The Republican journal., 1901-12-19

ultaneOusly. The time before dinner
was spent in resting, reading or writing,
and after that meal the ladies gathered
in the drawing COON and told ghost
stories and ''such like" until our blood
began to creep, and it was unanimously
voted to retire. What the two English
ladies, sitting in sober grandeur on the
sofa, thought of the party will be a mys-
terry. At any rate during the evening,
while we all were searching our reper-
toire for our funniest stories, not a
smile appeared on either face. They
occasionally exchanged few whispered
words, but as for their expressions they
might each have been piece of statu-
ary, or wooden image, from the blank
look on their faces. Perhaps they mo-
mentarily expected our war paint, feath-
ers and tomahawks to appear; if SO
they were sadly disappointed. al
most explained to them that we had
left our national costume in our London
trunks, but restrained myself with diff
Guilty.
The next morning after rather an
early breakfast we walked the short
distance to the railway station and
boarded our train. From Melrose to
York was long and exceedingly un-
comfortable journey. We changed cars
twice, once at Newcastle, and we re-
gretted we had not thought to bring a
coal along. 1t was half past two when
we finally arrived at the fine station in
York, tired, hungry, and, perhaps 1
may add, cross. We were driven direct
ly to the "Black Swan" (before men
toned in the article English and Scotch
Hotels'') and when luncheon in the
coffee room had satisfied our hunger we
felt very much more amiable, and after
a short rest started out for York Min
ster, which is said to be the finest
Gothic building in the world. Certainly
it is beautiful structure, and its mag
esty and beauty are almost overpower-
medieval glass in the Minister, and the
great East Window is the largest Gothic
window in the world containing it's
original stained glass. 'There is local
superstition among the poorer classes
that if the Minister is ever finished
the Roman Catholics will regain pos
session of it. If the tenure of the
Catholics depends upon its completion,
surely their chances will be small, for
the fabric is constantly disintegrating,
by stress of age and weather, with a
rapidity that runs the restoration pro-
ject very closely"
Ascending the stone steps and enter
ing the beautiful doorway, we found
that Even song" had just begun, and
we procured seat in the nave, where
the voices of the choir floated out to us
in the silence of the great building.
The services occupied about half an
hour, and during that time we sat fac
ing the majestic Five Sisters win
dows," through whose pale, green glass
the last rays of the setting sun shone
family, clarifying all it's surroundings.
1t is said that five maiden sisters each
chose a window and framed it's deli
cate pattern in needle work. before it
was constructed in glass. After the
anthem was over we watched the little
choir boys in their white surplices file
by, two and two, their demure manner
and cherubic faces giving no hint of
the mischief lurking beneath, some of
which, however, we found them giving
vent to on the steps when we were de-
parting. Following these small angels
G) were the older members of the choir.
also surpliced, whose gray hair and
wrinkled faces were in strange con-
trast to the fresh and rosy cheeks of
the little ones whose clear young voices
had helped to swell the anthem through
the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault. :"
When the last huttering white gown
vanished into a mysterious doorway
we rose and spent some time strolling
about the building, until the waning
light and decided chill in the air warn
ed us that it was time to leave.
On our way to and from the hotel we
passed through quaint streets, the pro-
jecting gables on both sides nearly
meeting over the narrow passage way,
consequently making it extremely dark.
A black swan calmly reposing over a
doorway proclaimed our temporary
home, and we were not sorry to sit
down to our dinner, served, by the way,
by two tall and elderly walters with
side-whiskers, the very personiication
OF our ideas of English buffers. After
dinner we retired to the drawing room,
where one of the gentlemen entertain
ed us for a little while with reminiscent
ces of Ireland in song.
Later in the evening we sat at one of
the windows overlooking Coney street
which, although it is one of the princi-
pal thoroughfares, is so narrow that
people are obliged to walk in the middle
OF the street-and watched the passers-
by. 1t was.almost impossible to realize
that the soldiers of the sixth Roman
legion, who were quartered there in the
second century, had walked that very
street, but as we looked at the natty
No.