then it is quite
another thing, as Kipling would say, IAN
other story" to be escorted by an Eng
lish friend who at the entrance whispers
the magic name of some member of the
house of eommons-at least the policeman
falls back as If by magic, and after pro-
ceeding past about four guardians of the
entrance. hall and repeating the open
sesame, eventually reaching the commons
lobby. So 1 believe 1 will tell you about
the latter visit, as it is far more intresting.
When we coached the lobby about half
past eight O'Clock our friend wrote his
name ON a card and sent it into the house
of commons, then in session. While wait
ing a reply we had time to view the beauty
of the lobby in more leisurely and en-
joyable manner than we had been able to
do the previous Saturday. The lobby and
house of commons are not by any means
as rich and elaborate in decoration and
furnishing as the house of lords, but even
then the richness Of Mosaic work, the deco
ration of priceless value of the paintings
are beyond the power of my feeble pen to
portray. Nothing in England, save the
abbey alone, is more grand and imposing
in its stately and simple magnificence than
the English houses of parliament They
are in the richest late Gothic (perpendicu-
lar) style and arising from the edge of the
Thames that flows swiftly by, they cover
eight acres and were erected at a cost of
$4,000 900. And for fear the whole was not
imposing enough to the mercenary concep-
ton oil the immense pile we were informed
that the committee appointed to investigate
plans, material and various details spent
$l5O00O in the discharge of their duties.
The lobby was guarded by about half
dozen policemen, and If any one who en-
tered ever entertained the faintest dreams
of anarchistic actions surely their stern and
forbidding aspect would now convince them
of the uselessness of the attempt. Talk
about red tape" yards and yards of it
were unrolled here before our most demo-
cratic" eyes. Every few minutes an at
tendant would appear from the sanctum be-
yond and shout out the name of the wait
ing visitor, who would feebly respond, and
with a solemn and awe-struck countenance
until began to fear that maybe the red
tape would prove too much for us and the
coveted pleasure be denied US after all,
when all of a sudden a hearty, wholesouled
gent came toward us with frank and CHEEKY
manners and after greeting our kind Eng
fish friend, was duly introduced to each
of us. So pleasant were his manners that
we began instinctively to feel that his sole
business in the house was to meet Ameri-
can visitors and escort them through the
historic walls. But we soon learned that
our genial friend was the Hon. j. Havelock
Wilsin, member for Middleboro, Yorkshire,
who had spent some time in America
studying economic and industrial problems
and that he entertained a special admira-
tfon for Americans and was always glad to
extend them courtesles. He took US first
the night being close and suDtry Within
out upon the parliament terrace, which
over-looks the Thames for many hundred
feet. Here members resort for comfort and
refreshment when the affairs of the house
become tedious and uninteresting Being
introduced TO other members of the house
we laughingay bantered them upon the de-
hght on TINS spot and remarked that it
was no wonder the morning papers report
ed so small an attendance If members could
choose between the house and this delight
full place. / can hardly give you the faint
est conception of the beauty of the whole
scene. 1 have often been past the houses
on boat on the Thames, but l never knew
of the existence of this beautiful terrace.
The breeze blew in from the river front
cool and refreshing, after the heat of the
inner courts; Lambeth palace, gray and
pattiemented, so elegantly described by Sir
Walter Besant in his work on South LON
don, and st. Thomas hospital arose gloom
lily from across the swift flowing Thames
Westminster bridge on one side and
Lambeth bridge on the other with their
circulet of bright light reflected in the
water below, together with a million other
lights, glimmering here and there and
dancing on the water beneath and the soft
radiant sky above unlocked by the small
est cloud made scene of indescribable
beauty We stood spellbound. Who would
have dreamed of so fairy-like a scene in
foggy old London Towne?
In the words of Wordsworths sonnet:
Earth has not anything to show more
fair" Truly it was one of the fairest
sights during our whole stay in London.
Then our kindly host took us down into
| the wonderful old crypt and Baedeker had
never even informed me that there was a
| crypt On the old altar which is the oldest
| part of the old building is coverlet of
| velvet worked by good Queen Bess A
! design the most elaborate and beautiful,
and it gave us peculiar pleasure, not only
| to touch the work done by the skilled fin
gers of Queen Elizabeth, but to cast a
look of triumph at the policeman near by,
now helpless to object Then we passed the
| refreshment rooms, Hobbies and libraries to
| the corridor where we were separated, the
| gents going in one way and the ladies
| around circutous passage and up q
'lift'' to the gallery where behind ira
Gerry of bars we were permitted to see
| their lordships-and a lazy looking set
| they were as they lounged in their seats
| with their hats on. The speaker with his
! wig and gown was vastly amusing though