Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-11-11

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and understand 1t. But for all that II
is a delight to hear 1t even In the
broken English Of London. And we
sympathlzed with big "Learod"-orI
was 1t little "Othesis?" -who, in far
off India, longed "for London and
the stinks of 'er."
But this is far afield from West
minister Abbey, where we did our first
sightseeing. 1t is great gray pile
like all London public buildings in
its gray aspect, white and hoary
above the dust zone, and black and
grimy below. Inside the Gothic eff
feet of all Northern churches, any
essential particular from the Catho-
lie churches of the English; Just as
the Episcopal churches Of Italy were
as gaudy as Catholic churches. Taste
In building does not divide by creeds.
It divides on race lines. And West
minister Abbey is an expression OF a
people and not Of a doctrine. The
walls and the columns Of the inside
Of the church are bedecked and da-
doed and warted all over with statues
mostly bad-of men Of small repu-
ton, who had the price to put them
there. Only in the so-called poets
corner is there an acre Of real fame.
There are busts and tablets and tombs
and brass name plates to men who
have made English literature. But
they occupy but small part Of the
cathedral. And they are SO crowded
together-are these poets and au-
thors SO crowded together-that one
has to walk over the floor slabs that
lie upon them. 1t seems sacrilege
to see great throngs walking idly
over the graves of Browning and
Chaucer and Dickens and the great
men Of our letters, but they didn't
mind it, and doubtless we were walk
ing as idly over the graves Of scores
and scores of other men, though
there men were unknown to us, and
their friends were probably shocked,
too. For to us they were soldiers and
politicians; and our idols to them
were scribblers, who never cooked q
cannon. But they all are dust now,
and the service in the great church
goes on day after day, year after
i year, century after century, above the
dust, pointing the way to the only
thing in the world which is not dust
in the end. We heard the service
once. 1t is high church and extreme
ly formal; one hears the same boy In
| Westminster drawing stick rapid
ly along a paling fence that he hears
In Rome when thee priest intones q
mass. 1t may inspire religion In some
hearts to hear the holy father bur
ring along like a sausage grinder
but the subscriber hereto went to the
Methodist Sunday school too long In
Eldorado to be much impressed by
mechanical aids to prayer. So we
had to wait until the services in West
minister Abbey were finished before
we got into the spirit Of the place
And the spirit of Westminster is his.
toric, rather than religious. Here
is the great stone throne on which all
the English kings have been crowned
for nearly a thousand years-ths
stone of destiny" which looks like
stone fence post in Center town
ship.
And here is the early burial place
Of the early kings and queens Of the
land. Cromwell spoiled 1t bit,
But Just at that time veneration fol
: kings needed a little mutilation and
. England is better for the desecra'
| lions Of the Roundheads In the coun'
try right now. But we Americans
should not complain of the way w
: have been treated here. Among al
the military heroes celebrated in thu
place only two fought US, And ONT
} of,them was Major Andre. We hav'
Longfellow's bust here In the poets
. corner, and there Is memorial tab
let to John and Charles Wesley, II
! the Abbey. And though they are no
{ Americans their theology and thei
: religion have their greatest strength
; in America, and some way when on
. sees them honored. an American feel
. at home. He forgets the dull dron'
Of the priests and feels priyileged b
. shout.
II viii pay to disgress here to se
) II down that In no place else 4
: Europe, that we havse visited, doe
: the American see his flag honored an
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