it
'6
THE HESPERIAN
1
4
r
it
i
o
Jy bound in brown. She opened it, and saw name given to tho poker used by Irvine to
her name on the fly leaf, with the compli
ments of the anthor. Then ahe tnrned over
a few pages and came to a picture.
She looked at it long and earnestly,, and
then said, "Yes, that's jest Abe right over
stir the dying embers of tho wood fire in the
tiny grate, before which he sat in a straight
backed, old fashioned chair, lost in dreamy
meditation. In a corner of the room is the
old clock mentioned in his "Skotch Book,"
again. It looks like the very same neclme' and on the wafts hang pictures and writings
he woro the night we went to apellfn!r school! a flluatrious men who have visited this an-
togcther." cient tavern to pay their respects to tho
And then, with the pictnre before herr she memory of Shakespeare. It is not diffi-
sat looking into the fire for a long time. cult to imagine that this cos little parlor
Asxx Bado-D- was the rendezvous of Ben Johnson and
Drayton when they came from London to
see their old friend William, and that here
STRATFORD-ON-AVON.
Read hj O. J. Smith Ufw& tht Jfoswett tne7 together drank many a glass of good
Clul, Octoler 27, 1803. M ale.
Readers of William Winters "Shakes- UText morning, I wended my way along
pcare's England" who have not had the Bridge street nntil I stood by tho bank of
pleasure of visiting the scenes which he the winding Avon, not far from where the
pictures so beautifully, may be of the opin- grey arches of the old Clopton Bridge hid
ion that his respect and veneration for the peaceful river within its shades, and in
Shakespeare have led him to overdraw the a few minutes I was slowly strolling up the
charming simplicity of the home and aaso- stone walk, through the church yard leading
ciations of the immortal poet. The language to the church, old and grey, wherein Shakes
he uses may seem a little too "flowery" and peare was christened on April 26, 1564. I
not at all a true description of the natural could not but feel in a serious humor in my
beauty of Stratford-on-Avon. But a vis- dreamy surroundings, as I noted the several
itor to this quiet village cannot fail to see inscriptions on the tombstones heavily laden
how Winters' descriptions, so delightful and with moss of ages, shaded from the sun, rain
enchanting, fall short of the truth, and the and storm by overhanging lime trees. It is
pilgrim's visions of reality will far exceed not easy to describe the feeling of perfect
his expectations. peace that possesses one on his visit to this
I well remember the evening of August church. The very stones on which you walk
2J), 1802, when 1 stepped from the train at mark the resting place of many an old dwell-
8tratford-on-Avon, and shortly after stood er in Stratford, and one unconsciously steps
before tho arched entrance to the Red Horse with easy tread lest ho may disturb their
Inn on Bridge Street. 1 was ushered in peaceful slumber. Near tho door, within a
through n narrow covered court adjacent to glass case, is to bo seen tho old church reg-
tho Inn stables and ascended a low stairway ister, and on the right hand page nearly half
to tho of Hoc of mine host, a long hallway way down can bo discerned the entry made
fillod with relics of varying description, hav- of the baptism of William Shakespeare on
ing more tho appearance of a minaturo mu April 26, 1564. A few feet away stands
soum. Most American visitors at Stratford the stone baptismal font in which the infant
stop at this Inn, for its roof gave shelter to William was christened. One cannot look
Washington Irving on his pilgrimage to the upon it bat with reverence. Tho pews of
shrine of Shakespeare. In a small, almost the church are wooden, and look old, as well
squaro, room, near tho entrance to tho Inn, they might from tho ago of sovon centuries
is to bo scon Geoffrey Crayon's Sceptre, a or moro, and tho sun through tho gothic
ifmmiMqnmttmmmm
