The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-14

Let Shakespeare next direct his steps across the pleasant park that skirts the river, and take his place in one of the small launches which for suitable con- sideration will carry him some little distance up and down the stream. Let him select that smart new launch flying a fine example of the stars and stripes, and 5 labelled George Washington. What better combination could one ask than that, of two such names! Each first in it's own line: One first in truth. the other first in fiction. Surely a pa- triotic American must be absurdly hard to suit who is not filled with exultation at seeing Shakespeare's town under the auspices of the great Father of his Country" 4. - Let the great Bard of Avon" reo&ne contentedly in the stern of the launch l George Washington and gaze with sat isfaction at the Shakespeare theater as he steams by it It is an ugly edifice, but it bespeaks the finest Shakespear- can drama yearly produced there. And l in the picture galleries which form part l of the building may be seen countless portraits of the distinguished Shakes pearean tragedians and comedians in their respective. parts. The stained- glass windows upon the stairway repre- sent the Seven Ages of Man." and in l the library below are many rare edi- 1 tions of. the bards works and various literary treasures. ~,..z $f.* The launch steams past the theater and only turns when the old church is
 reached where rest the bones of Shakes peare, guarded by the famous forbid i ding stanza. It is a fine old church,
 and the approach to it under two rows of wondrous archfng lime trees is very beautiful. Tn the old church many | modern memorial windows testify to. ! the widespread appreciation of the great ! poet and to the lamentable effect of
 such appreciation when it has been con-
 verted into unsuitable stained glass. A waterfall but a short distance be-
 yond the church checks navigation in 1 that direction, and at one corner of the
 cemetery, reaching to the waters edge a huge placard displays the motto Dangerous Below the Graveyard" ," a statement which tlnaccompanfed by the. facts of the case might suggest to the casual onlooker that Shakespeare's final resting place was not a tranquil one.
 l More than all else, the poet would de- l light ill the triumphaI entry into his , house. A patient crowd upon the side. l walk awaits it's turn to cross the sacred I threshold. At last the welcome sound | of sliding belts is heard and the door
 opens and a procession of men. women and children file out, leaving behind the | room that is worth so much more
 than their united company" Then enters procession number two:
 the charmed door closes and a rapid collection of sixpenees takes place. In
 return for the sixpence yellow slip of
 paper entities the holder to walk about a portion of the ground floor. In every
 room there dwalls a voluble averaging
 spirit who fills his lungs irnpressively
 while the unwary visitors assemble, and ; then explodes into a speech regarding i imaginary shakespearean associations with the room and it's contents. The
 payment of Q shilling results in the be-
 stowal of bluesslip and the aecompa-a nying privilege of passing through an < inner door into The Shakespeare muse um, where are collected furniture. doc- l Ilments and countless souvenirs. An- 1 other slip of paper. of still another hue
 is used as passport to the rooms above,
 and as one mounts the narrow stair
 way, feeling that now. iftever, he should
 be thoroughly innbued with a Shakes
 pearean spirit. he finds regretfnIly his
 own poetic soul expressing itself, not in
 recalling an immortal sonnet but rath-
 CT in quoting the harrassing lines, " A blue trip slip for a sixpence fare" and
 so on to the top of the ascending flight. At this point another petty orator
 stands waiting to torture the next de- l tachment. Here is some furniture that
 might have stood in this same room is
 Shakespeare's time, and if it did not, at
 least the room was here and so was
 Shakespeare. The walls are absolutely
 covered with penciled autographs, 3 practice now forbidden, and with much
 pride the spokesman points out three
 names as worthy special mention.
 First, Walter Scott: next Robert
 Browning. and here, quite near the floor.
 Tom Thumb; the latter autograph ex- Eeites some interest for those assembled who doubtless realize that the other ! writers were 'big enough to have | known better. -5S ~-& ~ >%' Z
 From an adjacent room, where hangs
 the most truly authentic Shakespeare l portrait, one ooks down on the garden,
 a wondrous floral medley, where have
 been planted every species of flower mentioned in the bard's works.
 ! Down stairs our compatriots are gatll- cred about large case containing vari- ous rings and seals. The man who talks is pointing out the seal of Bluff
 King Hal,'' by way of introduction to a | well-worn joke. .-ar5e # gg4@s
 "'Who can inform me when the lar 1 gest quantity of, beef-tea was nlade?"
 he says sonorously. @1 %F
 "We can tell when the biggest amount I of tea was breWed." ventures q voice I from Boston. The speaker regards this 1 fiippancy with due severity and then | announces "When Henry VIII dis 4 solved the papaI bull. .' l What a vacation day Will Shakes peare might have in his own house!
 The circuit is completed; the blue and pink "trip slips'' have been duly sur
 rendered and the departing group of visitors stand in the hallway before the ! r,x,.r. oJ5 Gya~Y,aa TLa ynina af $5n1