The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
By CHARLES BATTKLL LOOMS.

sanctfy even nau&ntihoss mere III SOou ONu
England.
There have been ladies beloved OF Kings
Of England and hated by the wives Of said
Kings, ladies whom, to say the least, you
would not think OF eIecting members OF
the Y. P. s. G. E. or the W. c. I. U. and
whom Mrs. Grundy would frown upon IL
she met them in a drawing room to-day,
ladies' of the Nell Gwynn type, to take a
mild example.
But Nell Gwynn with her TYPO sisters
lived many years ago. "Ye'rs and ye'rs
ago" As an Englishman would say, and
time has mello we'd her memory 90 tina
she has become a mildly titillating historic
personage, and as such attracts the Curl
Gus traveller from other lands.
To me there is something almost humor-
Gus in the thought OF a deacon and a vestry-
man from Amerio ca going on a wheeling
pilgrimage to the mansion among the
woods where rollicking Charles III. housed
the royal ~favorite and queen of the stage.
Your host says: Now we might take
Either one of two rides to-day, both Of
them Of historic interest. We can go and
see the seven-hundred-year-old church at
Aldworth, with its recumbent statues of
the knights and ladies' Of the Do la Beche
family and its thousand-year-old yew tree.
or we can take a somewhat longer ride
t. the house OF Nell Gwynn OF sainted
memory"
The vestryman says, Seems to me we've
seen recumbent statuesN in Westmin-
ster--"
Yes" chips in the deacon, "and the
longer the ride the better the exercise.
I've always been interested in poor Charles
II. Seemed kind Of hard he should lose
his head"
"Oh, it wasn't Charles ii. that lost his
head-that il, he only lost fguratively,"
says the vestryman, "but 1 think that it
would make an interesting ride
Look here" says the host. I'D rather
show you the old church. There's only a
house where Nell Gwynn lived, and I be-
lieve it's occupied"
Suppose we flip a coin, " says the vestry-
man.
The coin is tipped, with heads for Nell
and tails for the knights and ladies, and
10 the delight Of the Americans the choice
falls on the house that Charles III. graced
with his presence and wherein Nell Gwynn
smiled on him.
Time has whitewashed Nell and her
sisters. Give Time time enough, or II that
is not sufficient give us the right kline Of
music, and any crime in the Decalogue
ia rendered interesting, until We find
matinee girls at home and abroad revealing
in the excuses Of dear old d~emigods.
/ heard the other day that an American
rented a house for the summer simply
because the agent told him hat it had been
the scene of a murder Of a celebrated kings
celebrated mistress. The American thought
il would be a good place to which to bring
the children. The air was good. it was near
the Thames and there il no way Of learning
history like being on the historic spot.
His children were afraid to go UP the back
etqirs on which the murder had been COM
mitted three hundred years before.
Now. the house was palpably not fifty
Years old. but the agent knew his business.
No one undeceived the American and he
and his family felt that they were in a way
p part Of the reign OF Henry VIII. or what
ever king it was who iourished in those
times.
By the way. some Of the most hallowed
associations that cluster around the vener-
able church at Ewelme in Oxfordshire arise
from the fact that dear old Henry VIII,
Courted Anne Boleyn hard by. and they at
tended service together. both Of them going
in for Sunday Observances to a large ex-
tent. .
How pretty the scene. Can We not all
imagine it?
Henry breaking away from his retinue on
aSInday morning while the bells Of Ewelme
are answering those Of Wallingford Town
by the river. A poppy in his b~uttonhole.
he strides across the fields Of m~anglewurEel
10 the sheltered village and makes his way
through winding and narrow lanes. along
side which a fettered brook rs ~babbling.
10 the seven gabled house where n is
boarding for the summer.
Henry rings the bell in the door Of tbs
brick wall, half smotffered in Virgins
creeper, and sweet Anne herself comes Il
the window.
Henry dofs that historic cap OF his anC
says:
What say to a little touch Of divine ser
vice this lovely morning, Anne2 By thu
way, Anne, do you pronounce your las
name Bullen or Bolinn?"
And Anne, all ~a-iutter at being 80 ad
dressed by royalty, says:
Say it al you will, my liege, and II you'll
wait until my maid has strung my dimity
bodice I'll be right glad to join you in you
devotions. What do you think Of the weathe
outlook Is the glass falling? Shall l neeC
an umbrella?"
The glass is rising, Anne. It's wonder
hl weather for England. But anticipate
storms before long"
How prophetic the words!
Then Henry walks back and forth tArougl
The attractive village, all unwilling tina
eventually he is going to kill the prett,
woman who is getting ready TO &C to churcl
with him, and after half an hour or so Ann
comes down and joins old Bluebe@rd. an
hand in hand they walk through the color
ml corn fields and are soon at the churcI
porch.
They pass the quintet OF bell ringer
Who iangle the bells at sight Of royalty
and then they sit in the front pew an'
wait the professional. And Henry ind
NE lesson for the day in his copy o
NE King James version OF the Bible ant
vi @ey sing Onward, Christian Soldiers an'
Lead, Kindly Light together. and as a b
aajoks the King puts a royal button int