St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-08-26
From Rome to London.

We greatly enjoyed our journey to
Florence. and the varied scenery by the
way. A heavy rain prevented our doing
as much as we intended in Fair Firenze,"
but we visited the superb Uffizzi gallery,
the grim, sad church of Santa Croce, the
fair and beautiful Duomo, the Baptist.
cry, Giotto's magnificent Tower, Santa
Maria Novello, and drove over the Poube
Vecchio to the house which has been
immortalized by Elizabeth Barrett
Browning.
We were charmed by the lilies OF the
valley in Florence, the odor of which per-
vaded the hotel diningroom, and these
lovely blooms were abundant in the rail-
way stations. We reached Milan in the
early morning, and taking the train we
FASTENED to the Cathedral, passing the
stateliest plane trees on the way that we
had ever seen. The beauty of this, the
| finest Gothic Cathedral in the world, held
us spellbound. 1t seemed to arise like
some ethereal, fairy.lke structure, with
its delicate tracery, its pinnacles and it's
towers, out of the morning mist. To
| describe it would battle the most brilliant
writer. It's charm must be seen and
known and loved. The view from it's
summit is one of surprising interest and
beauty, extending far over the Plain
Lombardy, and embracing a country of
varied beauty and fertility. Milan is
rich and populous and enterprising city,
and is finely situated for beauty as well
as for commerce. Our journey onward
was through the fertile plains, watching
the rivers, canals, mulberry and poplar
trees, the countless flowers and villages.
Soon we assembled the uplands, passing
the lakes of northern Italy. Como was
fair and smiling, enshrined in orange
groves, with bewitching villas and
cleaning waters. Lugsno, near the
southern slopes of the Alps, was delight
full. These spots are ideal and fascinat.
ing.
Up up-away from the land of the vine
and the olive-thro ice-bound noun
tains, past dashing, dazzling cascades,
skirting precipices, gazing upon snowy
peaks, glorious in the sunshine, past
grim, strong, hardy fir trees, and then
we enter the St. Gotthard tunnel and
emerge to gaze upon a magnificent
panorama of the grandest, fairest, love-
lest Swiss scenery. Lucerne. with her
smiling lake, and her historic environ
ment, the lofty Rhigi, and the stern
Pilatus, are spread out before US, and at
once we are captivated by the beauty
and the grandeur.
We have quiet Sunday at Basic, see
ing the Cathedral-gazing out upon the
noble Rhine, watching the peaceful quiet
inhabitants in their pretty gardens, and
as they stroll in the fair, smiling fields.
Protestant Switzerland seems goodly
land--one of serenity, peace and thrift.
We halt in Paris to revisit the Arc de
Troimphe. the Madelaine and the Place
de la Concorde, and breathe a prayer Of
blessing to the memory of those dear st.
Johnsbury friends with whom we once
visited this beautiful city. The streets
were gay with floral festoons and Union
Jacks, and the boulevards were zen ftte'
over the visit of the English King.
We had smooth sail across the chan
mel and the Castle of Dover and the
White Cliffs gave us smiling reception
This is an ideal port in which to enter
England, one iull OF historic interest as
well as picturesque.
The hop fields of Kent, the copper
beeches and green willows and aspen:
{ and the rural scenes through which WI
were hurled were most resttul, after tn,
crowded Eastern countries where we haG
wandered. We telt that fairies ant
bogies must work by night to render al
, so peaceful and smiling by day. At las
3 we approached Westminster Towers
E London Bridge, and the busy surge ant
f hum of humanity and were taken in hanl
e by obliging porters ana cabmen and sool
n were driving to our destination, owe
j. clean streets, and amid green trees, ever
in the parks OF the great, bustling city.
London at last From Pretoria tt
this great metropolis had we been car
ried in safety and goodness and mere
n had followed US all the way on land an
= on sea-
MARY T. GRAY.