Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-08-26

OF Watts appealed to me most
strongly. In the National Art Gal
lery were more ancient paintings, but
not being an artist, I did not regel
much in them save in the matter Of
the wonderful colorings. Murillo's
Holy Family and Raphails Madonna
Anside were of especial interest to
me.
But after all the people of London
were quite as interesting as the sights.
You may see Dickens characters
on the street every day. The match
woman, with baby (perhaps Dor
rowed for means of effect), the flow
er girl, the bar maid (the curse OF
England the cockney class of low
proved, ignorant looking and careless
appearing men and women. Along
the Thames at night you can almost
hear the splash of some suicide or
the wall of lost hope. DR. Ri Camp
bell of City Temple told me that the
problem of London's poor was all
unsettled, hungry babes, overworked
children. He said that perhaps
England is the most drunken coun-
try in the world and | can believe it..
Men and women staggered out OF
saloons and we'll dressed men and
women in palatial hotels looked long
at the wine and were not clear headed
when they rose.
One thing which has impressed me
more than all else perhaps of the
character of the people is the mat
ter of dress. We hear much of we'll
dressed Englishman. But from
what I have seen at Hyde Park, the
parade ground for well-dressers, L
have not been convinced of the en-
inence due the masculine persuasion
of London. If a man has silk hat
on, he is dressed no matter what the
| character of the rest Of his apparel.
The expression raining in Lunnon"
applied to the fact of "high-water"
trousers is all too pat. But when |
speak of wOman's attire | fain would
blush. Tradition has it that at one
time the English woman discovered
that her lord was attracted too much
to the we'll dressed American
women. So ia haste she sped to the
Partisan modiste and had crea-
tions created which we're wonderful
in the extreme. For elegance of ma
terial and likewise in scantlness. they
were quite ultra. Then she spent
her lords money on costly jewels and
weighted herself down with these and
now she dresses morning, noon and
night One might think that even
ing clothes were worn all hight for
some morning gowns would grace
any dinner party. 1t is disgusting.
At Grand Opera one night where
were assembled the ladies of London,
you could scarcely see for the dazzle
of tiaras and brooches and necklaces,
etc. One is always glad to turn and
admire the American lady who sits
beside him.
i One word more about our Embas-
sy and Consulate. Such dingy. dark
unattractive places one seldom finds
elsewhere. I have visited both the
embassy and consulate Offices in bus
mess and I am disappointed. Not
only are the Offices unattractively To-
Gated but are such a distance apart
that it is az unearthly task to reach
one from the other. There may be sta,e
or business reasons for their location
but | see no reason why they should
be 40 unattractive.
| I'd like to tell you of dinner at
the Old Cheshire Cheese where trad
ition has it that Samuel Johnson ard
his coterie met, or the Inns of Cour'
and the Temple Church, built 1856
or thereabouts but already l have
wearied you. London is great anc
worth spending far more time than |
could spend there. But after I hav
bowed reverently before the grea
ness of her poets and been awed by
| her stately ed;fces and have Grunt
| deep of her art fountains [ must con
Tess that | am better America
than before and more proud OF III,
native land and am mighty gla
that Samuel Adams and other
stirred up a row few years back an,
that CORVALLIS in spite of "killiD4
IL. A ~ Il