Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-08-28

| Rheims has Il long and intensely inter-
esting history. Here st. Remy, baptised
Clovis and his chief officers That carries
US back to the year 496. Then near the
| station there are well preserved Roman re-
mains, the Porta Marts. Earlier still are
the accounts of the Remi, when the Ro-
| mans first met them. But all that is a
story in itself
From Paris we travelled through most
enjoyable country, gay with peoples and
wild mustard, tuneful with the song of
birds and sweet with the fragrance of the
new mown hay. Peaceful villages and
more pretentious towns, crowned with tur-
reted tower or lofty spire, gave variety to
the scene. Nantes was one of the towns
passed, marked by its noble church, and
memorable as being the place where Will
liam the Conqueror received his fatal fall
He lived to reach Rouen, the quaint old
town which had lured us away from the
shorter route to Calais.
The quiet of the old town after the up
roar of Paris was most restful and the
over tense nerves found relaxation in the
narrow, winding streets. Our hotel was in
one Of these, close to the Tour de la Crosse
fIorologe, built in 1899. The clock is in
the middle of an arch way which spans the
street, while in the tower are the bells
which mark the passing time, tolling the
quarters as well as the hours. The arch
way is richly carved, bas-relief of the
Good Shepherd adjoining the span.
Beyond it is the cathedral, the pride Of
Normandy. It's facade is a peculiar piece
Of architecture, but the result is pleasing.
By far the most beautiful part OF the Ca
the dral is the Butter ToWer,n so called
because it was built with money received
FOR indulgences to eat butter during Lent
The building is greatly disfgured by a
modern spire on the central tower. With
IN lie the remains of Rolbo, Normandy s
irst Duke, and the heart of Richard Occur
de-Lion.
St. Ouen was Rouen's archbishop in the
seventh century, and his name, at least,
has been preserved and his memory hon
ored in the superb Gothic Church, St. Ouen
To me it was JOY to look upon it, to see
It's beauty revealed from this point or the
,ther Most of it was built in the four
beenth century, but then there are other
parts which are modern. | was glad for
that, TOO, for in the harmony of all there is
testimony 10 the power and ability Of the
| architects and craftsmen of the present.
The interior Is very fine. as the nave and
4isles are very high and the immense win
lows are filed with old glass.
| St. Macloa, another Of Rouen's Gothic
| churches, has been compared with st. Ouen.
| but it is far inferior, in my Judgment.
confess, however, that that Judgment may
ne influenced by three things-its poor
situation, dilapidation, and dirtiness. Much
more to my liking was the tower of St.
Laurent, dilapidated as it was, for the
church is now junk shop.
The Hotel du Bpurgtheroude, fifteenth
century work, like the tower, has also been
| turned to a different Use, being now a
bank Within the courtyard, are most in
teresting bas-reliefs representing the scenes
on the famous ''F'ield of the Cloth Of
| Gold' just outside the building, in the
Place de la Pucelle, is monument to Joar
of Arc, for here she was burned in the year
l431 Like many other such statements
that has been questioned; and SOME think
she was burned hundred feet or so away
from this square We went there also, but
prefer to accept the traditional site II
mother part of the town there is still stand
ny part of the old castle in which hel
| strange trial took place. 1t is named fol
ner, but was simply the donion of the Ole
CdSb1C. btlo CiWCl III RblCu was liH
prisoned having been destroyed nearly I
century ago. But must not now attempt
to tell the story of the old town. so full o.
dramatic interest
The only object in Amiens, for which VIZ
stopped, was its cathedral, although Ami
ems can claim ones attention as having
given to the world one of its greatest lead
ers. For surely no one can read the history
l \
magic power, the magnetic influence o.
Peter the Hermit Behind the cathedra
is his monument, for he was Pierre o
Amiens.
The cathedral reminded us of Notrt
Dame at Paris, having similar gallery
adorned with statues of the Jewish kings
The similarity is continued in the unfiu
ishsd towers, although at Amiens the tow
ers have risen nearer to completion. TIT
interior is remarkable for the great heigh
OF the nave, nearly $50 feet. Again there
WAS much old glass to delight the eye
There is a wealth of carving, too, the choi
stalls being very ornate, as may be inferred
from the statement that in the work thert
are 1850 figures That looks like IS;
multiplied by 10, although it may b.
accurate At any rate there are hgure
| WI 3IbNGT blcy COuiNt NC hCu.
1t was ON the train from Amiens tt
Calais that we learned of King Edward
illness. 1t was the uppermost thought il
the minds of the travellers, the chief sub
iect OF conversation. How it brought bacl
the remembrance of last summer, when GU
, people waited with alternating hope ant
fear for the next bulletin from Buffalo.
The weather was most propitious for tn
| oh, To 1,o,,o i1aJ
coronation The sun shone brightly an,
the winter chillness had given place to tn
warmth of summer But our Journey wa
no longer through fertile fields. The scat
tered houses seemed to tell of a harde
struggle for existence on the part of thei
} inhabitants than those of other district
through which we had passed. The flock
were less frequent, and at times we say
goats instead of sheep. The whole appear
; ance of the scenery was different Grea
wind-mills rose above the houses, remind
; ing one of pictures of Holland, their slowl
revolving arms recalling the adventures o
Don Qnixote Farther on, the horizon wa
bounded by great sand hills glistening il
, the sunshine The red-roofed cottages O
the fishermen told us also that the sea wa
near. Then the sand barrier was broker
GOWN anu We cOulu lOok Ouo OIi UuC JSug
lish Channel, fecked with white sails. Tn,
busy city of Boulogne was passed and nov
Calasis was not far off. With quickene(
interest we looked out on the unfamiliar
scenes, eagerly watching for the first sigh
of the city The train passed through il
and out upon the pier where the steamer
for England was awaiting. Our trip on thu
continent Of Europe was at an end.
4 After our baggage had been attended tx
and our steamer chairs were placed, we had
an opportunity to look upon our surround
ings. The harbor in which we were is very
substantially built and well protected BY
Notifications. The sight Of these recalled
the time when Calais was lost to the Eng.
| lish. humiliation which was long remem-
Bered with bitterness by all classes Of the
English people.
As soon as the steamer started we went
forward to see more of the Straits of Dover,
and stood near the bow as we passed from
the friendly protection of the harbor. There
was strong wind and sea to match it, so
we had soon to retreat to the more sheltered
protection Of our chairs. Even there the