The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-28

By c. +. MARKELL

| fleeing unseen from oxford castle across
the river and long miles of snow to
| Abingdon to renew once more the strug-
| gle against stephen. These and many
rival scenes would embarrass his choice
In each and every century. and when he
] had completed his collection he would find
the scenes so typical and the events so
! important that they could as justly be
| called Scenes from English History"
as from Thames history. This Is indeed
| the peculiar glory of the Thames, for
within the small compass of 100 miles 1t
shows just what is most characteristic
| in English scenery, history and modern
! life. The monuments of the past, the
placid and prosperous life of the present,
the quiet, pastoral beauty of meadow.
woodland and silver stream are all seen
here and all at their best.
| 1t would, however, be a most diff
cult task to decide which season to Sc
lect when the river and its valley are
seen at their best Owing to English
holiday habits, the stream is most fire.
quented in the month of August The
Ascot Heath events and the Henley
regatta are held in late June. so that
to see the world and his wife as they
| live in Great Britain one would select
either of these months. For scenic
beauty May claims the prestige, for
| then it is that the rich foliage, the
| fugitive blossoms of the trees, the col
ors of the meadow howers.e the river
| side houses and lawns are all at their
best. The fresh green of the hills and
| fields has not yet been scorched by
the sun nor worn and Uttered by pic
| hics. Steamers and hotels have an
ar of quiet se1ectness which they can
scarcely retain in the more popular
months. But probably best of all is
September, for while the freshness of
an awakening season and the long,
/ lingering days of early summer are
| lost, they are supplanted by the most
wonderful atmospheric effects that no
other month can offer. The golden
morning haze adds distance to every
perspective and lends touch of mys-
terry to familiar scenes, and then, while
slowly dispensing before the later sun,
still mellows the colors and softens
the outline of every landscape. The
| long reaches of placid water look as
still on these breathless mornings as if
no ripple had ever vexed their surface,
and such merely pretty scene becomes
ii memorable picture. To the first trip
per" | would say see the Thames in
June or July, but for the second visit
| would unquestionably recommend
| the early autumn. Nor can I be too
eXtravagant in my praise of the COM
| fort of the steamers which ply the
passengers and every means is devised
to serve the pleasure and caprice of
! the traveller. The decks are high above
the banks of the stream and command
an extended view, while protection
| from rain and sun is carefully looked
| after The boats stop at noon for lunch
con at admirably provisoned hotels,
while refreshments and afternoon teas
are served on board
|
| l embraced the opportunity to make
| portion of one of these trips down the
| Thames last summer. | had gone to
Hampton court one Sunday afternoon, but
! found the palace closed to visitors on
| account of the recent outrages perpe-
| trated by the suffragettes. Indeed, the
| entire summer trip was marred in nc lit :
| tie degree by this closing of public places
| against the visitors. 1t was with diff,
| Guilty 1 got into the Parliament houses
at London; at Holyrood in Edinburg l
first was compelled to procure an intro
| duction in writing from the United
| States consul at that place and then to
| obtain written permit from the civic
| authorities. Even with all this modus
| operandi | was conducted through the
palace in squad of 10 persons and not
permitted TO stray 20 feet from my guide
Deeming my visit to Hampton court
spoiled, determined to spend the after
noon upon the Thames and took the Lon
don boat, which I discarded at Kew.
| The scene was a perfect Kaleidoscope Of
living cubes. / passed miles of richly
furnished houseboats that were palaces
in themselves. Lace curtains adorned the
windows, flowers embellsh the Verandss s
and the tones of the piano foated from
| within out over the water. A line of
boats, punts, canoes and barges parked
| both of the banks for the entire distance
| In the sraft were women in bright col
ors. rowing, sculling and punting, or
| singing as they azily reclined in a pro-
| fusion of pillows. Others were fishing
and others again were eating their
lunches in superb equipments that would
| have put to shame the lavish outlay of
Cleopatra III her famed prandial conceits
upon the Nile 1t was dolce far niente
in its most extravagant aspect and If
ever life approached dream it was upon
that Sunday. afternoon floating down the
| Thames. The atmosphere was redolenu
with floral perfume, resonant with sweet
| music and permeated with human con-
tentment. No need to sigh for a para
disc amid such pleasures and glories as
| then enyironed me.
The innumerable riparian villas We're
palatial in character. half buried in
floral bowers. ensconced in groves OF
stately trees and capping a lawn of
softest green or crowning an eninence
of ivy-garbed profuSion. Amid this
swaying tracery of arboreal luxurious-
ness a declining sun was flinging it's
shafts of golden barb and causing the
shadow to coquet with roguish mate
in a trolls minuet athwart the lawns
of shimmering sheen and dia phanous
lustre.
Time passed too quickly and ere
knew 1T l was at Kew. There / visited
the world famous gardens and as |
wandered through maze and labyrinth
, nf -Ifn ma Inf trln ar.I
I kept repeating to myself: How
only falls on flowers"
| 1t would be sheer folly to attempt
any description of the Incompatible
grandeur of these gardens. Suffice ii
to say that among its innumerable
characteristic charms. the hot houses
, form little village in themselves and
miles of brilliant variagated flowers
| line the walks. But what shall | say
, of the Victoria Regis, that queen OF
! flowers that only blooms in August
, and whose transcendent beauty thrills
, and enthrals the beholder? Or now can
do justice to the royal orchids that
! dazzle and delight the eye? There Were
, orchids with the purity of a seraph $
? pinion; orchids as fragments Of rain
. bows; orchids as shreds of Imprisoned
! glory; orchids of transfiXed flame: or
, chids of tridescent madreperola; orchids
, of silken sails; orchids of sun bur-
nished gems and sun-painted velvet
: orchids of diaphanous sheen. pale pei
lucidity and vivid transparency; or
nh dc hot Unf nAfc sn,I