The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1910-09-16

disposed OF InlS plan lot we arrived
in a perfect downpour of rain.
AS the small cherub said as he sal
upon the inverted wine glass, there
was nothing doing" for US in STRAIT
ford that night. We went directly to
the Golden Lion, which in the Bard of
Avon's time was the Peacock Inn, and
settled down into as hard beds as ii
has been our lot to find. But the Lion
is quaint old place, with its open
bar and writing rooms on the first
floor, it's narrow and straight stairs
leading to the second floor with the
dining room and the bed rooms and
still another floor with quaint little
sleeping rooms. We had become so
used to many courses whether there
was much to eat or not that we ex-
pected to keep it up here. AS some
of US were not hungry for the first
luncheon, we thought to skip a course
OF two and finish writing postals, a
tourists permanent occupation. But
4hlpo I1OWdIu uloouducu uo1 cNluoAIly
knowing more than she told When
that luncheon was served it consisted
of first course, cold meat, potato and
bread; second course, cheese and
crackers-where would be have been
without the first course? The baker
man lived just across the street and
ba must bouo q f1ouricbipU h,,cipacc
But nothing should be said against the
Golden Lion for 1t makes you think of
an old farm house rather than an
hotel and anything you want, they
will get you if they can and be sorry
they can do no better.
And this is Shakespeare's town,
this quaint English village with its
one object of alteration. They are all
full of the subject and nothing much
matters what you say about William
(they never claim him to have been a
saint if you do not advance the Bacon
theory. They do not dispose of it ex-
actly as does John Kendrick Bangs
THAT Shakespear wrote the plays, It's
plain to me.
Lord Bacon's claims condemned be-
fore the bar
He'd not have writ What fools these
mortals be;
But more correct, What fools these
mortals are"
But then they all say that William
was no myth and that he did write
the plays and no one else had finger
in the pudding.
We walked down to John Shake
speare's house where this gifted son
was born and went about the house
viewing the relics Of the days when
the plays were being made. We saw
the book from which he probably drew
much of his material and copies Of the
tribute paid him by his contemporary
les, beside the first folios of the plays
published. The old house has seen
many changes and early in the last
century, it was much reconstructed
md the lower floor used for a butcher
shop. However, 1t has been entirely
estored so that William could find his
way around, did he come home. Up
he little winding staircase, into the
ow ceilinged room, we went into the
most interesting Of all the spots con-
lected with the history-the birth
hamber, where new hopes and aspir-
tion came to Mary Arden when her
on first saw the light of day. 1t was I
goodly room for the times, I'M :
oubtedly and the rough hewn boards =
nd heavy beams indicated that it was .
he substantial home of sturdy fam =
y of no mean position. Was not the Z
Mother something of an heiress and =
he father was very soon to be the :
mayor of the town, and here was O
ew arrival, who was to bring all the !
World to his feet. A genius came to {
he world on that day in that little \
hamber, into which the light stream \
d through tiny panes of glass. But y
20 NdhhON AOht hNAN vi wa | q
am went to school and so we went G
D the Grammar school, near the r
hapel to stand upon the spot where
is desk stood, although the desk n
lands now in a room of the Shake
peare home, Il was painfully near h
he masters desk, which may indicate
hat the master was only particularly ?
md OF this budding genius. However,
be desk is rather badly defaced, as \
chool desks are you know, and If q
William did his share of the work, h
here may have been ineligible rea-
on for the position of his desk. A .
TRANCE. thing about the building was
nat other rooms were. used for thei
of municipal business.
In the afternoon, Wednesday, we
-ent little further into his opening
fe and down to Shotlery we travelled
, see Anne Hathaway's cottage and I