The National tribune., 1909-09-23

lOT several StIeetS Iui tiVi uo"u tne
sign Liberty again meets the eye;
and it is just the same with several
other popular firms, here, there and
everywhere. OF course, 1t is easy enough
10 see how this came about. IAs busi-
ness grew, and these merchants had to
enlarge their shops, they had to find
a home where they could. Rents, they
told us, We're something stupendous q
single window on some of thei business
streets renting for s125,000 year.
After emerging from the clutches of
Liberty happier, but much poorer, for
the experience, we turned ourselves in
the direction of the Tower and to mat
ters of quite different complexion. My
dear, do not be afraid; ] am not going
to describe the Tower. Altho you have
never been in London, l respect your
intelligence too much for that. But q
person seeing it for the first time can
not remain entirely quiet. and you must
| have patience with me for a few min
utes. 1t is tremendously impressive.
perhaps more so than anything else in
London. You cannot help feeling a
thrill when shown the spot where the
royal prisoners were executed, or the
| Traitors Gate, with its flight of wide
steps leading up from the black
Thames, for the water came up to the
very gate in the olden days when Anne
Boleyn and all the others We're brought
was once confined in the Tower for
few days. and when lifted from the
boat that brought her sat down on one
of the steps and refused to bulge As
the royal lady was not given red hair
for nothing, I'll bet they had some
trouble getting her into her dungeon
cell-Or wherever they put her The
tower where the poor little Prime IS
were kept and murdered was shown
us, but we were not allowed to enter.
| l didn't want to see il.
1t seems We had struck a free day,
and there were heaps of people seeing
the Tower as well as we. i should
think all the children in London had
| taken advantage of the occasion to visit
l this historic place. We went up little,
narrow, winding stairs, thru low, dark
passages. black with the dirt of ages
In one room, lighted only by Sits in
the stone, royal prisoners had been
kept and on the stone walls were vari-
Gus designs carved by the hands of
some of them. We were not shown
the dungeons.
The armor room interested me very
much. In days of old, when knights
were bold runs the song. You GER
tainly wouldn't think they could have
been very bold to look at that armor
When knights went out to battle in
those days every inch of them was
covered with heavy steel armor, and
the horses they rode were entirely COW
cred also, except their legs. Some of
the head pieces had round holes for
the eyes and some little Sits. We saw
the armor worn by Henry VIII, and
the gold armor worn by Charles l. How
much more brave are the soldiers of
the present day.
In another room of the armory was
very ingenious arrangement of fire
arms. The walls were covered with
| mic n1c IL
arranged in various designs, some rep
resenting flowers. 1t was really quite
pretty The crown jewels and plate,
the later consisting largely of huge
gold pitchers and dishes which are
used on state occasions, made brave
snow, as did also the coronation robes
of King Edward and Queen Alexandria.
His has much deeper erInine on II. but
the long train of hers is elegantly en-
broidered with gold flowers. and
the upper part, all over the. back, is
covered with little gold crowns, which
makes up. Both are of crimson velvet.
Edward wore very rich inside gar
ment. made of cloth of gold, on the
day he was crowned King of England.
which is also displayed. We remained
within the inclosure, all Of which
seems to be called the Tower, until
turned out by the officials. Oh, for
got to tell you that at every hand we
todians of the Tower, in their quaint,
red costumes and funny hats.
Let us go back to the hotel" / said
to Elizabeth, as we came out. Il have
supped on horrors till / am full to the
briIn, and I'm tired out, anyway
7 What about the Wallace collec-
tion?" quietly replied my companion.
You know, somebody told you that
you had better miss everything else In
London rather than that, and this is
absolutely the only time you'll have to
see IT.
, "Oh, of course. We have got to see
the Wallace collection" l said, "wheth-
er l live to tell the tale or not" let's &c
there at once"
So we turned ourselves to the bust
ness of finding that famous gallery,
and after some difficulty succeeded. II
: is a very handsome building, back from
the street, with high fence around it,
: and was once the private residence OF
Lord and Lady Wallace. He was the
illegitimate son of Lord Hertford. who
2 at his death, left him his wealth, but
1 not the title. The collection was begun
/ by some Lord Hertford way back, add
ed to very much by Lord Wallace, and
5 to the Government. At the head of the
= broad stairs leading to the large room
= where the pictures are displayed is 9
: marble bust of Lord Wallace, Lady
2 Wallace ana the father OF the former
I Lord Hcrtford. Both the men have
fine, strong faces. The collection is {
= wonderful gathering of all kinds o.
2 beautiful things. There is, for instance
Y case after case of small boxes, golt
s boxes, boxes studded with Jewels, boxe.
= eXquisitely carved, etc. 1t has many
f old, rare miniatures, the finest collec.
, ton of armor in the world, 1t is claim
ed, and a great many lovely and vaiua
BILE pictures. 1t is not "a large collec.
| ton and not a tircsome one to do,
for most of the rooms are small. Every
thing in 1t, however, is exceedingly
choice and rare. j remember one pic
ture by Carrot which interested me par.
ticularly, Macbeth and the Three
Witches" 1t represents Macbeth anC
Banquo on their horses, just emerging
from the woods and coming upon the
three wie~d sisters, standing together
with their arms extended The tone OF
the picture is brown, with that soft
hazy indistinctness which is character
istic of Carrot, and which in this case
seems to give suggestion of the super
natural.
And now not another word
Lovingly,
| &C. Anptv