The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-09-10
ENGLAND HAS MANY
RURAL SHRINES
History Is Preserved In
Ancient Parish
Churches.
MANY OF NORMAN PERIOD
WORK OF THE RESToRERS NOT
ALWAYS ARTISTIC.
MANY OF NORMAN PERIOD

London. Sept st has been said
II all the histories OF England were
burned they could be entirely rewrit-
ten from the parish churches They
are full of records of the past. in
stones, in brasses, I'm effigies. in win
dows and innumerable other articles
One can travel through this country
for weeks. visiting every mile or 50 a
fascinating little pile of stones full Of
curious old relics Of every age OF Bng-
lish life.
There was a book published few
years ago telling all about the many
inns along the country roads, havens
Of delight TO the weary walker or
rushing motorists. Another traveller
tells all about the country churches in
a fascinating volume published short
time ago. IL might be wise for some
body to try a combination Of these two
things. / have just walked fifty miles
through the country. and the country
churches and country inns are most
conveniently situated so as to make
splendid foils one to another. After
the inevitable breakfast OF tea, bacon
and eggs and marmalade. one can
stroll few minutes and come upon
charming old church that may be
few hundred years old and fun of in
teresting records OF the past
OF the Norman Period
some Of the churches show that
originally they were erected by the
pious pioneers of the Norman age.
Times changed and the new conditions
were met by busy hands of the Gothic
period. 1t Is easy to picture those
busy scenes when years and years
were spent I'm doing what. in these
days OF machinery. we can do in n few
months, and do so badly by compari-
SON Then you can see how after
generations spent In this labor on a
parish church along came the genera
tons OF men who were much wiser and
could see the folly Of beauty. Smash,
smash. smash went the hammer and
now we can contemplate the results
OF their ruthless piety which would not
tolerate beautiful statues and win
dovvs.
We see the wonderful figures OF our
Lord or the Virgin with the features
quite broken off. or lovely windows
through which the reforIncrs threw
big bricks in the interest of religion.
And again we see the return OF the re-
ligious feeling without the artistic
spirit. The churcaes were somewhat
restored" and all sorts of hybrid
monstrosities were placed in them.
The old Gothic churches seemed to be
structures carved out Of single rocks.
The decorations seemed to be growing
on the walls and in the inches. Every
thing was in harmony. But In this age
Of restoration the slabs and effigies
were plainly out OF keeping with the
general scheme OF the buildings, great
grOwths Of inartistic, ugly designs and
covered with flabby sentimentalities.
One writer recently expressed his idea
that the marble slabs in Canterbury
cathedral record the fictitious virtues
OF a lot Of nobodles"
The Church I'm Dorchester.
II was I'm Dorchester that 1 had a
hearty welcome. ! arrived after a
five-mile walk over the hills. looking
like a tramp. But the wears wife was
an American and therefore forgot my
appearance and took me all over the
beautiful old church. explaining its
many attractions. 10 Is one of the
best specimens in all England and has
been fortunate I'm its preservation and
restoration. One window. the Jesse
window. is unique among English
church windows. Il has suffered but
little and stands today with all OF its
remarkable tracery and little stone
saints. The figure Of the Blessed Vir-
gin and that OF the crucifixion have