The Washington herald., 1907-03-24

Mondays and Saturdays are Tree Gays
but the only expense is cd. for the
srmory and Cd for regalia, OF seeing
the crown Jewels. so 1t IS worth a shili-
ing to escape the crowd on free days
The White Tower, erected by William
the Conqueror in 1913. standing IN the
center OF the group. is supposed to be the
original tower, and although white in
name. the whole history Of the tower is
red with the blood of its victims, and
its walls still speak eloquently Of the un-
fortunates who pined away the long
years in its dark and grim cells A little
prison room. but eight by ten feat will
be shown US. where. for thirteen endless,
long years. the bold and fearless Walter
Raleigh languished. Here in the gloom OF
prison walls the brave prisoners OF Scot
lands wars were immured, and from the
tower the noble Wallace was led forth 10
death and mutilauon. In the courtyard
We will see the very spot where the gen
tie Lady Jane Grey was ruthlessly muir
deged by the headsman, and here, too,
poor Anne Boleyn went to the block,
with her dying breath praying for her
husband, the lecheFous monster, Henry
VII. who had a signal gun fired at the
moment she was beheaded that he might
know he was rid Of her without any de-
lay
The armory is particularly interesting,
and the weapons and suits OF armor are
so arranged that they show the changes
made by the centuries. The guards or
''beef eaters" are most polite and affable.
and are old soldiers given the position
OF warder as reward for meritorious serv-
ice. and in their quaint medieval cos
TUNES, with big rufs and beribboned
shoes. tall staff Of Office, and ''beef-eater
hat" they are a sight in themselves.
The crown Jewels. shown in large
glass case, surrounded by an iron cage,
which is guarded 10y two armed guards,
contains crowns, ScepteTs. and other
precious emblems incrusted with jewels
TO the value OF s6,00o0o0. The famous
Kohinoor diamond C'Mountain Of Light,
largest diamond known, was taken from
the Rajah of Lahore when the English
conquered the Punjab) is not IN this col
lection. but kept at Windsor Castle.
Possibly nothing we have seen viii SO
affect us as the grewsome spot, under
the stone steps Of the dark staircase
passing through the ifteen-foot thick
walls of the White Tower, the very spot
where the bones of the two little
princes" imprisoned and murdered by
their base uncle. Richard III. were found,
Time is up. and the evening OF the
twentieth day we must say adieu q
London and go on TO oxford. where We
will spend the night. Next morning after
breakfast We win sally forth 20 take a
look at the great university town, with
its twenty-one colleges and three halls
We viii start with Christ Church Col
lege, founded by Cardinal Wolsey. The
great ben in the tower C'Great Tom
every. evening at 9 o'clock rings q curfew
of 101 peals. in honor of the number OF
students at the foundation. The Tom
Quad the large quadrangle around the
college is the finest in all Oxford
There is a great similarity between OK
ford and Cambridge which VIII somewhat
affect us-for It wiH be like a twice-told
tale-bGt the University Of Oxford takes
first rank. There are three colleges. OF
"halls, for women at Oxford The schol-
arship of the women IS tested by the
same examination papers as the men, but
they have separate classrooms. and arC
not allowed to take a degree.
The afternoon train viii land US in
Warwick. and we shall put up at the
quaint little Crown Inn II stands al the
corner, OF two stories only in height, but
with a multitude Of windows all with
charming little fresh dimity sash curtains
and the most adorable of easement win
dows, with tiny panes Of loaded glass
which swing wide open, and on every
sill box Of blooming flowers. Never viii
] forget the window boxes of the Crown
with their wealth Of blossoms in the ma
with ivy and creeping vines growing in
festoOns Of riOtous sQlendOr almost u
the ground. ] asked the buxom English
lass, who came to tidy up my room. how
they made the flowers grow so luXuriaut
ly. LOW does We make 'em grow? We
d0esn't-hit's the rain. mani"
Long before this time we shall have
realized how England is blessed in having
a lower class" Never can better domes
tics be asked for or found, and the polite
dainty, little English maids, with theil
pretty voices, spotless caps and aprons
and obliglng manners. are indeed a reve-
lation to those of as who have 10 depend
upon negro help in Washington
In the Crown is a delightful little tar
room, where we can see a osy-cheekeC
'barmaid" draw foamy glass of cal
an air or "a mug Of beer from shining
faucets which CLEAN like gold. Every
thing Is so clean. so sDOtlessly neat. We
feel as If our shoes must soil the snow
white floors, and % tell the truth, nothing
abroad gave me more real pleasure thar
these charming foreign, little. oId-fashion
ed inns with their quaintness and out-of
date furnishings. and of all countries tht
English inns are the most delightful.
Warwick IS picturesque little place
but the castle is its only real attraction
for the mulutudcs who STOP here on theil
way 10 visit Kenilworth and Stratford-on
Avon. The castle is the present home OF
the beautiful Countess of Warwick, IA
nous as a radical labor agitator, and
known all over Europe because OF hel
weakness in keeping royal secrets. as III,
''BabbHng Qady) Brook" She is yer,
fond of her little son. and Of her and hi.
many pets. and glimpses may be caught
of her oftentimes in the castle ground
feeding the tame deer, or playing Will
the dogs, her small son by her side from
the little rustic bridge which crosses tn,
Avon. There II is out az last There il
no such thing as the River Avon. II il
just the dearest iittle stream, not mucl
more than a brook and SO shallow tha
It certainly looks az II one could wad,
across It in many places 1 was seoldeC
for my loud cry OF dismay. This. IN,
River Avon? Why this Is nothing-noth
ing but a brook" standing on this very
little bridge, for 2 magnificent Englisi
turnout was within earshot and thel
could not feel cOmplimented by mI
American frankness. I often wonder wha
the English I'm America think of our PO
tOmacs-so-called creeks" in which hun
dreds Of River Avons would not count
or Of the Potomac itself where. calle,
merely river. 1t spreads out int
majestic bays. equaled in beauty but sci
dom. and nowhere excelled.