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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1893)
USkg THE HESPERIAN 7 windows casts upon tho archod ceilings, and plaster. Tho windows nro small and brownod with ago, a roiloction of sonibro on tho outsido wails of tho houso are narrow light which fills us with a sort of pleasing handed strips running vertically and hori- thoiightfulnoss, as wo reverently troad tho zontally. Its gonoral appearance has changed gray stono slabs covoring tho romains of do- moro or loss from that of its early days as it parted porsons, and in deep meditation wo was necessary to repair it from timo to tirao, stand boforo tho gravo of Shakespeare Tho boing used for difforont purposes by its many chancel railing keeps tho visitor without tho owners, as their poverty required. It was continuous lino of blue grey slab stones, undor built probably about tho time of William tho which Ho tho family of tho poet. To tho ox- Conqueror, and was occupied by Shako- tremo loft, close to tho wall, lies Shakos- spearo's father in 1555 until 1601, when it pearo's wife, next to her tho poet himsolf, became tho property of tho poet by descent, and inscribed on tho stono ovor his gravo are From tho stroot ono stops diroctly into a tho well known words which aro apt to fill r00m with a flag stono floor and a low coil- the mind of tho visitor with a kind of horror ig. To the right is a largo open firo-placo mingled with superstition. with a small stono seat on oithor side, on "Good friend for Jesus' sake forbeare, To digg the dust encloased hear, Blese be ye may yt spares thes stones Ane curst be lie yt moves my bones." On tho loft wall near what is known as tho "American "Window," restB a bust of Shakespeare, cut by ono Girard Johnson, which no doubt many a winter evening Shakespeare sat and droamed, and built pleasant visions of fancy as tho flames rolled up tho wide chimney from the tiro at his foot. From this room I passed up an old stairway almost worn through and stood on a wooden floor in which tho heads of tho native of Amsterdam, supposed to bo copied nails glistened like silver. Tho plastering from a mask of tho features taken after on tho ceiling, which I could easily reach death. 1 spent an hour in tho church ex- with my hand, was entirely covered with ploring its several nooks and corners, ofton names of persons who had in former times times sitting down in ono of tho straight visited tho place. A portion of tho wall backed pews, lost in revery by tho solemnity which had throatonod to fall in had boon of my surroundings. With regret 1 turned covered with a lace work of laths. In tho my face to tho door, glancing as I passed at middle of tho wost wall facing tho street was tho little stono font and tho registor which tho original window, and on its little square marks to the world its first authentic knowl- panes of white glass wero scratched many edge of tho life of William Shakespeare, names. One I noticed in particular was Again I slowly walked down tho avonuo of "W. Scott," writton by Sir Walter Scott tombstones, passod through tho gate to tho when on his visit to tho homo of Shako- . church yard into tho street. Tho poaopful spearo. Edmund Koan had written his Avon is only a few rods distant flowing on name on a portion of tho chimney piece, to tho Severn. Thoro is almost a deathlike Tho name of Thackeray appeared on tho ceil- stillnoss everywhere, and it is only now and ing closo beside that of Holon Faucet. So then that tho traveler may meet any of tho also aro to bo soon tho names of Charles residents of Stratford in this solemn and Dickons, Lord Byron and a host of othors rovored spot. who had como to do homage to so illustrious A short distance from tho intersection of a man. In ono corner of tho room stands an High and Bridge streets which marks tho old chair and on a table to tho right of the center of tho village, on Honry street stands door as you enter is a marble bust of Shako- tho houso, in which Shakospoaro was born; a spoaro. Horo it is said Shakespeare was littlo two Btory cottage built of hewn timber born. In another room aro shown many rOr ,Aki
