The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-06

We left Paris at noon and after
passing through Flanders Fields (ful
of poppies), reached Bouiogne after
four. This was an interesting trip
along the British Front and we
could see the dugouts, trenches and
barbed wire entanglements. Amiens
does not appear to be badly damaged.
AT luncheon two .ayiators sat next US.
One of them lives across the street
from Eleanor She had never met
him but had seen his service flag.
Crossing the channel the siren
blew every minute because of the thick
fog. AS we were getting off the boat
at Fo1kstone, "a lieutenant took my
suitcase in exchange for a small pack
age. We got separated on the dock
and had to get by the customs Of
fcer with an unknown package. If
you had heard me talk to him you
would say it was waste OF time Tor
me to go to Blarney. The lieutenant
got three seats in real Pullman
chair car and we had dinner served
there He is from Asheville. We
reached London about eleven and the
Red Cross met us and sent US up to
the CurZon Hotel.
Thursday morning, Eleanor went to
her aunts home in Essex and to the
Van Deventers. Mrs. Van is looking
well and enjoying life, but thinks
there is no place like Sumter. Mr..
Van is in Paris. In the afternoon,
we visited Westminster Abbey. No
use wasting time describing it. II
ANYBODY is interested, look it up in
an encyc. I noticed a tablet to
sWragg, a South Carolinat Tory. In
the morning I attended mass at Cor
pus Christi Church. Corpus Christi
is holiday of obligation in England
In the evening Mrs Van took me to
Brompton: oratory, Cardinal New
mans church. It is Italian Renais-
@sance, one Of the finest churches J
have seen.
Friday morning went to eleven
o'clock mass at. st. James Church
where FIR. Benson has preached. At
ter mass we visited the British lnu-
scum. It is not as well arranged as
the Lonre.
In the afternoon we went to bene-.
Giction at the Immaculate Concep-
ton, the Jesuit church where Fir.
Vaughn stays.
On Saturday I went through the
Tower of London. The walls are full
of inscriptions made by famous people
who were imprisoned there. In the
evening we saw Eyes, Uncle" at the
Shaftesbury Theatre. It was quite a
relief to see an English show and to
understand the jokes.
8 Sunday we attended mass at West
minister Cathedral 1t viii be a Won
derfm church in future years but
at present is an architectural mon
strosity. It is brick inside and out.
Some Of the chapels are completed
and their walls are marble and mo-
sale. The entire church will be like
that when completed. At the Sacred
Hour" we had tea at Piccadilly and
while there met the Asheville lieuten-
ant. Drove through the slums of
London. ..Petticoat Lane the cor
ner made famous by "Jack the Rip
per. Bow Street Church where the
bells called to Dick Whiting and
PASSED the Old Curiosity shop. In the
evening Mrs. Van and went to Ben
ediction at St. Charles Barrameo's
church where we heard the best SER
mon I have heard for some time.
Monday morning I was passing the
naval headquarters and thought
would inquire about Willie CDR. Ne
GraIh is her cousin). was surprised
to find him there rs / supposed he
had gone home. He looks much Old
er than when I last saw him, but that
was six years ago. In the afternoon
had tea at the Piccadilly with Lieut..
Bernard (Asneville) and afterward
we had ices at the Regent Palace Ho-
tel. The English consume quarts and
quarts of tea. 1t is rather jolly Sit
ting in hotel lobbies drinking tea and
watching the crowd. In the evening
we saw the Belle Of New York. The
show was rather rotten but the the
atre-Lyceum-was< interesting be-
cause Henry Irving had played there
Tuesday morning spent at Madame
sTussaud's Wax Works. In the after
noon at five I left for Ireland, all
alone, as Eleanor had been sick and
didn't feel equal to the trip. You can
follow my itinerary on the enclosed
map. Two American girls (nurses
from Germany and very pleasant
elderly Englishman were my traS-
cling companions. The trip across
Wales was quite interesting at first
iaeaWuse of the scenery and later be
N1 of the coal MINES. We reacned
guard at midnight and six cock
found US on the way from RosslaHe
to Cork. The pleasant Engiishman
left us at Waterford. We reached
Cork about ten and took a. jaunting
ear 20 Blarney Castle. I was
astounded at the height Of the castle.
It is in much better preservation
than the Chateau, of Clisson. Two
American soldiers held US by our
wrists and ankles while we kissed the
Barney stone. 1t is rather ticklish
proposition as the ground rs more
than $50 feet below. There is no
doubt that the legend holds true for
at Cork l blarneyed a British r. Z. q.
into giving me military voucher.