The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-15
HILDA LARSON GOES TO EUROPE
V-sHE DOES THE cATHEDRALs.


Seems if there isn't railroad depot in
Englan' but what has a cathedral thin
a stones throw. The folks t planned the
English towns knew what they were do
in when they put cathedrals in the middle
of EN-, for I dunno anythin in Minneapo-
lis t draws more visitors or siXpences n
the long run n one of those big churches.
What's the reason?' says to Mrs.
Gray, when she top me of all the places
we were goin1 AN why says I. It you
want to stop to all those churches?'
says I, for knew she didn't go out Of her
way on a week day at home to visit a
meetin' house of any kim.
"'To study differen' styles Of buildin','
says she. You get the pure examples In
the catbedrals,' says she.
That was news to me t cathedral
could be 'dulterated same as sugar or
coffee, but that's what she says, an unless
she gets her guide books mixed, she knows.
well, we went cathedral huntin' all
over Engla:n' an we didn't have any
trouble f1ndin' 'em, for they were al'ys in
plain sight. Billie an I played T spy til
'em. 1t was the only way to get him int
rested, an if they were so pure, seems If
he ought to have some feelin's, one way
or mother, an it wasn't long fore he had.
"a cathedral g got as many parts as
o. hotel has rooms an we al'ys had to go
to the cellar an the steeple an the lady
.chapels so It it was a good days work to
get roun' each on em. I asted Mrs. Gray
why they didn't let the men go to the
lady chapels to church, but she didn't
know, an from somethin' the man who
walked In front of us said I sort Of think
It that's where the SEWN s'ciety had it's
meetin's, an everybody knows It a man
hasn't any more business at a SEWN
s'ciety meetin' n q elephant has in the
linen closet. There's places In 'em It
the women couldn't go, too, for in one
they showed us a big cross In the pave
men an the women weren't ever let pass
it. If I'd lived in those days I know one
thing, an that Is wouldn't have gone to
that church. I'm one of the folks who
like to know what's goin' ON an seems If
that's the. way tn mos women. Maybe
you could put 'em benin marble crosses
800 years ago, but you couldn't do it now,
an wouldn't like to be the man who
tried it.
AT first Billie an + were considerable
interested in cathedrals, for he hadn't a
ghost of an idea what they were. didn't
tell him, for som etimes you teach more
by keepin' your mouth shut N you do by
topenin it. The frs one we went to was
in a town by the name Of Durham. Seems
If the English might have given their
towns better names tn all the back OF
the dictionary to choose from. I never
knew anythin' called Durham fore but
COWS an tobacco, an it mixed me ur
some. When we got to Durham, an Mrs
Gray punched Billie to look at the stee-
pies above the trees an says, 8 f she d
been lookin at two-headed calf, says
she: There's the cathedral An Billie
cried cause he'd thought praps cathe-
dral was a new kin Of pie or cooky an
he was Disappointed to fin it was only q
church. Billie g only five, an when he's
dis appointed we know it.
I'VE stopped to see another one at York
an then we jes' foun' 'em scattered ev'ry-
which way, an it got so It when Billie
says spy I'd pick UP the bags fol
I knew we were goin' to stop an 'vesti-
gate the purity of the buildin'. Mrs. Gray
wen into 'em all 8 f she was goin' tc
ST. Marks for Easter service; but some
times Billie an I sat on the steps. Mrs
Gray says the cathedrals were frozer
Enthusiastically some Of her literary
frien's-an I don't think It frozen thing:
are good for children, so I kept Billie ou
in the sun. There's considerable to SET
on the outside as we'll as on the in, an
you don't have to. pay sixpence for dom
It, Mr.. Gray foun' fault TIL the guide
book cause it said each one was the bes
but, as I top her, that meant Of Its kim
dunno as you fin any two folks alike
an seems If it's poor rule It you cam
ppply to cathedrals.
Seems If it was at Lincoln, or I dunno
p'rhaps 1t was at Litchfiep, It Billie an
saw a sign in a store window: the Grea
Nerican Confection,' it says an we wen