Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-09-30
RURAL ENGLAND - STRATFORD
Especially Interesting Letter from
Rev. Fred B. Hill.

IL
bennington, England having just
arrived from London. A month has
passed and we have had varied ex-
periences. some of which I shall try
to relate to the renders of the Tri.
Dune. 1t doesn't see' n quite natural
70 be writing a letter in English
when all about we hear French alone
But as do not know French Gas is
painfully evident when | try to
make myself UNDERSTOOD there is
little danger that Turin" language
shall creep into this letter.
| think I intimated that I should
write something about rural England
this time. 1t is an agreeable subject
now | am able to do it justice.
Before going on however I think I
better state that from henceforth
shall endeavor to make few com.
parsons between the lands [ am
visiting and my own. I am finding
by experience that comparisons ale
not only odious and often invidious
but generally rather foolish.
bennington is situated in the
center of the Shakespeare country
as it is also almost exactly in the
center of England. An oak was
pointed out to US which is said to
IN the very center. The country tho
very hat possesses peculiar charm
which is hard to describe. Whether
1t is due to the more or less senti-
mental power of historic association,
or to the quaint and picturesque
hedges of holly and hawthorne, or
to some other cause, I do not pre-
tend to say-but the country is in
deed delightful and attractive
Every field is marked off by we'll
kept hedges. The farms would be
called gardens in Minnesota. The
trees are old and stately and no
doubt if each could speak, it could
tell wonderful history of intrigue,
feudal strife and the play of human
passion.
Within three miles of Leaning
ton is Warwick where is the seat of
the Earl of Warwick. Here also is
the old castle where Queen Eliza
beth and her court spent a few days
while on the way to Kenilworth.
The situation of the stronghold
above the Avon river is very striking.
No doubt the position was we'll
chosen for defense. Within the
castle walls are many antiques, one
the Warwick vase, is over two thou
sand years old. Below the castle are
the remains of an old Norman bridge
over one thousand years old.
Within two miles of Warwick are
the ruins of Kenilworth castle. Aside
from the very evident beauty of the
ruins, great air of romance hovers
over the place due to the interest in
Amy Robsart, the heroine of SCOTS
Wentworth" The walls are now
much delapidated and ivy covered,
but enough remains to show some of
the places mentioned in the famous
novel. We saw the place where the
Earl of Leicester and Tressilian
fought and we sat in the room where
Amy Robsart was imprisoned
Caesars tower and the old banquet
ing hall are still to be seen in some
thing of their ancient beauty. We
spent most interesting half day
among these ruins.
One day we hired a two-wh eeled
gig and With ourselves for coachman
and footman, drove to Stratford.
English roads are proverbially good !
and their reputation is we'll earned
and rather costly. AN Engishman
told me that in Kentshire It cost five
hundred pounds per year per mile to
maintain the roads. To digress a
little, the same man told me that the |
British army cost thirty two shillings
per capita to maintains. approx
imately. 1nquiring about taxes |
learned tnat the Irishman had to
pay ten shillings and six pence, the
Scotehman seven shillings and ths
English man but five. And the
Irish members of Parliament were
causing quite commotion in their
endeavor to show up" the scheme
which permitted such discrimination.
Can we wonder that the Irisk mem
b ers of Parliament is disliked by the
English y