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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1895, by 
 
 CHARLES J. BUTLER. 
 
 In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
yW» 
 
R Bachelor's ^anpbles 
 
 THROUGH 
 
 Tfye British Isles. 
 
 By Ciias. J. Butler. 
 
 CAMDEN, N.J.: 
 
 I.OUIS B. COX, PRINTER, 764 FEDERAL ST 
 
 1895. 
 
J?4 
 
^To my friends 
 
 on both sides of the broad Atlantic, 
 
 %his S°3& 
 
 is affectionately dedicated by the author, 
 
 Qhas. § m Sutler, 
 
 gamden, New Jersey, 1895. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 T A /HEN I was a small boy we lived near a family 
 ^ who came from County Wicklow, Ireland. I 
 was always intensely interested in hearing them describe 
 the beauties of that country. A desire took hold of 
 me to see the land beyond the broad Atlantic. This 
 desire grew stronger as I heard and read descriptions 
 of the British Isles in later years, but I always con- 
 sidered Old Ocean rather treacherous, and never felt 
 like trusting myself to her care. Not until within a 
 few months prior to taking the trip did I begin .to 
 think more favorably of her. The Sunday previous to 
 sailing was very stormjr, and calculated to make one 
 rather pensive who was about to launch out on the 
 uncertainties of the great deep. I spent a part of the 
 day with some friends, one of whom, seating himself 
 at the organ, began playing and singing for my especial 
 benefit. His selections were of such a character as to 
 make me feel I was spending my last Sabbath on 
 earth; that somewhere between dear old America and 
 the shores of England, Old Ocean would cover me over 
 and keep me hidden away until Gabriel blew his 
 trumpet. However, I was undaunted by the dark pic- 
 ture presented, and took the never-to-be-regretted trip, 
 my enjoyment of which, together with some historic 
 facts, I have endeavored, in my homespun way, to 
 bring before my readers. C. J. B. 
 
 November 3, 1895. 
 
The "Southwark." 
 
 By Chas. J. Butler. 
 
 The " Southwark," noble ship, came forth 
 
 Old Ocean's waves to breast, 
 Just as the golden light of day 
 
 Was sinking in the west. 
 
 Soon Night her sable mantle spread 
 
 Out o'er our trackless way ; 
 The stars peeped out, and o'er us watched 
 
 'Till breaking of the day. 
 
 Old Ocean kindly smiled on us ; 
 
 She scarcely heaved a sigh ; 
 She seemed just like a happy lass, 
 
 When naught of care is nigh. 
 
 But, ah, the winds from far away, 
 
 Some secret trouble brought ; 
 She sighed, and moaned and cried aloud, 
 
 As for relief she sought. 
 
 But still our noble ship pressed on, 
 
 Her mission to perform ; 
 To bear those trusted to her care, 
 
 Safe through the raging storm. 
 
 Safe in the harbor now, at last, 
 
 Our ship doth calmly rest, 
 Just as a little wearied child 
 
 Sleeps on its mother's breast. 
 
 Thou, Ruler of the land and sea, 
 
 Thanks unto Thee, who gave 
 To man the power to guide our ship 
 
 Safe through each crested wave. 
 
 Written at Sea, June, 1895. 
 
A Bachelor's Rambles Through the 
 British Isles. 
 
 Seaward Bound. 
 
 KDNESDAY, May 23, 1894, I em- 
 barked on the new and well-equipped 
 steamer ' ' Southwark , ' ' sailing from 
 Philadelphia to Liverpool, England. 
 When I purchased my ticket I was 
 assigned to room No. 19, and had 
 my luggage snugly packed away 
 there for the voyage. Some of my 
 friends who came to bid me adieu 
 wished to see my quarters, so I led the way to 
 the stateroom, and was about entering when the old 
 Scotch steward called to me and said : " My lad, there 
 is a woman and some children in that room." I said 
 to him, " how is that ?" I knew I had made no con- 
 tract like that ; it was rather a heavy responsibility for 
 a bachelor to assume the care of a lady and three 
 children on a voyage of three thousand miles. I said : 
 " My ticket calls for 19." "And so does the lady's," 
 he replied. Sure enough, she was there with the trio, 
 holding the fort. We hurried off on the wharf to see 
 the agent. He informed me they were compelled to 
 make a change, and neglected to notify me. I was 
 given one of the officers ' rooms on the outside of the 
 ship, which was preferable to the one* I had been 
 assigned. 
 
8 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 When I grasped the hands of my friends and bade 
 them farewell, a strong desire took hold of me to 
 gather up my bundles and go ashore with them, but I 
 knew if I did, I should have to go into exile out in the 
 Jersey pines, or be subject to the sport of those to 
 whom I had talked of the trip so enthusiastically. A 
 feeling of sadness crept over me as I saw the last line 
 cast off, and we slowly drifted away from the grand 
 old city with which I have been so familiar the most of 
 my life. We steamed down the river, expecting to 
 reach the Capes about 5 P. m., but when opposite 
 Marcus Hook, Pa., we dropped anchor. The question 
 was passed from one to another : ' ' What is the mat- 
 ter ?" Finally some one reported : ' ' They are making 
 some repairs to the engine." Just a few days before 
 
 sailing I was introduced by my friend, Dr. S r, to 
 
 Mr. A M and wife, of Philadelphia, and to 
 
 Mrs. D and family, of Cleveland, O. Aside from 
 
 them, I knew no one on shipboard. Both families 
 were returning to Nottingham, England, to make that 
 their home again. We saw the sun drop down behind 
 the western hills, and our ship still in the same posi- 
 tion, with little prospect of leaving soon. One of the 
 
 Miss D 's played several piano solos for us, and the 
 
 evening was passed very pleasantly. I retired at 
 10:30 ; could still see the lights along the shores of 
 Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The pilot who was to 
 take us as far as the Capes roomed with me. He said 
 he thought we would leave about 1 a. m., on the high 
 water. In conversation with him, I learned that he 
 
 was a Mr. B , of Cape May City, and was acquainted 
 
 with a number of my friends. I told him I was feel- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 9 
 
 ing rather blue. He said he thought I would soon 
 change color. 
 
 Thursday, May 24. — I was awakened about 3 
 a. m. by some one calling for the pilot. When he 
 returned he said we would not be able to leave until 
 the dense fog lifted. When I arose I found the heavy 
 mist hiding the land from our view. I formed the 
 acquaintance of Dr. R , a son of one of the promi- 
 nent ministers of the Philadelphia Conference. He 
 was alone, and in the same frame of mind as myself — 
 inclined to look back toward home and talk of the 
 friends there. He was going to England and Germany 
 to complete his education. He proved to be a very 
 genial companion. When the gong sounded the invi- 
 tation for dinner I had a good opportunity of seeing 
 the ship's company. There were about 180 cabin 
 passengers. Most of them I found to be very excellent 
 people. Quite a number were from the West. The 
 tables were laden with a good supply of food, and the 
 steward, with his efficient corps of assistants, gave us 
 the best of attention. The officers were kind, obliging 
 men. I began to feel we were in a good, seaworthy 
 ship, and one that was well manned ; and it proved to 
 be so. They lifted the huge piece of iron that had 
 held us fast for nearly twenty-four hours, and we 
 started seaward. We soon passed all the familiar 
 towns on the Delaware and were in the broad bay, 
 with the prospect of a kind reception from Old Ocean. 
 But we had not proceeded far before I discovered a 
 very ominous looking cloud in the southwest. The 
 lightning soon began to flash and the thunder roll, and 
 I concluded the elements were about to give us a grand 
 
io A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 sendoff. I had begun a correspondence with some 
 who were especially interested in the tall lad of more 
 than thirty summers ; the pilot kindly consented to 
 post my letters. When we reached the Breakwater a 
 small boat came up alongside the ship to take the pilot 
 off. When I bade him good-bye I felt as though I was 
 parting with an old friend. I noticed them bringing a 
 very seedy looking character from the steerage. They 
 hustled him down the ladder into the boat with the 
 pilot, and then threw his old shoes and bundle in after 
 him. He was what they call a stowaway. A look of 
 disappointment crept over his face as they pulled away 
 for the pilot boat, lying off in the distance. At 7:15 
 we passed out to sea. We ran beyond the reach of the 
 storm in a short time. Soon the last vestige of land 
 had disappeared, and we were speeding our way across 
 the trackless ocean. I prepared myself for whatever 
 demand Old " Neptune " might make upon me, but, 
 to my surprise, he gave me the go-by. I seated myself 
 on deck with my friends, thinking, after all, I might 
 prove to be more seaworthy than I anticipated. I had 
 my autoharp with me, and gave them a few selections, 
 such as " Home, Sweet Home." It was quite in har- 
 mony with their feelings, as well as my own. Some 
 one finally suggested that we adjourn to the saloon and 
 
 have some singing. It was agreed to. Miss D 
 
 presided at the piano. We sang some familiar pieces, 
 
 the entire company joining. Mr. M has a fine 
 
 voice, and gave us some excellent selections. I lost 
 sight of the fact I was fast leaving America in the dis- 
 tance. They all expressed themselves as having spent 
 the evening very pleasantly. That was the beginning 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. n 
 
 of good times on the ship. I retired at 10:30, com- 
 mitting myself to the care of Him ' ' who holds the 
 great deep in the hollow of His hand." 
 
 Friday, May 25. — I was awakened at 4 a. m. by 
 voices pitched in a very high key. I listened, and 
 presently I understood one of the lads to say : " Ye'er 
 a liar!" I thought, now we are about to have the 
 monotony of ship lite broken by a free fight. I waited 
 to learn what the result of an assertion like that would 
 be. In a few moments a son of the Emerald Isle 
 lifted up his voice and shouted : " Lift them higher." 
 Then I understood what it meant. They were lifting 
 the ashes from the hold of the ship, and instead of it 
 being " ye'er a liar," it was " lift the bucket higher." 
 I laid down in peace and slept until 6:30, when I found 
 the ship rolling considerably, and it had a tendency to 
 take the edge off my appetite. However, when the 
 gong sounded the invitation for the morning meal, I 
 entered the saloon with the faithful few. But my stay 
 was very brief. ' ' Neptune ' ' had at last found me out, 
 and demanded a settlement at once. I reluctantly 
 gave up all the stock I had on hand. After this busi- 
 ness transaction with the old gent, I decided not to lay 
 in another supply for the present. I concluded to try 
 a little poetry. I had a copy of Whittier's poems with 
 
 me, and I suggested to Dr. R that we find some 
 
 quiet place and spend a little time with the grand old 
 Quaker poet, which we did, until the call came for 
 dinner. The doctor obeyed the summons cheerfully, 
 but I slowly wended my way to the dining-room. I 
 did my best to relieve the table of its burden, but, 
 when I had finished my first course, concluded to 
 
12 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 adjourn, to meet there again- under more favorable cir- 
 cumstances. The doctor finally joined me again, and 
 we resumed our reading. Suddenly things began to 
 be rather prosy with me. I excused myself, and went 
 on the • double-quick to the side of the ship, and, as I 
 gazed down into the dark blue sea, I wondered when I 
 would see the last of that first course. That was the 
 last time during the voyage that I was called on for a 
 contribution. I became acquainted with many more of 
 the passengers, among the number a very excellent 
 man and his wife and daughter from Peoria, 111. He, 
 with quite a number of others, was returning to the 
 home of his childhood on a visit. After tea we 
 assembled on deck and spent the time in singing and 
 pleasant conversation, until I almost lost sight of the 
 fact I was on the broad Atlantic, whose bosom had 
 been swept by the storms of ages. Some one discov- 
 ered the lights of a ship far away in the distance. As 
 it drew near our ship signalled her, and she displayed 
 her friendly light, which we watched with a great deal 
 of interest. Soon she disappeared. Some one quoted, 
 very appropriately: "The ships that pass in the 
 night." We had some fine talent on board. They 
 were arranging for a concert to be given on the evening 
 of Decoration Day. 
 
 Saturday, May 26. — When I came out on deck I 
 felt better able to meet the day than I did the morning 
 previous. I managed to adjust my sea legs so that I 
 kept step a trifle better. We amused ourselves with 
 various games and with the usual promenade on deck. 
 I styled it the boardwalk. I began to enjoy "life on 
 the ocean wave." I ensrasred in conversation with a 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 13 
 
 very interesting lad who was travelling alone. He 
 was on his way to Antwerp to join his father and 
 mother. It was quite an undertaking for one so young, 
 but he seemed equal to it. We had with us a Dr. 
 
 C , of Harrisburg, Pa., who, by his kind, genial 
 
 manner, soon won the respect of all the passengers. 
 He was going to Dublin to attend the Medical Con- 
 vention. One of the gentlemen who was in company 
 with him was a delegate to the World's Convention of 
 the Y. M. C. A., held at Exerter Hall, London, com- 
 mencing June 2nd, and closing on the 8th. I had the 
 honor of being a delegate from our Association, Cam- 
 den, N. J., to that wonderful Convention, but was not 
 able to reach there until the 6th, as our ship was late 
 in getting into port, and I was obliged to go to Har- 
 born, near Birmingham, before going to London. 
 Four sailing vessels passed during the day. We were 
 all glad to see some life outside of our ship, on Old 
 Ocean's dreary waste. There is always some excite- 
 ment when anyone discovers a ship. The news spreads 
 as rapidly as gossip in a little village. I saw a num- 
 ber of persons running to the forward part of the ship , 
 and I understood one of them to say: "There is *fire." 
 I thought, is it possible that I have come out here to 
 be cremated ! I hurried to where the crowd had 
 gathered, and learned the cause of the excitement. A 
 school of porpoises were performing their gymnastics. 
 I said to an Irish gentleman : "I thought some one 
 said there was fire?" "And I did, too, sir, ' ' he replied. 
 "And what would you have done if such had been the 
 case?" I asked. "Sure, there's no chance to run; I 
 should have stood and took it," he replied. I 
 
i 4 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 was requested to take part in the coming concert, but 
 declined, for I had a very vivid recollection of my first, 
 and it was also my last, appearance on the stage at a 
 public entertainment. I was a small boy, but my 
 conviction was, whatever my mission might be in this 
 world, surely that was not my calling, and there had 
 been no change in my mind. 
 
 Sunday, May 27. — I peeped out the porthole of 
 my stateroom and discovered some very threatening- 
 looking clouds skirting the horizon. 1 concluded that 
 I should know what a storm at sea meant before the 
 day had passed, but the rain came without the tempest, 
 for which I was truly thankful. We were nearly in 
 mid-ocean, but had not run beyond the Sabbath. The 
 spirit of the day seemed to pervade the ship. The 
 vast majority of the passengers were in the habit of 
 observing the Lord's day, and even those who seemed 
 inclined to forget their responsibility to their Creator 
 were thoughtful, and felt the sacredness of the day. 
 At 10:30 quite a large congregation gathered in the 
 saloon for divine worship, the captain having charge. 
 
 Miss M was to preside at the piano, but was sick, 
 
 so they insisted on me filling the position, and also 
 leading the singing. As I am not a professional I de- 
 clined in favor of some one else, but they finally 
 pressed me into service. The captain read the Episcopal 
 service, and I led the singing in good, old-fashioned 
 Methodistic style. I remarked to some of them that 
 we had had a Methodist Episcopal meeting. The 
 hymns we sang were: "Jesus, Lover of my Soul," and 
 "Rock of Ages." I had sung them from my child- 
 hood, but they never seemed so sweet, or to contain so 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 15 
 
 much meaning as they did that Sabbath, far, far out at 
 sea. In the afternoon I perused the Bible, that old 
 chart and compass which has guided so many storm - 
 tossed mariners over the ocean of life, safe into the 
 heavenly port. They had but one regular service on 
 board, so after tea quite a number of us gathered in 
 the saloon and held a song service. I think most of 
 us, as we left the saloon and returned to our state- 
 rooms, felt that the Sabbath spent out in mid-ocean 
 had been a very profitable one. 
 
 Monday, May 28. — One would suppose we had an 
 ample supply of water to tide us over, but it seemed 
 not, for the clouds dropped down great sheets of it all 
 the morning. I said to a gentleman formerly from the 
 Green Isle : ' ' This is a great body of water. " " Sure 
 it is," he replied. I said: " I suppose if we had had 
 anything to do with making this old world we would 
 have fixed things different." "Sure, 'n we would 
 have done with a few quarts less of water." We were 
 deprived of the pleasure of being on deck, but with 
 such excellent company one could be entertained 
 wherever they were gathered. Among the leading 
 ones who seemed bent on making things pleasant for 
 
 us was a Mr. Geo. D , of Germantown, Pa. He 
 
 was what the Scotch people call ' ' a cheery chap. ' ' He 
 had a way of scattering sunshine that few men possess, 
 and it was appreciated by the entire company. Mr. 
 
 D 's mother was traveling with him. She was a 
 
 fine old Scotch lady. They were returning to their 
 old home in Aberdeen, Scotland, for a visit. After the 
 
 storm abated, Dr. R and I took a walk through 
 
 the steerage. A large number of the steerage passengers 
 
16 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 were returning to their native land — on account of the 
 depression of business in America. I do not often com- 
 ment on the ladies' headgear, but a tall, gaunt-looking 
 woman wore a bonnet that attracted my attention. It 
 was either the very latest style, or dated back to the 
 beginning of the century. It was built of straw, some- 
 thing in the shape of an old-fashioned covered wagon ; 
 it had an overcoming frill running around the entrance, 
 and a cape with no lack of material. It did not strike 
 the fancy of any of the ladies sufficiently for them to 
 adopt the style. We ran into a dense fog early in the 
 afternoon. The fog horn sounded rather doleful. It 
 suggested to us there was a possibility of colliding with 
 some stray craft, and of being compelled to exchange 
 our comfortable quarters for a home down with the 
 fish. The mist disappeared in a short time, and we 
 had a beautiful sunset. It resembled a ball of fire, and 
 seemed to drop into the ocean. I almost expected to 
 hear the hissing sound that a ball of fire would produce 
 falling into the water. I did not often see the sun rise. 
 It was generally up attending to business before I 
 found my way on deck. In the evening we were 
 
 entertained by a Miss M . She gave us several 
 
 fine solos. She was on her way to London to finish 
 her musical education. So closed our fourth day 
 at sea. 
 
 Tuesday, May 29. — The sun failed to put in its 
 appearance. It was off duty most part of the time 
 during our voyage. The clouds seemed to have the 
 right of way. They looked as though they were get- 
 ting ready to create a disturbance, and I felt that I 
 would rather not see a row between the elements, for I 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 17 
 
 knew we would be drawn into it. I watched with a 
 great deal of interest the result of taking the log, and 
 when the figures appeared on the board showing the 
 distance we had traveled, I found we were in mid- 
 ocean. I could scarcely realize that fifteen hundred 
 miles of water swept between me and my dear old 
 home. I was wonderfully impressed with the vastness 
 of the Atlantic. One may stand on the shore and 
 look out over the vast expanse of water and think it 
 means something to cross to the other side, but he can 
 have only a faint conception of what an undertaking 
 it is. I felt as though all the world had been blotted 
 out, and we were a small world, afloat on a wilderness 
 of water. Those who were to take part in the concert 
 of the next evening spent the morning practicing. 
 We all looked forward to the entertainment with as 
 much pleasure as a boy does when there is a circus 
 coming to town. In the evening the sailors gathered 
 on deck in front of their quarters, and two of them 
 had musical instruments They played pieces that 
 seemed to run down into the feet of some of the sailor 
 lads. They began waltzing, and kept it up quite a 
 while, much to the amusement of a number of the 
 passengers. 
 
 Wednesday, May 30. — I was awakened some 
 time during the night by the howling of the wind and 
 the violent tossing of the ship. I saw a pair of feet 
 going up toward the top of the berth. At once I rec- 
 ognized them as my property. When I was a boy I 
 frequently tried to stand on my head, but never suc- 
 ceeded very well. But I found myself performing the 
 feat very gracefully this time. For some time after my 
 
18 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 advent into this old world, I am told, they rocked me 
 to sleep in an old-fashioned cradle ; but that was so 
 long ago that I had become unaccustomed to that way 
 of sleeping. I found being " rocked in the cradle of 
 the deep " had a tendency to disturb my slumbers. 
 Old Ocean was in a bad temper, and continued so all 
 day. The water at times was piled up around us like 
 a huge wall. It being Decoration Day, and also the 
 evening for our concert, most of the day was spent in 
 preparing for it. The saloon was trimmed very taste- 
 fully with flags. Over the piano the Stars and Stripes 
 at;d the flag of old England were festooned. I was 
 glad to see them blending so harmoniously. I under- 
 stand it was not always the case ; that back in the far 
 distant past the Old L,ady and her son, U. S. A., failed 
 to agree on a certain question. She sought to bring 
 him to terms, but he objected to the ?od, and cai'ried 
 his point. But long before my recollection they 
 became reconciled, and have been on friendly terms 
 ever since. We remembered that it was the day when 
 the graves of many of the brave soldiers would be 
 strewn with flowers, and, although remembering that 
 we were nearly two thousand miles from the land 
 where sleeps their dust, and that we would not have 
 the privilege of joining the multitude in placing the 
 small tribute of remembrance on their graves, yet we 
 knew that upon the wings of thought we could carry 
 the flowers of respect and gratitude, and leave them 
 there as our tribute. The concert commenced at 7.30, 
 and the saloon was crowded. They had arranged a 
 very good program, and it was well executed. Mr. 
 Arthur M and a gentleman from Philadelphia sang 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 19 
 
 a very appropriate piece, entitled, "Ship Ahoy." 
 Judging from the heavy encore, the audience enjoyed 
 
 it immensely. Mr. T , of Philadelphia, gave a 
 
 recitation, which was appreciated very much. " The 
 Star Spangled Banner " and " God Save the Queen " 
 were sung, the entire audience joining. The talent did 
 themselves great credit. The admittance fee was a 
 shilling, and the programs sold for a sixpence, so that 
 quite a nice little sum was realized. The proceeds 
 were given to the Liverpool Sailors' Orphanage, a very 
 worthy institution. All expressed themselves as being 
 delighted with the entertainment, and gave a vote of 
 thanks to the committee. 
 
 Thursday, May 31. — The elements behaved as 
 badly as on the night previous. They seemed to 
 wreak vengeance on our craft, tossing her about re- 
 gardless of our comfort. But she was well fastened 
 together, and equal to all the pounding she received. 
 She pushed her way along, bent on taking us safely to 
 Liverpool. When I came out on deck I found it 
 rather hard to manipulate my number nines. There 
 
 was an old Yorkshireman rooming with George D . 
 
 He had a large vein of humor running through him, 
 and greatly amused us. On leaving home, his wife (or 
 old woman, as the styled her,) gave him a remedy for 
 seasickness. The old gentleman failed to take it 
 according to directions. He was decidedly "old 
 school " in the quantity he used. We styled him 
 Doctor, because he was always insisting on prescribing 
 this same remedy for us. But, after listening to his 
 description of it, we thought seasickness preferable. 
 We did not see a friendly sail during the day. One 
 
20 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 would think, from the vast number of vessels that 
 cross the Atlantic, we would have sighted more of 
 them. I spent the evening in the saloon with a num- 
 ber of friends, retiring at 10:30. It was still storming. 
 Friday, June 1. — When I awoke, I was surprised 
 to find the sun had resumed business, after an absence 
 of several days. We all greeted it with as much pleas- 
 ure as we would had we met an old friend. The ocean 
 had quite recovered from her fit of anger and was so 
 calm and serene that it would seem impossible for her 
 to get into such a bad temper as she had been in for 
 several days past. Every one seemed cheerful and 
 happy. Those who had been conspicuous by their 
 absence at the table were at their post, and gave prom- 
 ise of making up for lost time. This was the tenth day 
 out. Our ship's company had become almost like one 
 family. Friendships were formed that I presume will 
 be lasting. I am not quite sure that any of our young 
 men met any one that they decided to take as a life 
 partner, although some of them were quite interested. 
 One in particular, I think, would have been quite wil- 
 ling to have had the voyage protracted, as reaching land 
 meant separation. A lad who had a harmonica with 
 
 him began to play some lively airs. Mr. A. M 
 
 suggested that they have a waltz, ancLin a few moments 
 quite a number were having a grand hop. I was invited 
 to take part, but m.y education had been neglected 
 along that line. They had a grand ball on deck in the 
 evening. Two of the sailors furnished the music. 
 There must have been a general overhauling of trunks, 
 for the ladies and gentlemen came out tastefully attired 
 for the occasion. While they were exercising them- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 21 
 
 selves, I wrote letters home, expecting to mail them at 
 Oueeustowu harbor. 
 
 Saturday, June 2. — Another beautiful day greeted 
 us. I finished writing two little poems; one on my 
 "Home Across the Sea," and another on "The 
 South wark." We sighted quite a number of vessels 
 coming out from port. The topic of conversation was, 
 "When shall we reach Oueenstown ?" The captain 
 said he thought we would arrive there early Sunday 
 morning. We were all anxious to see land. Some 
 arranged to be on deck very early in the morning. 
 Quite a number of the passengers were to land at 
 
 Queenstown. Among the number was Dr. C and 
 
 the two gentlemen traveling with him. I learned that 
 
 Dr. C was one of the most prominent physicians 
 
 of Harrisburg, Pa. We all felt as though we would 
 rather not have our circle broken until we reached 
 Liverpool. Several friends came to the Bachelor's 
 Sanctum and spent the evening with me. When I 
 bade them good night, I promised to meet them on 
 deck early in the morning to hail the first sight of 
 land. 
 
 Sunday, June 3. — I was awakened very early by 
 the sound of footsteps on deck. I hurried out of my 
 berth and looked out of the porthole, expecting to 
 catch a glimpse of the Emerald Isle (not knowing I 
 was on the wrong side of the ship to see land), but saw 
 nothing but sky and water, and concluded we were 
 still out at sea. While I was debating whether or not 
 to climb back into my berth, the pin holding the dead- 
 light came down on my head with such force as to 
 make me think I must be near the land of shellalahs. 
 
22 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 This encounter with the pin settled the question of the 
 second edition of sleep. I decided to go on deck. 
 When I did so, I found we were steaming up the 
 Queenstown harbor. It is said to be one of the finest 
 in the world. I shall never be able to describe my 
 feelings as I looked out over the beautiful green fields 
 of Old Ireland, stretching out ironi the brow of those 
 bold sea cliffs, far away in the distance. There seemed 
 to be such a variety of green. The farm-houses dotted 
 over that fine stretch of country, with hedge rows sur- 
 rounding them, had a fine effect. We all appreciated 
 the sight of land after so many days on the briny 
 deep. One old man excited the sympathy of those 
 around him. As he stood and looked out over his 
 native country, the tears ran down his wrinkled cheeks 
 and he said : ' ' Fifty years ago I left you ; would that 
 I had never done so. I had eighteen uncles and aunts, 
 and a number of other relatives when I left ; now I 
 shall find the most of them sleeping in the old church- 
 yard." His wife called him a baby, and told him to 
 hush, but the old man continued to give expression to 
 his feelings. We ran up the harbor within sight of 
 Queenstown and dropped anchor. By the aid of field 
 glasses I had a good view of the city. It was built on 
 the side of a beautiful hill. I noticed some very fine 
 residences. Just after we anchored, the Campania 
 came up the harbor to take on passengers and the mail 
 for America. She carried my first epistles from a 
 foreign laud to friends far away. It did not seem like 
 the Sabbath day, the sailors busy lifting the luggage 
 from the hold, and the passengers hurrying to and fro, 
 making preparations to leave when the tender came 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 23 
 
 out to us. When the strange-looking little craft came 
 up alongside of our ship there was a general hand- 
 shaking, and regrets expressed at having to part with 
 those who did what they could to make the voyage a 
 pleasant one. Soon they were on their way to Queens- 
 town, and we sailed out of the harbor for Liverpool. 
 When the shades of night crept on a heavy fog settled 
 down upon us. Our steamer moved cautiously up the 
 St. George's Channel. The fog horn sounded its notes 
 of warning all through the night. We had no service 
 in the morning, but in the evening several of us 
 assembled in the saloon and held a song service. We 
 were all anxious for the morning to dawn, for that 
 meant getting on terra firma. 
 
 Monday, June 4. — When I came out on deck we 
 were making our way up the river Mersey, and were 
 within a short distance of Liverpool. We had an 
 earl}' breakfast and began preparing to land. It 
 reminded me of moving day in New Jersey. We 
 were interested to know whether the steamer would go 
 direct to the docks, and thus avoid the unpleasantness 
 of being transferred in the tender, for the wind was 
 blowing a gale, and we were being treated to a drench- 
 ing rain. But soon they dropped anchor, and we were 
 informed that the steamer would not land us at the 
 dock. After waiting quite a while for transportation, 
 we heard a noise that sounded like the roar of some 
 ferocious beast ; as it drew near we found it was the 
 whistle of the odd-looking boat called the tender. We 
 were transferred to this uninviting looking craft, our 
 only protection from the storm being a small awning. 
 As we huddled together I said : "I am reminded of 
 
24 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 chickens taking refuge under an old hen . " I thought 
 several times the wind would carry away what little 
 shelter we had. Several of the ropes holding it gave 
 way. I tied one of them fast and said to "Doctor," 
 our Yorkshire friend, "Attend the main sheet, will 
 you?" He replied in his broad Yorkshire dialect, 
 "I'm no boatswain ; I paid my passage; I'll not lay a 
 hand's turn to it." This reply quite amused us, as well 
 as some others he made during the short but un- 
 comfortable trip from the ship to the Princess Landing. 
 I felt like bounding up in the air a few feet when I 
 stepped on terra fir ma. We had our baggage taken to 
 the custom house, a large building on the wharf. It was 
 nicely arranged, so that the) r have very little trouble 
 in examining luggage. There are benches extending 
 across the building; everything is placed on them, and 
 an excellent corps of men, who quite understand their 
 business, soon examined everything. I had two small 
 satchels, and a telescope filled with books entitled, 
 "Songs From Bethany," which I published the year 
 previous, a number of the songs being my own 
 composition. One of them, entitled, " Saves a Sinner 
 Like Me," I afterward found them singing all over 
 England, Ireland and Scotland. They requested me 
 to open my satchels, and then looked into them. They 
 asked me whether or not I had any spirits or tobacco 
 concealed in them. I said, " No." I thought if they 
 had known what an experience I had when a boy 
 with tobacco, they would not have asked that question, 
 and the little old "brown jug" and I were not on 
 good terms by any means. They inquired what I had 
 in the telescope. I informed them. My luggage was 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 25 
 
 then marked O. K., and I had it sent to Lime Street 
 
 Station with that of friend A. M and Mrs. 
 
 D . 
 
On the Shores of Old England 
 
 OCTOR R- 
 
 and I sallied forth to see 
 the city, promising to meet our friends 
 at the station in time for the train leav- 
 ing at 4 p. m. I was quite surprised 
 to find such a large city, and to see 
 so many fine business houses. The 
 streets were thronged with people 
 hurrying to and fro, just as eager for 
 the " filthy lucre " as the Americans. 
 The city has quite a river front, and 
 the docks are a sight worth seeing. We found some 
 difficulty in understanding the money. " One-and- 
 six," "Two-pence," "Ha'-penny," etc., were Greek 
 to us. I said to the Doctor, "when we purchase any- 
 thing we will give them a large piece of money and 
 trust to their honesty in giving us the correct change." 
 I soon became accustomed to it, and managed it very 
 nicely. We called at the Y. M. C. A. hall, and met 
 with a very cordial reception from the assistant secre- 
 tary. We were shown through the building, which is 
 a very fine one. I said, "God bless those who have 
 given their time and money for an institution of this 
 kind, which has been the means of saving a great many 
 men from being wrecked by the saloon. ' ' Quite a num- 
 ber of young men were availing themselves of its 
 privileges. There are quite a number of places of 
 interest in Liverpool. So many make a mistake in not 
 spending a few days there. I purposed stopping a 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 27 
 
 short time prior to leaving for home. We left on the 
 4 p. M. train. It seemed very strange, riding in one of 
 those English carriages. They are divided into five com- 
 partments. The doors open on the side, and the seats 
 face each other. Each seat holds five persons. As a rule 
 they lock the door of the carriage when the train leaves 
 the station . The scenery from Liverpool to Birmingham 
 is very picturesque. I enjoyed the ride. We passed 
 
 through quite a number of tunnels. Mr. M and 
 
 family, the D family, and Dr. R left me at 
 
 Derby. They took the train for Nottingham. Mr. 
 
 T and wife were going to Birmingham, and I was 
 
 very glad of it. We arrived at New Street Station at 
 7:50. It is said to be the largest railway station in the 
 world. It seemed to be an immense affair to me that 
 
 eve. Mr. T kindly showed me the way to New 
 
 street, where I was to take the 'bus for Harborn, a 
 suburban town two miles distant. When I bade him 
 adieu, I was alone in a strange land. I got two street 
 arabs to carry my luggage to the starting point of the 
 'bus, a short distance up the street. I saw them 
 watching me with a great deal of curiosity, and I said 
 to one of them : " Where do you think I am from ?" 
 He said : "Ye'r from London." I turned to the other 
 boy and said : " And where do you say I am from?" 
 He scanned me very closely and said : " Ye'r from 
 Ireland." I had been told before leaving home that I 
 would pass for a native of the Emerald Isle. I said : 
 " No, I am from America." They opened their eyes 
 wide and said : " Oh, I'd like to go there." I rode on 
 the top of the 'bus through some of the principal 
 streets, and concluded I was in no mean city. It was 
 
28 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 very American-like in its appearance. The city is 
 built up nearly to Harborn with very beautiful resi- 
 dences. Harborn is situated on a hill overlooking a 
 grand stretch of country, and is a neat, pretty sub- 
 urban town. It contains a number of elegant resi- 
 dences, most of them being the homes of prominent 
 business men of Birmingham. It is the native town 
 of my friend, Fred P — — , now living in New York, a 
 young man whom I have been interested in ever since 
 he came to our shores. He was very anxious I should 
 visit his old home. His father and mother sent me a 
 very cordial invitation to come and make their home 
 my headquarters during my sojourn in that country. 
 I had some gifts for them from their boy in America, 
 and also desired to leave the bulk of my books with 
 them until I was ready to go to South Littleton, in 
 Worcestershire, and to the adjoining shire, where I 
 expected to dispose of them. I therefore thought it 
 best to go directly to their home, even though it would 
 make me very late in getting to the Convention in 
 London. I never shall forget the kind reception they 
 gave me when I entered their home. One would have 
 thought I was a member of the household returning, 
 instead of the tall stranger from America. I at once 
 felt I was in the hands of genuine friends, and never 
 had the slightest cause to change my mind. I found 
 them to be refined, intelligent people, and very highly 
 respected in the community in which they lived. The 
 family at home consisted of two sons and two daugh- 
 ters. One of the sons, a very bright, genial young 
 man, graduated in pharmacy during my stay. The 
 other son was an interesting boy of eleven years. One 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 29 
 
 of the daughters was an accomplished young lady, one 
 who could entertain you at the piano, and also had a 
 practical knowledge of domestic duties. The other 
 daughter was a very bright little girl of about thirteen 
 summers, and one of the most original characters that 
 
 I have met with. I also met with a Mr. S F , 
 
 a fine fellow, holding a good position in one of the 
 banks. He was paying attention to the young lady, 
 with a fair prospect of some time becoming a member 
 of the family. We had supper about 10 o'clock. I 
 wondered how I was to manage four meals a day, 
 especially roast beef and all the fixings, at so late an 
 hour, but soon became accustomed to it, and enjoyed 
 it as much as a full-fledged Englishman. They re- 
 marked I did not talk like an American. All the 
 Americans they had met with said, with a nasal twang, 
 " I guess " and " calculate." I began to think about 
 the boy's remarks in reference to my coming from Ire- 
 land, and they expressing themselves as they did, pos- 
 sibly I would not be as much of a stranger as I antici- 
 pated. I was very much pleased and interested in the 
 affectionate manner in which they bade each other good 
 night. I admired their home life, and wished all the 
 homes the world over were conducted in like manner. 
 Tuesday, June 5. — When I awoke the birds were 
 having a grand concert near my window ; not the 
 monotonous twittering of sparrows, but birds that 
 could strike notes with some music in them. I quite 
 enjoyed their songs. I saw comparatively few spar- 
 rows. I concluded they had emigrated to America, 
 where we would only be too glad to bid them farewell, 
 and see them "homeward fly." On the opposite side 
 
3 o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES ■ 
 
 of the street stands the Old Harborn Church. It is on 
 an elevation of about three feet above the street, with 
 a beautiful shaded yard surrounding it, where sleep 
 
 the dead of many centuries. Mr. P informed me 
 
 that there had been a church there for more than eight 
 hundred years. The present church was rebuilt during 
 the present century, but the tower was the original 
 one built in King John's time. I have always had a 
 fondness for antiquity, and I expressed a desire to go 
 through the church. He is a prominent member of it, 
 and was only too glad to show me through . A feeling 
 of awe crept over me as I climbed those old stone 
 steps, worn by the press of many feet during the past 
 eight hundred years. When I reached the top, where 
 hang the chimes, some of which have been in use for a 
 great number of years, I thought, how often have they 
 rung out their glad anthems on festive occasions, and 
 tolled the solemn dirge as friends were slowly follow- 
 ing some loved one to his quiet resting place in the old 
 churchyard. I copied from a tablet in the church, 
 near the altar, the name of Rev. Edward Roberts, one 
 of the rectors of recent years. One of the inscriptions 
 read: "He left a host of friends when he passed to 
 the glory land." I was very much impressed with 
 the one at the base of the tablet : ' ' He spent his whole 
 life in promoting the spiritual and temporal welfare of 
 his fellow men." What a grand record to leave! 
 More enduring than a huge marble shaft. I heard him 
 spoken of as a man who possessed the true spirit of 
 Christ, his Master. After looking through that old 
 edifice, that seemed sacred to me, we went through the 
 "silent city of the dead." While there Mr. Walter 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 31 
 
 C 's head gardener came in. He was a good- 
 natured looking man, possessed with a large vein of 
 
 humor. Mr. P introduced me as Fred's friend, 
 
 from America. He said, with a merry twinkle in his 
 eye and a smile playing over his face, "Ah, indeed; 
 so you came from the land where they could only boast 
 of one man that never told a lie." I was quite 
 amused at the wa} r he spoke of the ' ' Father of our 
 Country." He had evidently read the history of little 
 George and the hatchet. I said to him, "You are 
 putting the rest of us back in the shade." I was 
 interested in reading some of the epitaphs on the time- 
 worn tombstones. I copied the following one : 
 
 " Here lies beneath this mouldering sod, 
 An honest man, the noblest work of God ; 
 A father kind, a husband dear; 
 Such was the man that lies slumbering here." 
 
 They pointed out a very odd one. A woman had 
 buried three husbands, and she was not ashamed to 
 let the world know that she had gone to the parson's on 
 a matrimonial errand so many times, for she had all 
 three of their names on one stone. I smiled when I 
 read the epitaph. It was as follows : 
 
 "This turf has drunk a widow's tears ; 
 Three of her husbands slumber here." 
 
 Our portly, humorous friend invited us to his house. 
 It was formerly the rectory of the church. It was 
 more than two hundred years old. It was built of 
 stone and was very quaint, especially the interior. 
 He also showed us through the grounds of Mr. Walter 
 C 's elegant mansion. They were tastefully 
 
32 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 arranged. I don't think I ever saw any finer. The 
 greenhouses, as well as the grounds, contained flowers 
 and plants from nearly all parts of the world. It was 
 quite interesting to hear our friend describe the different 
 species. I saw a piece of surgery that he did. They 
 had a pet stork that in some way injured its leg so 
 that amputation was necessary. He was equal to 
 the emergency, and performed a skilful operation, 
 and had also made an artificial leg for the unfortunate 
 bird. I was greatly amused, when he gave a shrill 
 whistle, to see it come bounding to him, putting the 
 wooden leg down as though it meant business . It seemed 
 to appreciate the wooden prop. I was afterward shown 
 through some parts of this beautiful home. It was 
 neatly but richly furnished. In the reception-room was 
 an open stairway, at the base of which were two 
 pieces of elegant statuary. There was a broad land- 
 ing half way up, nicely arranged. The smoking- and 
 billiard-rooms lacked nothing along that line. There 
 was a miniature museum containing curiosities from 
 nearly all parts of the world. I noticed some old 
 
 Indian relics from America. Mr. C has traveled 
 
 extensively. There is a private electric plant on the 
 grounds. It is a home that lacks nothing that money 
 
 can purchase to make it comfortable. Mr. C is a 
 
 brother to Mr. R. C , one of England's most illus- 
 trious statesmen. In the afternoon I went to Birming- 
 ham. I got off the 'bus at the Five Ways, walked 
 down Great Colmore street, and called at a home and 
 gladdened the heart of the lady by good tidings and 
 gifts from dear ones in i^merica. I then found my 
 way through the busy streets to the Y. M. C. A. hall. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 33 
 
 The secretary was at the Convention, but I met the 
 assistant, a young man well qualified for the position. 
 I introduced myself to him, and he at once made me 
 feel at home. We had quite a protracted conversation 
 on the work in England and America. They have a 
 large hall, but it is poorly located. It is in Nedless 
 alley, a small thoroughfare running off New street. 
 New street is one of the principal business streets, and 
 contains a number of large stores. I enjoyed the ride 
 on the top of the 'bus back to Harborn. I engaged 
 in conversation with an interesting old gentleman. He 
 thought I came from Derbyshire. I began to think I 
 must be a decided mixture. In the evening Mr. 
 
 P took me to the Harborn Free Reading- Room. 
 
 They have a fine library and periodicals of all kinds. 
 There was no excuse for any man in that vicinity not 
 storing his mind with good reading matter. We 
 passed the Salvation Army barracks, and heard them 
 singing Utstily. I suggested we stop for a few minutes, 
 and we did so, and heard a remarkable experience 
 given by a young lady recently converted. She was 
 very intelligent, and expressed herself so. When we 
 returned home I was quite ready for the fourth meal. 
 I much enjoyed gathering around the family board, 
 not simply for the delicious food set before me, but for 
 
 the good social time. Mrs. P 's refined wit I shall 
 
 not soon forget. 
 
My First Night in London. 
 
 EDNESDAY, June 6.— I arose early 
 and began making preparations for 
 my trip to London. I confess I 
 was rather loth to leave the friends 
 who had shown me so much kind- 
 ness. They assured me a welcome 
 awaited me whenever I chose to 
 come to my " English home." I 
 went to Birmingham and took the 
 10 a. m. express. The guard, as they call him, 
 examined our tickets before leaving the station, then 
 locked us in, and we were soon speeding along at a 
 rapid rate through another beautiful part of the coun- 
 try. We stopped only at the principal towns. At 
 Northampton a fine looking gentleman and lady 
 boarded the train. They came into the same compart- 
 ment I was in, she taking a seat beside me, he seating 
 himself by the window opposite me. I offered to 
 exchange seats with him so that they could be 
 together, but he thanked me very politely, and assured 
 me he was not particular about changing. They 
 carried on a pleasant conversation with each other for 
 a little while, then he became absorbed in the daily 
 paper. Presently he passed the paper to her, calling 
 her attention to an article that had pleased him very 
 much, and I laid aside my better training and cast a 
 side glance at the article, and saw it was something in 
 reference to the Y. M. C. A. Convention. Immedi- 
 ately I began to lay a plan to form his acquaintance, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISIES. 
 
 35 
 
 which I did by asking what time the train was due in 
 London. He very readily gave me the information, and 
 asked me if I knew anything about London. I said: 
 " No; I have only been in England two days; I am a 
 delegate from America to the Y. M. C. A. Conven- 
 tion." "Ah, indeed," he replied; "lam a delegate 
 from our Association at Northampton, and my wife 
 and I are going direct to the Convention, and as you 
 are a stranger and know nothing about the, city, you 
 are entirely welcome to go with us to the hall." I 
 thanked him kindly, and in reply said I did not care to 
 intrude on them in any way. They both replied : 
 " Not at all ; we would only be too glad to have you 
 go with us." I concluded I had fallen into the hands 
 of good friends, and thought no further invitation was 
 necessary. He gave me a very glowing account of the 
 Convention, as he had been there nearly every day. I 
 quite regretted that I had not been able to meet with 
 them at the commencement. When we arrived at the 
 Euston Square Station he secured a hack, and we were 
 driven to Exeter Hall. He said to me: "This is 
 Jubilee Day, and as the Secretary is busy and you may 
 have some trouble in getting your credentials through, 
 just give them to me, and I think I can manage them 
 for you." So he left his wife and me in the reading- 
 room, and in a short time returned, saying that he had 
 gotten everything but my ticket for the Jubilee Concert 
 and the book containing my checks for dinner, but 
 would secure them if possible. I begged him not to 
 go to any further trouble, as I had already taken too 
 much of his valuable time, and also deprived his wife 
 of his company. She said ; " It is a pleasure for me 
 
36 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 to have my husband do anything he can for you. If 
 we should come to America, we would expect the same 
 kind of treatment." " Indeed," I replied, " there will 
 be one tall American that will see that you receive it, if 
 it be within his power." Presently he returned with a 
 ticket for the entertainment at the Albert Memorial 
 Hall, but the check-books for dinner had all been 
 given out. However, he said, he had an extra check 
 that he thought I could use. They had erected a tem- 
 porary pavilion on the Thames embankment, seating 
 comfortably 2,300 persons, and in it dinner was served 
 for the delegates during the Convention. His wife 
 took dinner at the restaurant connected with Exeter 
 Hall, and we went to the pavilion. It was a fine sight 
 to see that grand body of Christian men, representing 
 nearly every country in the world, partaking of dinner 
 together. The tables were nicely arranged, laden with 
 tempting food, and the tall Yankee was not long in 
 demonstrating to those around him how much he ap- 
 preciated that noon-day meal. There were syphons 
 
 filled with various kinds of soft drinks. Mr. J , 
 
 my newly found friend, helped me to a glass of lemon- 
 ade, and when I was ready for the second edition I 
 thought I could manipulate the syphon without troub- 
 ling him. I pressed a little too hard, and instead ol 
 me getting the cooling draught, a lady sitting opposite 
 had it sprinkled profusely over her new gown. I was 
 chagrined, and in a confused manner begged her par- 
 don. She made no reply, but gave me a look that had 
 no forgiveness in it. That withering look affected my 
 appetite some little, but I recovered it sufficiently to 
 manage the rest of the courses. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 37 
 
 When we returned to Exeter Hall, Sir George 
 Williams, whom the Queen had recently knighted, was 
 giving a reception to the delegates. The hall was 
 densely packed, but we managed to find seats on the 
 platform. There was a certain number of delegates 
 appointed from each country on the reception commit- 
 tee. Sir George stood there with his face beaming 
 with the light of our holy Christianity. The delegates 
 came from China, Japan, India, the islands of the sea, 
 from the frozen North, and from other countries far 
 and near. Each committee bore some gift as a slight 
 token of love and esteem for this venerable man who 
 had been such a great blessing to the world. I 
 thought, as he received those kind remembrances, what 
 must be his feelings ? There must have been one 
 grand doxology going up from his heart to the Triune 
 God for dropping into his mind the thought of gather- 
 ing those few young men into that small room at No. 
 72 St. Paul's Churchyard, London, to talk and pray 
 about more effectual work for their divine Master. 
 That little meeting, held fifty years ago, was the nucleus 
 of the Young Men's Christian Association. It has 
 deepened and widened until to-day, from North to 
 South, from East to West, the Y. M. C. A. boys, with 
 hearts filled with the same strong love for Christ and 
 His cause that characterized those noble young men of 
 a half century ago, are still stretching out their hands 
 and rescuing those who, but for their effort, might be 
 eternally lost. There was a ripple of laughter passed 
 over the audience when Mr. B., one of the representa- 
 tives of Old Ireland, made his speech, and presented 
 the gift. He apologized for the lateness in getting 
 
38 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 to the meeting, saying it was " owing to the indisposi- 
 tion of the Irish Sea." He was well laden with wit. 
 When the neat, trim little Japanese came upon the 
 platform to express the good wishes of the young men 
 of his far-away country, the audience all turned Metho- 
 dist, and shouted and waved their handkerchiefs, 
 rejoicing in the great fact that in lands where idolatry 
 seemed to predominate, young men had been saved by 
 the power of Christ, and were banded together to hold 
 up the light of the gospel amid the gross darkness of 
 those countries. The hymns they used were written in 
 several different languages. They sang that old, inspir- 
 ing hymn, 
 
 "Blest be the tie that binds 
 Our hearts in Christian love." 
 
 I thought as I heard that vast audience joining in 
 that sweet song, what but the religion of Jesus could 
 thus cement hearts together? I shall carry the sweet 
 remembrance of that wonderful meeting with me all 
 
 through my pilgrimage. Mr. J said to me: "I 
 
 shall have to go with my wife on some business, and 
 return home on the 5 p. m. train, but before I go, I 
 will leave a note with the assistant secretary, for a 
 gentleman in my employ, whom I am expecting here 
 in a short time. He is coming down to attend the 
 grand jubilee concert this evening, and as he is com- 
 paratively a stranger in London, and you have not as 
 yet secured permanant quarters, I would like you to 
 meet him and stop at the same hotel." Thus it was 
 arranged that I should be notified by the secretary of 
 the arrival of this gentleman. Just as they were 
 leaving the hall, their two sons came in; one of them 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 39 
 
 about sixteen years old, the other, nineteen. I was 
 introduced to them and found them bright, clean-cut 
 
 lads. • When I bade Mr. J and wife good bye, I 
 
 said to them: "You have built a monument of kind 
 deeds to-day, that I shall never take down." While I 
 was waiting for the gentleman to put in an appearance, 
 
 Mr. J unexpectedly camQ back, and was quite 
 
 disappointed in finding that his friend had not arrived, 
 but just as he was about to leave, he and two of his 
 friends came in. I was introduced to them, and Mr. 
 
 J informed him of his plan. He very readily 
 
 assented to it. They were good, sociable fellows, and 
 made me feel at home in their presence at once. After 
 tea, we went to Charing Cross Station, and took the 
 train by the underground railway for South Kensing- 
 ton, where the Albert Memorial Hall is situated. Our 
 tickets were for different parts of the hall, so when we 
 separated at the entrance, the understanding was we 
 were to meet at Exeter Hall at the close of the enter- 
 tainment. The usher informed me that ray ticket 
 called for a seat up toward the dome, so I began the 
 journey. When I had climbed several flights of stairs 
 and thought surely I had reached the place where I 
 could rest my weary frame, I was informed there were 
 still higher heights for me to attain. When there 
 were no more stairways for me to ascend, I looked 
 about for the seat that I thought my ticket entitled me 
 to, and found it meant standing up. It is an immense 
 circular hall, with a glass domed roof. The interior is 
 210 feet in diameter and 137 feet high. There are 
 accommodations for 10,000 persons, the orchestra 
 holding 1,000 performers. It was a grand sight, as I 
 
4 o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 looked down from my lofty height. It was beautifully 
 illuminated, and packed to its utmost capacity. 
 The program was an excellent one: Organ recital, by 
 Mr. Wm. Carter; reception of guests, by the President 
 and by President of the Jubilee Council ; selections of 
 music, by a Swedish male voice choir, many of the 
 singers being students of the Upsala University. 
 Their sweet songs thrilled that vast audience. The 
 encores were tremendous. The gymnastic display- 
 was very fine. It was under the direction of Mr. A. 
 Alexander. They performed some feats that were 
 marvelous. Then there was a selection of sacred 
 music by Wm. Carter's choir. Madam Antoinett 
 Stirling sang a beautiful solo ; her voice seemed to fill 
 every nook and corner of that large hall. There were 
 addresses by some very prominent divines. The 
 unveiling of the bust of Sir George Williams was very 
 interesting. There was an exhibition of lime-light 
 views, illustrating the rise and progress of the Young 
 Men's Christian Association. I grew weary of having 
 to stand, and found my way out and took a Strand 
 coach, and went back to Exeter Hall. It was raining 
 very hard, and I wondered whether or not the trio 
 would think it best to come all the way back to the 
 hall. I had my doubts about it. When I went into 
 the reading-room there were two gentlemen sitting at a 
 table, reading. I asked one of them if he had any 
 objection to my joining the circle. He looked up 
 with his face packed full of sunshine, and said 
 pleasantly: "Not at all; be seated." We at once 
 engaged in conversation. He informed me he was a 
 delegate from Sterling, Scotland, and gave me his name 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 41 
 
 as J. J . I told him I was from America. A look 
 
 of surprise crept over his face. He replied: "I 
 thought you were a big Irishman from the north ; 
 why, you have the appearance of one." I replied: 
 "I have had the same remark made before, sir." I 
 told him I had not yet secured lodgings, and was 
 expecting to go with three gentlemen when they 
 returned from the entertainment. He urged me 
 to go with him, for it was raining so hard he did not 
 think they would come, and as it was the night of 
 the Derby races, he thought it would be difficult for 
 me to get a place, for the rooms of many of the 
 hotels were engaged ahead on Derby night. I 
 thanked him and told him I thought I had better 
 wait for them. He invited me to visit him 
 when I came to Scotland. A friendship sprang 
 up between us that I believe will last through all time, 
 and reach out in the great beyond. I began to get 
 anxious about the return of my friends, especially when 
 a little old man came hurrying into the hall, and, in an 
 excited manner, asked the assistant secretary if he 
 could tell him where he could get lodging. He had 
 been to most of the hotels in that vicinity, he said, and 
 found them full. The secretary said: "No; it is 
 eleven o'clock, and rather late to look after that matter 
 now." I told him that I was without hotel accommo- 
 dations, and then gave him the reason. " I can only 
 direct you to the Newington Causeway Y. M. C. A. 
 hall, where they have lodging rooms," he replied ; 
 " you may possibly be accommodated there." He 
 told me to go down the Strand to Waterloo Bridge, 
 where I could take a coach direct to Newington Cause- 
 
42 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 way. So I started out in the rain, and was like a ship 
 at sea without chart or compass, in the streets of the 
 great city of London . The streets were thronged with 
 people of every description , most of them coming from 
 the theatres in that locality. The omnibusses were 
 packed. As I was going over the bridge I ventured to 
 ask a young man if he could tell me whether I was 
 going in the direction of Newington Causeway ? He 
 looked up through his eye-glasses, and in a very tart 
 manner replied: " I don't know anything about it." 
 I thought I had better pass on, or he might think I 
 was after his pocketbook, instead of information. I 
 plodded along, weary, wet, and a trifle blue. After I 
 had walked a long distance an omnibus drove near the 
 curb to let some one out. I hailed the driver and 
 asked him if he went near Newington Causeway. He 
 informed me that he did. I got in and told the chap to 
 notify me on reaching there, and he did so. I stepped 
 up to a policeman standing on the corner and asked 
 him whether he could tell me where the Young Men's 
 Christian Association hall was. " Whose place do you 
 mean?" he asked; " Dunn's?" " Oh," I replied, "I 
 don't know whether that is the name or not ; I know 
 I am about done." " That is the place, I think, you 
 are looking for, ' ' pointing to a building on the oppo- 
 site side of the street. I hurried across the street and 
 pulled the bell. A young man came to the door, rub- 
 bing his eyes, apparently two-thirds asleep. I asked 
 him if he could accommodate me with a bed. " No," 
 he replied ; "all full except one, and I am waiting for 
 the young man to come in who is to occupy that; wish 
 he'd come, I want to go to bed." I said to him, in a 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 43 
 
 pleading tone of voice : "Can't you stow me away 
 somewhere out of the storm ?" I related to him how 
 I happened to be without a shelter. " I can do noth- 
 ing for you," he said, " as the matron has retired, and 
 I do not care to disturb her." I inquired if he knew 
 of a hotel near by? "No," he replied; "I have not 
 been here long." " I have not, either," I said, " and 
 never want to be again, under these circumstances," 
 and bade him good night. I stepped out in the storm 
 again, not knowing where I was going. Old " Big 
 Ben," the huge clock at Westminster, had long since 
 rung out the hour of twelve. I walked down the 
 street as though I was familiar with the locality. I 
 knew it was very rough by the characters I met, and I 
 did not think it safe to make inquiry of any of them in 
 reference to hotels. I walked a long way, until finally 
 I met a policeman. I asked him if he could direct me 
 to a hotel ? ' ' You are on the wrong side of the river 
 for them," he said ; " I do not know of one short of 
 London Bridge." I was anxious to know the distance. 
 "About a twenty minutes' walk," he informed me. I 
 felt like dropping down on the curbstone and sleeping 
 with one eye open. There were no coaches running on 
 the street, and I was obliged to press my way on, 
 though footsore and weary. My umbrella did its best 
 to shelter me, but after so long a pelting by the merci- 
 less storm, it began to fail me. It seemed to me that 
 I had been walking about an hour when I saw, under 
 the electric light, a young man with a satchel in his 
 hand, talking to a policeman. " There is some one as 
 badly off as I am," I thought, so I crossed the street, 
 and, as I approached them, heard the uniformed gen- 
 
44 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 tleman say to him : " I can't tell you; I have sent a 
 number of men to both the Bridge and the Waverly 
 hotels, and they have failed to get rooms. This is 
 Derby night, that means all the hotels are filled ; and 
 then, as it is very late, I doubt whether you can find 
 accommodations anywhere." Then I stepped up and 
 said: "lam in the same fix; can't you tell me of 
 some place where I can get in out of the storm. It is 
 rather a trying position — here in the streets of this 
 great city, at this hour, without any prospect of a 
 refuge." I scanned the young man closely, and 
 decided that he was a very respectable fellow. He had 
 a very troubled look, and I am sure I had. I again 
 appealed to the policeman to know whether he could 
 not think of some place he could direct me to ? " Oh, 
 yes !" he said; "I do know of one just around here 
 on Duke street, kept by an Italian." That struck 
 terror to me. " They have a bad reputation over in 
 our country," I said; "I have only a few coppers, 
 and I do not care to lose them." " There is no danger 
 of that," he replied. I asked the young man if he 
 would go around with me ? ' ' Yes ; let us go and see 
 what it is like ; we must have some place to stay," he 
 replied. The blue-coated lad offered to take us, so we 
 went with him. It was only a short distance, but I 
 had a troop of thoughts going through my mind. One 
 of them was : Possibly this policeman is in league with 
 the Italian, and I am being led into a death-trap. I 
 wondered whether I would ever see dear old America 
 again, or whether I would be dispatched and cast into 
 the Thames, which was flowing near by. When we 
 reached ' ' Hotel de Italia ' ' the policeman pulled the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 45 
 
 bell. Presently I heard the sound of footsteps coming 
 through the hall. The door was opened rather cau- 
 tiously, and the proprietor of this, the only refuge that 
 offered itself to us, stood there holding a penny dip in 
 his hand, peeping out with an inquiring look. I cast 
 my eyes into that long, dark hallway, and asked my- 
 self the question whether I had not better take my 
 chances on the street. Our uniformed friend asked 
 him if he could give us lodging? He said he could, 
 and inquired whether we wanted to room together. I 
 said, "No." I stepped into the hall and followed the 
 man that I regarded with so much suspicion. I had 
 not proceeded far before I discovered the young man 
 had not come in. I hastened to the door, thinking 
 surely I was in the hands of the Philistines. I found 
 him in conversation with the policeman, and saw him 
 give him a fee for bringing us around. So I stepped 
 out and followed suit. Then we went in and took up 
 the line of march. I shall never forget that midnight 
 parade : the Italian, with his little, flickering torch, on 
 the lead, and the tall American — his only weapon an 
 umbrella — and the little Englishman, with his carpet- 
 bag, bringing up in the rear. As we climbed the stair- 
 way, I wondered under what circumstances I should 
 come down, and my comrade, judging from his grave 
 look, had thoughts similar to mine. We were ushered 
 into a room on the second floor, which, to our sur- 
 prise, was neatly furnished. Turning to my " partner 
 in distress," the proprietor said: " This is your room." 
 I bade him good night, and suspiciously followed my 
 guide up another flight of stairs. I was shown into a 
 fairly respectable room. He lighted the gas, and 
 
46 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 informed me that the charges were a half crown (about 
 62 cents in United States money ) . I was not long in 
 settling my bill and getting him off my hands. I had 
 all my money with me, so I concluded I had better 
 stand guard, as in case I was attacked I would be bet- 
 ter prepared to raise an objection to having company 
 at so late an hour. I am not a belligerant character, 
 but I resolved if the little Italian came along to demand 
 my cash, I would lay hold of him and do my best to 
 shake out of his head any idea he may have enter- 
 tained of laying violent hands on my pocketbook. As 
 I surveyed my room, my eyes rested on some small 
 pictures in quaint old frames hanging on the wall. As 
 I approached them I was greatly surprised to find them 
 Bible scenes. One of them was Christ blessing the 
 children ; the others were similar. As I gazed on 
 those simple little pictures my fears vanished as quickly 
 as did those of the hunter who was lost in a forest one 
 night, and was compelled to seek lodging at a little 
 cabin. The occupants were rough, uncouth-looking 
 persons, and he regarded them with suspicion, and 
 concluded, like myself, to postpone sleeping until a 
 more favorable opportunity. But when the old man 
 read the family Bible, and he and his wife knelt in 
 prayer, a feeling of security took possession of him, 
 and he laid down and slept peacefully. And so I 
 reasoned : If this man has such pictures in his home, 
 he must, at least, respect the old Book, and may not be 
 such a villian as I think him, and I may not, after all, 
 be in a den of thieves, but in the home of a Christian. 
 I reasoned myself out of my wet clothing into bed. It 
 was something after two o'clock when I laid my weary 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 47 
 
 frame down to rest, and was soon unconscious of the 
 fact I was on the third floor of an Italian lodging house 
 in the great city of London. 
 
fly Three Weeks in London. 
 
 •HURSDAY, June 7.— When I awoke 
 the storm clouds had disappeared and 
 the sun was peeping in through the 
 old-fashioned windows, seeming to 
 congratulate me on getting through 
 the eventful night safely. The dele- 
 gates were to spend the day at Wind- 
 sor Castle, as the closing exercises 
 were to be held there. They were to 
 go in sections. The one I was to go with left Pad- 
 dington Station at S a. m. I had no idea where it was. 
 I had to go to Kxeter Hall before taking the train, and 
 I knew I was a long distance away, judging from the 
 tramp I had the night previous. I found I had no 
 time to tarry in what proved to be a very comfortable 
 bed. My clothing, which had been drenched during 
 my wanderings in the storm , I had spread about the room , 
 giving it the appearance of wash-day in ' ' Shanty Town . ' ' 
 Alas for me, I found them nearly as moist as when I 
 retired. I questioned whether it would not be wiser 
 for me to forego the pleasure of the trip to Windsor 
 and remain where I was until the last vestige of pneu- 
 monia had evaporated from my mud-besprinkled 
 garments, for I already had an intimation that hand- 
 kerchiefs would be essential articles during the day, 
 but I concluded to risk it. I soon found my way 
 down from my lofty perch to the hallway. I saw no 
 one about but a boy ; he came from the dining-room, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 49 
 
 to let me out. I looked into the little dingy restaurant 
 and concluded not to remain for breakfast, as it would 
 consume too much time to wait for edge enough on 
 my appetite to enjoy a meal there. When my feet 
 touched the pavement, I felt like singing a song of 
 praise for safe deliverance. I should have liked to 
 have seen mv comrade and congratulated him on seeing; 
 the light of another day, but my time was limited. I 
 learned that only a short distance away I could take an 
 omnibus direct to Exeter Hall. Nearly all of them, as 
 well as the street cars, or trains as they are styled, 
 have seats on top. I took one of the lofty seats and 
 enjoyed the ride over the famous London bridge. I 
 could scarcely realize I was passing over the old 
 bridge that 1 had heard of from childhood. There is 
 one continuous mass of people and vehicles pouring 
 over it from early dawn until long after the shades of 
 night have crept on. I had a grand view of the 
 Thames. The embankment presented a fine appear- 
 ance. As we l'ode through the crowded streets. I 
 wondered how our driver could escape a collision, but 
 he understood the art of driving through a very narrow 
 space. I was directed by the secretary at the hall how 
 to reach Paddington Station. Seated near me in the 
 coach were two Germans; one of them wore a Y. M. 
 C. A. badge, and was a delegate from an Association 
 in the interior of Germany ; he could not speak a word 
 of English. The other one said to me in broken Eng- 
 lish : ' ' This is a friend of mine ; he is going to 
 Windsor on that 8 A. m. train. If we miss it I don't 
 know what I shall do with him, for I shall have to go 
 back to my business, and he will not be able to get 
 4 
 
5 o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 along by himself." The horses moved very slowly; 
 they seemed to feel the weight of years. I knew 
 unless the driver applied his whip a little heavier than 
 he was doing, we would not make it. Sure enough, 
 just as we entered the station the train moved out with 
 the delegates. I saw the trouble the man was in and 
 said to him : "I think I understand enough of the 
 German language to make this young man know he is 
 in safe hands, so leave him in my charge." He 
 thanked me and gladly resigned him to my care. I 
 was informed by one of the guards that our tickets 
 would be good on the train leaving an hour later. I 
 soon passed out all the German that I knew and we 
 had a good, quiet time afterward. The ride to Windsor 
 was a very enjoyable one; we passed through some 
 very pretty country. The view of Windsor Castle as 
 we approached it, was very fine. The town of Wind- 
 sor is about twenty-five miles from London. It con- 
 tains a population of 12,000 people, including the 
 two regiments of soldiers which are always quartered 
 there. The Queen, for whom I have the most profound 
 respect, believing her to be a grand, good Christian 
 woman, granted the request of the committee to visit 
 the Castle, Frogmore, the Royal Gardens, the Royal 
 Mausoleum, the late Prince Consort's farm, and other 
 places of interest, and also gave them permission to 
 erect a large pavillion in the Home Park, where the 
 entire company were served with a dinner that did 
 great credit to the Committee. A short walk from the 
 station brought my German responsibility and I to the 
 wonderful Castle. Fortunately we met his section at 
 the entrance. He gave me a warm shake of the hand, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 51 
 
 which indicated to me that his heart was full of grati- 
 tude for the little attention I had given him. I was 
 intensely interested in the Albert Memorial Chapel. 
 The policeman stood at the entrance and kept us on 
 the move. I was so taken with the beauty of it, that 
 I fell in line two or three times, and each time taxed 
 my eyes to their utmost. History tells us it was 
 originally built as a royal mausoleum by Henry VII., 
 who, however, was buried at Westminster. It was 
 once destroyed by a mob. After remaining in ruins 
 for a hundred years, it was reconstructed as a royal 
 mausoleum by George III. Queen Victoria has 
 restored it in honor of the late Prince Consort. 
 The chapel is 68 feet long, by 2S feet wide, and about 
 60 feet high. The interior of this chapel is said to be 
 one of the finest in the world. It is made of very highly 
 polished marbles. The gilt mosaics and the magnifi- 
 cent stained glass produce a fine effect. The walls 
 contain "pictures in marble," depicting a series of 
 Biblical subjects, Moses, Abraham, Daniel, and a num- 
 ber of others. In the chancel the subjects are Geth- 
 semane, Calvary, and the Entombment. At the east 
 end of the chapel is a recumbent figure of the Prince 
 Consort ; at the west end is a sarcophagus of the late 
 Duke of Albany, in white marble ; in the centre is a 
 sarcophagus of the late Duke of Clarence, raised on 
 marble steps, containing panels of Mexican onyx. It 
 supports a recumbent figure of the Prince. He is said 
 to have been a very promising young man, and the 
 Queen mourns the loss of her grandson very much. I 
 thought, as I lingered there for a few moments, surely 
 Death is no respecter of persons ; he enters the royal 
 
52 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 palace as well as the little hovel to claim his victims. 
 I came out and passed through the Norman gateway 
 leading to the State departments. The first room we 
 entered was the Queen's audience chamber. It was 
 hung with gobelin tapestry, representing the story of 
 Queen Esther and Mordecai. The paintings on the 
 ceiling were magnificent. The presence chamber was 
 also hung with fine tapestry, representing a continua- 
 tion of the story of Esther. It was made in the time 
 of King Charles II. There were a table used at the 
 coronation of King George IV., the cabinet of Louis 
 XIV., and portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, with the 
 picture of her execution at the base of it, and the por- 
 trait of Queen Victoria, in this room. In the guard- 
 room was the colossal bust of Nelson, on a pedestal 
 cut out of the foremast of the old warship " Victory." 
 There is a hole in this pedestal, made by a ball from 
 the enemy's gun. The grand reception-room is said to 
 be 90 feet long and 34 feet wide, hung with tapestry 
 representing the story of Jason and Medea. I admired 
 an immense vase, presented to the Queen by the Czar 
 of Russia. The throne-room was decorated in blue, 
 with a carved ivory throne, presented by a man with a 
 name hard to manage, Maharajah, of Travanaco. It 
 is a marvelous piece of work. Waterloo chamber, or 
 grand dining-room, is 98 feet long, 47 feet wide and 45 
 feet high, and decorated in white and gold. I noticed 
 portraits of a number of noted officers that took part in 
 the great battle of Waterloo. The grand vestibule con- 
 tains old armors and banners, some of them very 
 ancient. Some of the Queen's jubilee presents were 
 in this room. A number of them I recall vividly, one 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 53 
 
 being a model of the Albert Memorial, in solid gold. 
 There were also models of two warships in silver. 
 These were gifts from Mahrajah of Johore. There 
 was a fan of ostrich feathers, several feet high, with 
 several smaller ones at each side, made of pea-fowls' 
 feathers. It was a very artistic piece of work. There 
 was a large silk curtain with a beautifully embroidered 
 fowl on it; also one with a deer on, and another with 
 a large crane. They were said to be emblems of 
 longevity. There was also a block of carved jade on a 
 pedestal of rosewood, symbolic of long life, stability 
 and immutability. These were gifts from H. I. M., 
 Emperor of China. I should like to devote more 
 space to the description of this wonderful castle. It 
 is said to be one of the largest and finest royal resi- 
 dences in the world. I visited the round tower, from 
 which, in fine weather, it is said twelve counties can be 
 seen. I had a grand view of the country. The 
 Thames, winding through the meadows, was charming, 
 and the town of Windsor presented a fine picture. I 
 became acquainted with three Swedish young men; 
 one of them was postmaster at Stockholm ; the others 
 were brothers and sons of a prominent professor. 
 They were very bright, intelligent fellows, and spoke 
 English fairly well. I went with them to the large 
 tent and dined with them . On each side of me were 
 Swedes, opposite were Norwegians; just below me 
 was a Chinaman and a dusky son of India, and as I 
 cast my eyes over that immense pavilion, I could see 
 men representing nearly every nation on the globe. I 
 found the Swedish folk very much interested in 
 America, and I was as much so in hearing of their 
 
54 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 home in the frozen North. In coming out of the park 
 
 from dinner I met a Mr. A from Dayton, Ohio. 
 
 We took a walk through the town, which like most of 
 the English towns, was kept in excellent order. I 
 then went back to the castle. I stood at the door of 
 the old St. George's Chapel and listened to some fine 
 singing. I afterward went through this grand edifice. 
 The great west window contains six tiers of compart- 
 ments, each six feet in height. They contain seventy- 
 five figures, including Edward the Confessor, several 
 kings, knights and bishops. By going to dinner when 
 I did, I missed the opportunity of a visit to Frogmore 
 and to the royal gardens and royal farm. I regretted 
 it very much, for I met a number of delegates who had 
 been there, and they gave me a grand description of it. 
 At a given time all the delegates were to assemble at 
 the east terrace to be photographed. At the entrance 
 leading into these beautiful grounds two men were sta- 
 tioned. They called out: "All foreign delegates please 
 
 come this way to be photographed first." Mr. A 
 
 and I fell into line, and were informed that we were not 
 foreign delegates. We said, " we are from America." 
 "Well," they replied, "we don't consider you foreigners 
 — only those from the continent." So we were photo- 
 graphed with our English cousins. I met with the 
 three gentlemen who were to have met me at Exeter Hall 
 the night previous. "You gave me a bitter experience 
 by not coming back to the hall," I said. They all ex- 
 pressed themselves as being very sorry, and gave as the 
 reason for not coming the lateness of the hour and the 
 fearful storm. The closing exercises were held under, 
 the eaves of the castle. The Queen was at Balmoral, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 55 
 
 Scotland; but as we gathered there I saw the maids 
 with their fancy headgear, peeping from the windows. 
 The singing was inspiring. Prayer was offered by the 
 Rev. Mr. Krumacher, a celebrated German divine, and 
 also by Dr. Cuyler, who afterwards gave a very elo- 
 quent address. Among the grand things he said was, 
 "The memory of this meeting would warm the coldest 
 night that Norway would ever know, and its influence 
 would belt the entire globe." John Wanamaker also 
 gave a fine address. One remark he made was this: "I 
 shall never be able to find that word foreigner in my 
 
 dictionary again." I turned to Mr. A audsaid: "I 
 
 rubbed that out a long time ago." I think everyone 
 felt that there were no lines drawn between us. And 
 especially so when that vast multitude lifted up their 
 voices, and sang the grand old doxology. I think as 
 each of us slowly wended our way to the railway 
 station, and took the train back to London, we felt 
 that that meeting had been one of great profit, and we 
 would all go back to our various fields of labor with a 
 stronger purpose to work more earnestly for the Saviour 
 
 of mankind. Mr. A secured lodging for me in 
 
 the same house at which he was stopping. It was lo- 
 cated on Montague street, a pleasant part of the city. 
 Friday, June S. — I concluded the best way to see 
 the great city of London was on the top of an omnibus. 
 So after I went to Upper Bedford street, Russell 
 Scruare, to see about a permanent lodging place, I 
 climbed to the lofty peak of an omnibus on L,ong Acre 
 street, and was delighted with the part of the city we 
 passed through. I went to the end of the route, then 
 I went into the Victoria station. It seemed to be the 
 
56 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 starting point of a number of lines of coaches. I had 
 a letter of introduction to a family at Stamford Hill, 
 one of the suburbs of London. I inquired of one of 
 the drivers if any of them ran in that direction. He 
 pointed out one that did. I took a seat near the driver, 
 who seemed delighted to answer the many questions 
 I asked him as we drove through the busy streets for 
 more than an hour before reaching our destination. He 
 directed me how to reach Fairholt road, where this 
 family lived. It was a walk of about six blocks. On 
 either side of the street were neat little houses with 
 yards in front, some of them tastefully arranged. On 
 reaching the house I noticed on the gate the name of 
 Hope Lodge. Most of the beautiful cottages in that 
 locality had suggestive names. The door-bell was 
 answered by a very neat, trim young lady (they styled 
 her the maid of the house). I gave her my letter. She 
 seemed to know something of my coming, for she at 
 once invited me in, and showed me into the nicely 
 
 furnished parlor, and went to call the lady, a Mrs. S , 
 
 a sister of an old friend of mine, Rev. C B , 
 
 in Camden, N.J. Presently a very fine, intelligent 
 lady came in and said: "This is Mr. Butler; we have 
 been looking for you for more than a week." Then 
 the family, consisting of husband and three sons, were 
 called in to see the lad fresh from America. I was not long 
 in their presence before I found I was in a refined 
 Christian home. I felt like adding to this "Hope 
 Lodge" the other two names that mean so much, 
 namely, Faith and Charity. The questions were 
 many that were asked about the dear ones in America, 
 whom they had not seen for many long years. They 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 57 
 
 insisted on my remaining with them over night. I 
 finally consented to do so. A gentleman and his wife 
 living near came in and spent the evening. He was 
 formerly from Edinburgh, Scotland, and entertained 
 us with a discription of that country. After I listened 
 
 to Mr. S describe London, I concluded it would 
 
 take more time to see this interesting city than I had 
 expected it would. He informed me that it had a popu- 
 lation of over five millions, and began to enumerate the 
 most prominent places of interest, until I almost con- 
 cluded I would have to postpone sleeping and keep on 
 the move continually in order to get through in the 
 time I had planned to remain. 
 
 Saturday, June 9.— Mr. S and I started out 
 
 shortly after breakfast, he having a little time to spend 
 with me before going to business. The first place we 
 visited was Abeney Park Cemetery, where quite a num- 
 ber of noted persons are sleeping. He took me to a 
 beautiful spot in the cemetery, which was the favorite 
 resort of Dr. Isaac Watts, where he wrote most of his 
 hymns that have been blessing the world for years. 
 I also saw his monument. I copied the following 
 from it : "Erected as a testimony of the high esteem of 
 his Christian character and valuable writing. ' ' I also 
 saw the tomb of Henry Richards , the great ' ' Peace Man , ' ' 
 as he was called. Then I stood at the grave of Cath- 
 erine Booth, the mother of the Salvation Army. On 
 the tombstone were these words : "More than conquer 
 through Him that hath loved us." And at the base 
 these striking words : "Do you follow Christ?" After 
 leaving this beautiful cemetery we rode down to City 
 Road Chapel, a spot dear to every Methodist. This 
 
58 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 old chapel was built by the earnest efforts of the sainted 
 John Wesley, and from this, the first Methodist church 
 ever built has gone out, an influence that has touched 
 the entire world, until to-day men everywhere are com- 
 pelled to say the Methodist Church is a great power 
 for good. I can never describe the feeling that took 
 possession of me as I entered that historical edifice, 
 and especially so when I stood in the old-fashioned pul- 
 pit where this man of God so often proclaimed the gos- 
 pel, and then stood at the altar where he administered 
 the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to those w 7 ho are 
 now with him in the Kingdom. I also sat in his 
 quaint old chair. The design of the moulding around 
 the gallery is a serpent coiling around a dove. Mr. 
 Wesley's idea was : "As wise as serpents, and as harm- 
 less as doves." I sat in Mr. Fletcher's chair, and saw 
 the font from his church at Madely. The janitor 
 showed us through the vestry. There were an old 
 table used by Mr. Wesley, and a clock that told the 
 time to those who more than a hundred years have been 
 in eternity. I held one of the old pewter collection 
 plates that was used at the foundry where Wesley held 
 his first service. I also sat on a bench used there. I 
 saw a window 7 frame that came from his old home. I 
 copied from a silver plate taken from his coffin the words: 
 "Johannes Wesley, Obin Do Du Marth, 1791." I saw 
 Mrs. Charles Wesley's hymn book, also a book con- 
 taining six hymns, in Charles Wesley's own hand- 
 writing. I said : "Thank God for inspiring this man 
 to write so many sweet songs — especially the one 
 sung the world over : 'Jesus, lover of my soul.' " The 
 church, within a few years past, has undergone repairs. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 59 
 
 The new columns are of jasper, given by the Metho- 
 dist churches of America, North and South Australia, 
 Canada and Ireland. We went out in the churchyard 
 and stood by the grave of John Wesley. The tomb of 
 the great Dr. Adam Clark is close beside it. The 
 house in which Wesley died is near the chapel. We 
 also visited Bunhill Cemetery, which is on the opposite 
 side of the street. The dust of John Bunyan sleeps 
 there. I also stood by the grave of Daniel De Foe, 
 author of the famous book, "Robinson Crusoe," that 
 I read with so much interest when a boy. He was 
 born in 1661, and died in 173 1. I then went to St. 
 Giles' Church, at Cripple Gate. I saw the monument 
 of the illustrious John Milton, and stood near the spot 
 where he is buried. I copied from the marble slab on 
 the floor the date of his birth and death : " Born, 1608; 
 died, 1674." Oliver Cromwell was married in this old 
 church. I copied from a tablet the name of Edward 
 Harrison; he died 1666. The monument of Rev. John 
 Fox, author of " Book of Martyrs," is here also; he 
 was once pastor of the church. From there I went to 
 
 St. Bartholomew's, The Great. Mr. S informed me 
 
 it was the oldest church in London ; built in the 
 eleventh century. I was wonderfully impressed as I 
 walked over those old marble slabs, many of them 
 worn down so that it was almost impossible to read the 
 name on them. The old columns were eaten by the 
 tooth of time. I copied from a tablet the name of F. 
 Antoni, died 1641 ; also P. Sydenham, died 1593. The 
 date on the altar was 1589. We then went to the great 
 meat market. It is said to be the largest in the world. 
 Some of the animals I saw hanging there once roamed 
 
6o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 the praires of America. In passing Great Queen Street 
 Wesleyan Chapel I inquired of the janitor if he could 
 direct me to a family where I could get a good lodging- 
 room, for I failed to get one at Bedford Place. He sent 
 me to one of their members, on Southampton row. She 
 could not accommodate me, and directed me to a Mrs. 
 
 C , on Bernard street, Russell Square. I secured a 
 
 room there, and it proved to be a very home-like place. 
 The lady was a fine Christian woman, with four inter- 
 esting children. A gentleman, a native of Calcutta, 
 was rooming there. He was highly educated, and 
 spoke English very fluently ; he was one of the most 
 polite men that I ever met. He was a Brahmin, and 
 wrote out their order of worship for me, and also trans- 
 lated my hymn, "A Sinner Like Me," into their 
 language. 
 
 Sunday, June io.- — I had an engagement with 
 
 Mr. A , the delegate from Dayton, Ohio, to go with 
 
 him to Spurgeon's Tabernacle. We met at the 
 Waterloo bridge, and walked to the Tabernacle, 
 which is situated near the Elephant and Castle. I 
 was reminded of the fact that a few nights previous I 
 was wandering out in that direction searching for a 
 refuge from the storm. The streets were thronged 
 with people making their way to this wonderful place 
 of worship. One might have thought the vast majority 
 of people living in that vicinity were of the Baptist 
 persuasion. It is an immense building, with a seating 
 capacity of 6,000; it has three galleries. We were 
 given seats near the pulpit, where we had a good view 
 of that vast congregation. The precentor stood on the 
 platform near the desk and led that multitude of 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 61 
 
 people in songs that seemed to be familiar, for it 
 appeared to me that from below where I sat, to the 
 uppermost seat in the third gallery, everyone joined in 
 those hymns of praise which were so inspiring. I 
 felt as though heaven and earth were in touch with 
 each other. The Rev. Mr. Spurgeon, son of the late 
 beloved and widely known Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, 
 preached from Psalms xli, i . It was on the subject of 
 Christian giving. It was a plain, practical sermon. I 
 had heard him when he was visiting America a few 
 years previous, at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 
 Philadelphia. At the close of the service I felt amply 
 paid for my long walk from Russell Square. Mr. 
 
 A had another engagement, so I took a walk down 
 
 to Westminster Abbey. I stood on the Westminster 
 bridge and enjoyed the view of the fine buildings on 
 each side of the Thames. The House of Parliament, 
 a large, massive stone building, stands on the bank, 
 looking as though it meant to remain there for 
 centuries to come. I took a seat near the Abbey 
 and engaged in conversation with a gentleman 
 formerly from Birmingham. He informed me that the 
 afternoon service at the Abbey commenced at 3 o'clock, 
 so I concluded to remain in that locality and attend ser- 
 vice at the place of worship that I had read and heard so 
 much about. I shall not attempt to describe this 
 great edifice now, but will give an outline of it later 
 on. I went into the service and found a large congre- 
 gation assembled. It was the day set apart once a 
 year by all denominations throughout the city for 
 taking collections for the various hospitals. The ser- 
 vice was sung by one of the finest choirs I ever heard, 
 
62 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 after which the Dean of Gloucester preached a very- 
 able sermon from John xi, 3. If each one that 
 listened to that sermon put it into practice, I am 
 sure some of the poor of London were benefited. 
 On my way from Westminster, just as I reached Tra- 
 falgar Square, where stands the monument of Nelson 
 (a man whose memory is precious to every son and 
 daughter of Old England), I saw the parade of the 
 striking cabmen passing. The bands were playing 
 lively airs, and the streets had the appearance of a gala 
 day instead of the Sabbath. There were several hun- 
 dred men in line. On their banners were inscriptions 
 of various kinds, giving the spectators some idea of 
 their grievances. They were on their way to Hyde 
 Park to ventilate themselves on the question of right, 
 from their standpoint. I found my way through the 
 winding streets without much difficulty, reaching home 
 in time for tea. In the evening I went to the Great 
 Queen Street Wesleyan Chapel. It was built in 181 7. 
 It has two side galleries. The old-fashioned high pul- 
 pit stands in front of the chancel, and is nearly on a 
 level with the first gallery. At one time it had a very 
 large membership, but now it is comparatively small, 
 owing to the fact of many of its members moving to differ- 
 ent parts of the city. At the close of the service I met 
 with a young man, one of the prominent members of 
 the church, who invited me to take a walk with him. 
 We walked a long distance. He pointed out many 
 places of interest. One was Buckingham Palace, the 
 Queen's London home. It is a massive building, with 
 elegant grounds. I also saw the Prince of Wales' 
 home. I concluded the royal family were well cared 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 63 
 
 for. The young man gave me his name as W 
 
 S— — , formerly from Yorkshire, and said he was a 
 salesman in a wholesale notion store at Cheapside. So 
 passed my first Sabbath in the wonderful city of 
 London. 
 
 Monday, June n. — London seems to be built 
 something in the style of patchwork. I lived in 
 Russell Square. A few minutes' walk brought one to 
 Bloomsbury Square. Adjoining that was Montague 
 Square, which is a beautiful part of the city. Near by 
 is Lincolii-ou-Field, and Holborn, and a number of 
 other districts. The old city of London has only about 
 100,000 inhabitants, and the police wear a little differ- 
 ent uniform. All these districts have been pieced on to 
 it until it has become the greatest city in the civilized 
 
 world. 1 had to meet Dr. R and Mr. A. M 
 
 and wife, coming from Nottingham, at the St. Pan- 
 creas Station in the afternoon. So I spent part of the 
 morning in sightseeing from the top of the street-cars. 
 I rode to Islington, and was quite taken with the fine 
 array of stores. Then I found I had some time on my 
 hands before the arrival of the train, so seated myself 
 on the tram for a ride to the part of the city called 
 Mother Shipton. I was very curious to see what kind 
 of a place it was, with such an odd name, but found it 
 similar to some other parts I had visited. I was glad 
 to see some part of the ship's company, and felt as 
 
 though I was meeting friends of yore when Dr. R 
 
 and Mr. A M and wife stepped from the train. 
 
 Doctor secured a room at the same place I was lodg- 
 ing. Then we took a stroll down the Strand, as far as 
 Charing Cross. The Strand is quite a thoroughfare. 
 
64 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 There are some very attractive stores on it, and it is 
 generally crowded with pedestrians and vehicles of all 
 kinds. I saw a blockade on £he Waterloo bridge which 
 extended to the Strand. It was interesting to watch 
 the police untangle it. Just by the raising of their 
 hand the whole line would either move or stop, as they 
 signaled. The Strand presents a gay appearance in 
 the evening, as there are a number of places of amuse- 
 ment on this street and vicinity. The old Drury Lane 
 Theatre, where the celebrated actress, Bell Gwynne, in 
 the long-ago, drew the pleasure-seekers by the hun- 
 dreds, is a short distance away. 
 
 Tuesday, June 12. — We visited St. George's Catho- 
 lic Cathedral, at the corner of L,ambreth and St. 
 George's road. The paintings were very attractive. 
 We remained a short time at service. We also visited 
 the great National Art Gallery, which is near the 
 beautiful Trafalgar Square. The different schools of 
 art are divided off into sections. In the Old British 
 School there was a fine painting, entitled, "The 
 Three Graces Decorating a Terminal Figure of 
 Hymen," by Joshua Reynolds, in 1792; another, "The 
 Watering Place," attracted my attention ; "The Par- 
 son's Daughter," by George Romney, 1802, was beau- 
 tiful. The artist must have found the sweetest face in 
 all the kingdom to paint from. It was one that seemed 
 to photograph itself on one's memory. In the French 
 School was a landscape which was simply grand ; also, 
 "David at the Cave of Adullam," by Gelee ; laud- 
 scape, "Abraham and Isaac ; " "A Seaport at Sunset, ' ' 
 by Gelee. This was such a striking picture that I 
 almost lost sight of the fact that there were hundreds 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 65 
 
 of others to be seen. ' ' The Embarkation of the Queen 
 of Sheba," by Gelee, was a large, finely executed 
 painting. In the Italian School there were : ' ; A View 
 of the Grand Canal, Venice," by Canale, 1768 ; 
 "Christ and His Disciples at Emmaus," and "The 
 Youthful Christ Embracing St. John." I lino- ere( j 
 awhile, gazing at these two last mentioned paintings 
 with thoughts that soared heavenward. A paintin°- of 
 an old woman peeling a pear was quite lifelike; "A 
 Winter Scene in Germany," " The Triumph of Julius 
 Caesar," " Christ's Agony in the Garden" — a small 
 picture, but very fine — by Allegrio, in the year 1234. 
 In the School of Venice was the " Adoration of the 
 Shepherds." This I thought magnificent. "The 
 Baptism of Christ," by Embrian, 1492, was rather an 
 odd painting. I also noticed "Music" and "Art," 
 both famous paintings, about five feet high and three 
 feet wide, done in high colors; two large, handsome 
 paintings by Michael Angelo ; one of them, "Christ on 
 the Cross," and the other, " Christ being placed in the 
 Tomb," attracted my attention. There was also a 
 small, peculiar-looking picture, entitled, the " Virgin 
 Enthroned," painted in the 15th century. I only 
 made a note of one in the Spanish Department: Christ 
 standing at the column, tied with a heavy rope, with a 
 woman and child near by. I left the gallery, regret- 
 ting I could not spend more time there. We made a 
 very hurried visit to Guild Hall, where there are a 
 number of fine paintings and pieces of statuary. 
 Among them were a beautiul statue of Wellesly, Duke 
 of Wellington, born 1769, died 1852; a large painting 
 of the present Lord Mayor of London, at Windsor 
 5 
 
66 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Castle ; a painting of the reception of King George III., 
 April 23, 1789. 
 
 Wednesday, June 14. — Went to hear the cele- 
 brated Dr. Parker, at his large temple at Holborn Via- 
 duct. They have service every Wednesday. The temple 
 was densely packed. I could only get a seat near the 
 door. Dr. Parker is a fine, robust-looking man, and has 
 a strong, commanding voice, so that I heard the 
 discourse very distinctly. His subject was " Recon- 
 ciliation." It was an able sermon, and was listened to 
 with rapt attention by that vast audience. A lady 
 sang a very affecting solo, entitled: "Bye and Bye." 
 
 I had a letter of introduction to Mr. A , brother of 
 
 a friend of mine at Palmyra, NJ. He was an accountant 
 on Gresham street, Cheapside. His partner, who was 
 a member of the House of Commons, kindly gave me a 
 pass for the Doctor and myself to visit the House 
 during the session, so in the afternoon we went to the 
 great House of Parliament. I had my overcoat on my 
 arm (my overcoat and umbrella were my constant 
 companions) '. The tall policeman that stood guard at 
 the stairway evidently took me for a dynamiter, for he 
 inquired very particularly what I had in my top coat 
 pockets. I had two of my singing books, and made 
 him feel easy by informing him it was nothing that 
 would harm anyone. We were directed to the visitors' 
 gallery and had a good view of some of the statesmen 
 of Old England. The Speaker of the House sat in a 
 large chair, with his wig and long coat on, looking quite 
 ancient. There were several bills brought before the 
 house, and debated on as earnestly as I had heard our 
 American statesmen ventilate themselves on some 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 67 
 
 great questions at the Capitol, at Washington, a few 
 years ago. A representative of Old Ireland caused a 
 roar of laughter by his elean-eut wit. The question 
 they were talking on I did not get very clearly, but it 
 was something in reference to a danger signal beino- 
 placed on the rear of a train on a certain railroad. He 
 quickly sprang to his feet and said in his rich brogue : 
 "What is the use of that? I see no necessity for it, 
 when they only have one train on that road." He 
 excited their risibilities several times, but I was unable 
 to catch the sharp things he was passing out. I am 
 
 sure I shall always be grateful to Mr. C for his 
 
 kindness in giving me the pass, for I considered it a 
 great treat. 
 
 Thursday, June 14. — I visited the Westminster 
 Abbey again. History tells us the present edifice, 
 which is a grand structure, was built more than 600 
 years ago. The monastery was much older. It can 
 be traced back from 900'to 1100 years, and when first 
 established it stood on an island called Thorney, or 
 Thorn Island, between the river Thames and the 
 marshes which now form the water of St. James' Park. 
 The monks here at first numbered only about twelve, 
 but Edward the Confessor, who had his palace close 
 by where now stands the House of Parliament, in the 
 year 1065 enlarged it and made provision for about 
 seventy monks. He erected a building for them, part 
 of which is still standing. The old Abbey Church of 
 Westminster was the first church in England built in 
 the Norman style. When I entered this wonderful 
 edifice a feeling of awe crept over me. It seemed like 
 a huge sepulchre. Those spacious walls were covered 
 
68 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 with tablets ; in every nook and corner stood the 
 monuments and statuary of England's honored dead, 
 as well as some from other countries. As I walked 
 over those time-worn stone floors, I was busy with my 
 pencil copying the names and epitaphs. I would like 
 to be able to devote space enough to spread them out 
 before my reader. I visited the tombs of the kings 
 and queens. In St. Edwards' Chapel was the tomb of 
 Edward the Confessor, who died January 5, 1066 ; 
 Queen Editha, wife of Edward, died 1075 ; Queen 
 Maud, died 1118 ; Edward I., died 1307. I wandered 
 around where sleeps the royal dust of centuries until I 
 almost forgot I was living in the nineteenth century. 
 I was much interested in the poets' corner. I noticed 
 the bust of Eongfellow, our beloved American poet. It 
 was placed there by his English admirers. There was a 
 beautiful bouquet of fresh cut flowers at the base 
 that some one had placed there that morning. I 
 was intensely interested in the monument of LacV 
 Nightingale, who died in 1734 ; it was of white mar- 
 ble. Death is represented as starting from beneath the 
 monument and aiming his dart at Lady Elizabeth, who 
 shrinks back into her husband's arms. It is said that 
 a robber, who broke into the Abbey one night, was so 
 terrified by Death's figure in the moonlight that he 
 dropped his tools and fled in dismay. The epitaph of 
 Sir John Franklin, the Arctic explorer, who lost his 
 life, with all his crew, in 1847, when completing the 
 Northwest passage, struck me as very good. It was 
 by Tennyson. It reads as follows : 
 
 " Not here : the white North has thy bones ; 
 And thou, heroic sailor soul, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 69 
 
 Art passing on thy happier voyage now, 
 Toward no earthly pole." 
 
 The coronation chairs claimed my attention for 
 some time. One, it is said, was made for William's 
 and Mary's coronation ; the other for Edward I., to 
 enclose the famous stone of Scone. Tradition identi- 
 fies this stone with the one that Jacob rested his head 
 upon at Bethel. Whether that be true or not, it has 
 quite a history connected with it. When I left that 
 historic old building I was reminded of a remark I 
 heard a colored minister make in his sermon a few years 
 ago, namely, "That death is a great leveler." I went 
 to Cheapside, a noted business portion of the city. 
 I made a hurried visit through the Old Bow Church, 
 which is situated there. It is said that all who are 
 born within the sound of the bells of this old church 
 are called " Cockneys." From there I walked through 
 the crowded streets to London Bridge. I asked a 
 friend of mine, thoroughly acquainted with the city, 
 where that wonderful tide of humanity came from that 
 were going to and fro over this great bridge. He in- 
 formed me that, independent of the city traffic, which is 
 immense, there were hundreds of trains coming into 
 the city, and there were a number of stations in the 
 vicinity of the bridge, and the people from the trains 
 greatly swell the number. It is estimated that 100,000 
 pedestrians and 20,000 vehicles cross this bridge daily. 
 We went down to St. James' Park, and witnessed a 
 fine drill of some of Old England's soldiers. I watched 
 them with a great deal of interest. They presented 
 quite a fine appearance. Some of them wore white 
 coats, others red. They were accompanied by the 
 
70 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Grenadier Band, which went through almost as 
 thorough a drill as the soldiers. They number seventy- 
 five pieces, and discoursed some fine music. They 
 gave a solo that amply paid me for the long journey 
 there. We then joined the crowd that followed them 
 to the Royal Palace grounds, and saw them drill, 
 and also saw the Horse Guards go through a very fine 
 
 drill. Mrs. M 's father went with us, to see the 
 
 American consul, to get a pass for us to visit Wool- 
 wich Arsenal, but he was not in, so we took a walk 
 through that section of the city, which contains a great 
 many handsome residences, and came up Regent and 
 Oxford streets. There are a great many large and 
 attractive stores on these two streets. It is a beautiful 
 sight to see these streets illuminated, and I quite 
 enjoyed a stroll through them. 
 
 Friday, June 15. — Mr. and Mrs. M went with 
 
 Dr. R and myself to the wonderful Zoological 
 
 Garden. It is beautifully laid out, and contains a 
 large collection of animals and birds from all parts of 
 the world. We spent several hours there, and I have 
 jotted it down as one of the principal places of interest 
 in London. We came through the section of the 
 city called Rotten Row. It is a very aristocratic 
 locality, but one w T ould not think so by the name. We 
 also visited the British Museum. There is so much 
 to be seen in this great museum that one needs 
 plenty of time to see all of interest. I was so 
 wonderfully interested that my friends grew weary 
 of waiting for me while I inspected the relics of past 
 ages. I was interested in a letter written by 
 Queen Victoria, when a little girl ; also signatures 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 71 
 
 of the different kings and queens and prominent 
 men of the past. I purposed coming again and spend- 
 ing more time there. I took a walk down the Strand, 
 and on my way took the wrong street, and found 
 myself in a rough locality. Some of the residents had 
 been out making friendly calls and had tipped the 
 bottle and had gotten greatly tangled up. I 
 hurried out to the Strand as soon as possible. I con- 
 cluded I was in a neighborhood where there might be 
 a demand for my pocketbook. 
 
 Saturday, June 16. — Doctor R and I rode 
 
 down to St. Martins street; from there to Westminster 
 Bridge. There we took one of the little steamers up 
 the Thames, to Chelsea, and were transferred to another 
 steamer running to the noted Kew Gardens. It was a 
 delightful day and the ride up the river was charming. 
 We passed some fine residences. I quite admired the 
 meadow laud that gave the river a very picturesque 
 border. We went through the Gardens ; they cover an 
 area of several hundred acres, and are laid out in 
 beautiful walks, and contain shrubbery of all kinds, 
 and choice plants and flowers. It reminded me of 
 some parts of Fairmount Park. From there we 
 walked up to Richmond, a short distance away. It is 
 a beautiful town, of considerable size. There were 
 very many houses that had the appearance of being 
 very ancient, but most of the modern resi- 
 dences were similar to those in this section of our 
 country. The young prince who made his advent into 
 this old world during my sojourn in the United King- 
 dom, was born at White L,odge, Richmond. We then 
 rode on the top of a tram to Kew, and went back to 
 
72 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Chelsea on the steamer ; we stopped off there and walked 
 through some part of the town. I jotted it down as 
 another of London 's beautiful suburban towns. We then 
 seated ourselves on the top of an omnibus running direct 
 to London Bridge. It was a long ride, but an enjoyable 
 one. We passed through Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, 
 Charing Cross, the Strand, Cheapside, and Ludgate 
 Circus. We left the coach at the monument and joined 
 the multitude going to and fro over London Bridge. 
 There is generally some excitement on this wonderful 
 thoroughfare. We had not proceeded far on the bridge 
 before we discovered a crowd gathered around some 
 object of interest. My curiosity led me to investigate 
 it. I found it to be a young man kindly caring for a 
 very respectable looking young girl, who seemed to be 
 suffering from general debility, caused by lifting the 
 " little brown jug " too often. We say, " God save our 
 young men from intemperance." My observation 
 leads me to say, "God save our young women, who 
 are in great danger also." A little further on we 
 noticed another group of men and boys ; a poor old 
 horse had suddenly laid down the burden of life, and 
 they were viewing his remains. After going over near 
 where I spent my first night in the city, we returned 
 and went to the district of Whitechapel . Whitechapel 
 road is quite a broad thoroughfare, many of the houses 
 qiiite large, but the lanes and alleys leading into it are 
 filled with men and women far down in the scale of 
 morality. We met a great number of these wretched 
 characters marketing. I thought, as I looked at them, 
 this is the result of letting the devil take the helm ; he 
 is sure to run us on the rocks of sin and wreck us if 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 73 
 
 he has the guiding of our craft. I was not surprised 
 at the wholesale murders that have been committed 
 there. In the evening we took a walk through Red 
 Lion street, West Centre, a long, narrow street, con- 
 taining a variety of little shops on either side. It was 
 rather difficult elbowing our way through the crowded 
 thoroughfare. Some of the stores looked as though 
 they were built when London was a little village. 
 
 Sunday, June 17. — I had an engagement with Mr. 
 
 W to meet him at the Bow Church, at Cheapside, 
 
 and go with him to St. James' Hall, Piccadilly, 
 but I was detained and missed him. I walked 
 down to St. Paul's Cathedral, and stepped in 
 to service. The singing, like that at Westminster 
 Abbey, was excellent. There was assembled a large, 
 attentive congregation. The seats were old-fashioned. 
 Many of them were old rush-bottomed chairs. All the 
 cathedrals I visited were furnished in like manner, and 
 all of them had stone floors. I remained only a short 
 time, then took a long walk to St. James' Hall. I 
 reached there in time to hear Rev. Mark Guy Pearce 
 preach a very excellent sermon from the text, " If God 
 So Clothed the Grass of the Fields," etc. He illus- 
 trated his simple, comprehensive sermon by a blade of 
 grass, which he held up before that immense congre- 
 gation, and I think every one was impressed, after lis- 
 tening to him, with God's great care over us. I stood 
 on the corner of a stieet conversing with one of the 
 members of his congregation, and as this famous 
 preacher and his wife were about to pass us, this gen- 
 tleman called to them and I was introduced, and 
 walked with them nearly to Russell Square. I found Mr. 
 
74 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Pearce a very genial and interesting man. In the after- 
 noon I went to the Great Queen Street Mission School, 
 on Princess street, a small thoroughfare running off 
 Red L,ion street. I was called upon to make an 
 address. Many of the children were the offspring of 
 poor, degraded people. The little ones listened very 
 attentively as I told them of our schools over in the great 
 country of America. I met Mr. H S , a mem- 
 ber of a large Bible class at the church. He insisted 
 that I should take tea with him, and I finally consented 
 to do so. I found his family of the good old English 
 type. They live at the Freemason's Hall, his father 
 having charge of it. I was shown through that beau- 
 tiful hall. I saw the handsome chair that the Prince 
 of Wales occupies when he attends the lodge. There 
 was a collection of regalias, and paraphernalia, and 
 curiosities of different kinds, which I was interested in. 
 I always found the ' ' latch-string ' ' out for me at that 
 home, and regard them as among the number of friends 
 I left when I sailed from the shores of Old England. 
 In the evening I again went to St. James' Hall and 
 heard Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, who also is a noted 
 minister of the gospel. Rev. M. G. Pearce and he are 
 co-laborers in mission w r ork at Piccadilly. I was sur- 
 prised to meet the young man there with whom I had 
 the conversation at Westminster. 
 
 Monday, June 18. — I visited the British Museum. 
 It was only a short distance from my lodging place. I 
 was there as soon as it was open for visitors. It would 
 take too much space to give a very elaborate discrip- 
 tipn of this interesting place. One could spend days 
 there looking at relics of the past ages, and curiosities 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 75 
 
 from all parts of the world. I will only give a few 
 which I have jotted down. I saw some stones from 
 the great temple of Ephesus, A.D. 104, inscribed with 
 public documents relating to a bequest of Salutans to 
 the town of Ephesus ; also stones from the temple of 
 Diana, at Ephesus, inscribed with a decree conferring 
 citizenship and other honors, B.C. 300; wall stones 
 of Temple Preene, B.C. 240; bust of Periander, about 
 B.C. 600, from Villa Montalts, Rome; a bust of 
 Demosthenes, born B.C. 383, died B.C. 323; bust 
 of Metrodorus, who flourished about B.C. 460 ; a Greek 
 inscription from Thessalonica ; a stone with inscriptions, 
 from Athens, B.C. 415 ; carved figures from India, repre- 
 senting persons in a devotional attitude. A clock made 
 by Isaac Habsect, ofStrasburg, 1589, of brass, stood on 
 a wooden base. It has figures of ladies carved on brass 
 plates, the lower one balancing scales in her hands. It 
 is a wonderful piece of mechanism. .Also, a large enam- 
 eled plate with the figure of Christ on the cross ; from 
 Herring Islands, a trap for catching a kind offish called 
 soles ; it was a rope with a curious looking loop. In 
 the Fiji Island department, I saw human bones from a 
 cannibal feast ; they were fixed in the stump of a tree. 
 A curious musical instrument, from the river Niger ; 
 it was in the shape of a boat ; also a war trumpet about 
 five feet long. I saw mummies that are said, by good 
 authority, to be wives of the three Pharaohs. I was so 
 intensely interested that I neglected to look after the 
 inner man, until about 4P.M. I was looking at a 
 very ancient piece of music. I called the attention of a 
 young man standing near me to it. In conversation 
 with him, he informed me he was from Philadelphia, 
 
76 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 and gave his name as Dr. K , connected with one 
 
 of the hospitals there. After dining together, we 
 parted with a promise to meet at Trafalgar Square on 
 Saturday. I was greatly amused at seeing a woman 
 driving a small donkey to a miniature cart loaded with 
 cabbage; she sat on top of the choice vegetables, guiding 
 the animal skilfully through the crowded street. It 
 looked like a sewer rat harnessed up. 
 
 Tuesday, June 19. — I took a ride to Peckham 
 
 to call on the brother of Mr. H , of Camden, N. J. 
 
 On my way down Walworth road, I saw a small 
 street called East street. It was crowded with people. 
 I thought I would see what the attraction was. I 
 found it was a curbstone market. They were selling 
 articles of every conceivable sort . I was amused at 
 them selling fish ; the proprietor of the stand would cut 
 off a piece and auction it off by the pennyworth. In 
 the evening I took. a long ride to the home of Mrs. 
 
 M 's father, on Ezra street, off Columbia road. 
 
 The old gentleman seemed delighted in showing me 
 around that vicinity, which is a fine locality. 
 There is a large museum near by. 
 
 Wednesday, June 20. — Mr. M and wife, Dr. 
 
 R and I took a steamer at London Bridge for 
 
 Greenwich. I had a grand view of the shipping of 
 London as we passed down the river. Greenwich 
 is a very old town, and is packed full of interest. I 
 would have liked to have spent the day there. We 
 took the train for Woolwich, to visit the arsenal. As 
 I passed through the barracks, I was amused at some 
 of the raw recruits trying to mount their horses in mili- 
 tary style. We went to the Rotunda, where they have 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 77 
 
 a number of old guns stored. One old gun was made in 
 1525, another in 1 75 1 . A very handsome one was made 
 for Napoleon in the 1 7th century. I noticed an old lock 
 made in 1666, an old rifle made in 1672, an English 
 breech-loader made in 1600. I also saw a brass cannon, 
 presented to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Napoleon 
 III., 1858; also the original armor of a knight of St. 
 John, 1260; fowling gun of James II., 1683; one 
 belonging to William III., 1506. The janitor showed 
 us a gun made in 1744, in which glass balls were used ; 
 they were aimed at the enemy's eyes. There was a 
 gun inlaid with ivory; it was a fine piece of work. I 
 saw the gun that sunk the "Mary Rose," 1583, after- 
 ward raised in 1836. We then went through every 
 department of the arsenal, where all the fire- 
 arms are made, which is well worth a visit. 
 We saw them making some immense cannon. When 
 busy they employ 17,000 men. We were informed 
 that there were about 15,000 at work there. It 
 was a sight when they came out of the yard at 
 twelve o'clock for dinner. We took the train for 
 Cannon street, reaching home at 7 p. m. 
 
 Thursday, June 21.— Went to Hyde Park, one of 
 the finest I have ever seen. It is finely laid out. 
 The drives are beautiful. I saw a great many very 
 handsome teams. I was convinced, as I saw the 
 people driving in such elegant style, that London had a 
 great number of wealthy families. We walked through 
 the Park to the Albert Memorial ; it is near the Albert 
 Memorial Hall ; it was erected to the memory of the late 
 Prince Consort ; it consists of a bronzed gilt statue of 
 the Prince Consort under a Gothic canopy, and sur- 
 
78 fc A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 mounted by four groups of statuary. We then went to 
 South Kensington Museum. There is a fine collection 
 of relics and curiosities there. The building is very 
 large. I saw the model of the warship Caledonia, 
 launched at Plymouth 1 809 ; a model of the Eddystone 
 Light, 1 75 7- 1 759. I was interested in the State Barge 
 built in the reign of King James I. ; it carried 21 oars, 
 and was 63 feet in length ; the cabin was 
 decorated with heavy gilt moulding and finished 
 in red oak, with red and gilt furniture ; the stern 
 was handsomely carved and heavily gilded. It had 
 been used as a pleasure boat for the royal family. I 
 saw an imitation in wood of a Rhine salmon caught in 
 the Rhine January 4, 1868; it weighed 51^2 pounds. 
 Also a gondola used at Venice. I was interested in the 
 works of a large clock made by Peter Eightfoot, one of 
 the resident monks of Gladstonbuty Abbey, 1325. In 
 the reign of Queen Elizabeth it was removed to Wells' 
 Cathedral, where it was used until about fifty years ago. 
 I copied from a tablet under the clock the following : 
 " This claims attention, it being the work of one man, 
 and its association with Gladstonbury ; it indicates the 
 day and night, and age of the moon ; framing and 
 wheels wrought in iron and fastened together with 
 mortar and terra cotta . ' ' There were also two historic 
 bells from Gladstonbury and Wells' Cathedral. We paid 
 a hurried visit to the Imperial Institute ; it is a very 
 imposing building. The interior is beautiful. In the 
 evening, coming from Stamford Hill, we discovered a 
 large fire. Itappeared to me that all that part of Eon- 
 don was on the move in the direction of it. When we 
 reached a certain point we left the car, which was 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 79 
 
 blocked, and moved slowly with the crowd. It was a 
 large furniture place not far from old City Road Chapel 
 that was burning. They considered the Chapel in great 
 danger at one time. It was nearly 12 o'clock when 
 we reached home. 
 
 Friday, June 22. — I spent most of the day at my 
 favorite place, the British Museum. There are so many 
 relics there from the towns mentioned in the Bible. I 
 purchased a guide book and marked the principal 
 objects of interest, instead of using my note book. 
 Unfortunately I left it on the other side of Old Ocean, 
 If the reader contemplates a trip to London, he should 
 not fail to spend several days at the British Museum. 
 In the afternoon I took the train at Victoria Station 
 for Suydenham, where the wonderful crystal palace is 
 situated. I found it was rather late to see very much 
 of the palace, so concluded to postpone my visit to it, 
 and take a stroll through the town. I found it quite 
 a beautiful place ; the " shops " were quite attractive, 
 especially on the main street, near the palace. On the 
 streets surrounding this great crystal palace are ele- 
 gant residences, with grounds tastefully laid out. I 
 was informed that it would take me more than one day 
 to see all the objects of interest in the palace, and 
 judging from the large area of ground it covered, I was 
 convinced it would. I went to a restaurant to take 
 the edge off my appetite, and just as I entered the door 
 I heard a startling scream. I found a lady greatly 
 excited. Her daughter was in the act of pouring a 
 bucket of hot tea into the reservoir, when she fell from 
 the chair, receiving a shower-bath of scalding tea. We 
 supposed at first it was very serious, but it proved to 
 
So A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 be otherwise. I managed to get some attention after 
 the excitement subsided. On the arrival of the train 
 at Victoria Station, I went to Great Queen Street 
 Chapel. I began to feel quite at home there. 
 
 Saturday, June 23. — Dr. R and I were to 
 
 to meet Dr. K at Trafalgar Square, and go with 
 
 him to several places of interest. The House of Parlia- 
 ment is open on Saturday to the public. We went 
 first through the House of Lords, a magnificent part of 
 the building. It was richly furnished, and the carv- 
 ing on the mouldings was one of the finest pieces of 
 work I have ever seen. I greatly admired the beauty 
 of the Queen's robing-room. Then I went through 
 the House of Commons again. The gentlemen 
 who were airing themselves on various questions 
 of the day, when I was there before, had 
 all "dispersed and wandered far away." They 
 hold no session on Saturdays. There are a number of 
 fine pieces of statuary of some of England's honored 
 statemen, placed about in different parts of the House; 
 the greater part, however, are in the main hallway. 
 We then went to the old St. Margaret's Church. It is 
 beside the Westminster. This is a very historic church. 
 The Cavendish memorial window is beautiful ; in it 
 different parts of the Bible are represented in bright 
 colors. "My flesh shall rest in hope," this is illus- 
 trated by the taking of Christ from thecross. " Peace 
 be still," by Jesus appearing to His disciples on the 
 sea. It was a masterpiece of work, and greatly to be 
 admired. We sat in the pew set apart for Americans. 
 It had the American flag inserted in each arm of the 
 seat, with these words : " For visitors from the United 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 81 
 
 States." The janitor told us that General Grant sat 
 in that seat when visiting London several years ago. 
 The janitor invited us to remain to a wedding that was 
 to take place. So we seated ourselves in the seat 
 for Americans of low as well as of high degree ; but just 
 before the wedding party arrived we were informed that 
 it was against the rules for us to remain — not being in- 
 vited guests. The janitor said to us, as we were leav- 
 ing : ' ' There is to be a grand wedding here this after- 
 noon, and I am to attend the door, and I will see that 
 you get in, if you desire to." But so far as I was con- 
 cerned, I had seen so many launch out on the " sea of 
 matrimony " that I thought I could find something 
 that would interest me more than that. We rode 
 
 up to Chauncey lane. There Dr. R left us. 
 
 We went to St. Paul's Cathedral. History tells us that 
 this is the third cathedral built on this spot. The first 
 one was built A.D. 607, and was destroyed by fire in 
 1087 ; it was rebuilt, and destroyed again by the great 
 fire in 1662. After that it was rebuilt by Christopher 
 Wren, the corner stone being laid in 1675. The build- 
 ing opened for divine service in 1697. The interior 
 length is 502 feet, exclusive of projection of portico, 
 from north to south, including the semicircular por- 
 ticos, 244 feet. The western front is 177 feet; the 
 diameter of drum beneath the dome is 1 1 2 feet ; the 
 dome itself is 102 feet ; the height of the central aisle 
 is 89 feet ; the total height from the pavement of the 
 churchyard to the top of the cross is 370 feet. I have 
 given these dimensions as I found them inthe"St. 
 Paul's Guide. ' ' It is a wonderful structure. There are 
 a great number of busts, statuary and tablets of promi- 
 6 
 
82 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 nent persons, who have passed away during the past 
 centuries. On the altar, which is handsome, is a repre- 
 sentation of Christ on the cross, with cherubs around 
 Him. Near the altar rail is a monument of Reginald 
 Heber, D.D., late Bishop of Calcutta, who died in 
 1826. The Vice Admiral Horatio Viscount Nelson, 
 H.B., must have immortalized himself with the 
 English nation, judging from the inscription which I 
 copied ; it was as follows : ' ' To record his splendid 
 and unparalleled achievements during a life spent in 
 the service of his country, and terminated in the moment 
 of victory, by a glorious death, in the memorable 
 action off Cape Trafalgar, on October 21, 1805." He 
 was born in 1758. There were tablets with records 
 of officers and privates who died from wounds and 
 diseases during the war with Russia, 1 855-1 856. 
 There is a tablet to Major Charles George Gordon, 
 ' ' who at all times gave his strength and substance to the 
 poor, his sympathy to the suffering, and his heart to 
 God." The monument to William Viscount Melbourne, 
 Prime Minister in the last four years of King William 
 IV. 's reign, and the first four of Queen Victoria's, born 
 1779, died 1848, is an arch representing gates, with 
 statues of two angels on each side ; over the door are 
 these words : ' ' Through the gate of death we pass to 
 our joyful resurrection." I saw the tombs of Nelson 
 and Duke of Wellington. I also saw the funeral car 
 of Wellington ; it is said to be made of the different 
 cannon captured in the many battles he was engaged 
 in ; it is a wonderful piece of work. From the crypt 
 we went to the whispering dome. I could hear the 
 attendant speaking distinctly, although some distance 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 83 
 
 away. Out on the balcony, we had a grand view of the 
 city. I had some idea of the immense spaceit occupied. 
 Don't fail to visit old St. Paul when in London. 
 From there we visited the Tower of Loudon. I shall 
 give only a brief description of it, although it is full of 
 interest. The guide book informs us that it owes its 
 origin to the Romans, so it dates far back into the 
 past. In the crown-room are some costly old relics : 
 Knight of Garter, a fine emblem given by the corpora- 
 tion ; St. Edward's crown ; crown of King James II.; 
 the imperial state crown of Queen Victoria is a sceptre 
 with cross studded with diamonds ; the Prince of 
 Wales' crown, neat and plain ; the crown of the consort 
 of King James II. is small, but handsome ; a cross of 
 diamonds. All the crowns and smaller relics are kept 
 in a large glass case with an iron railing encircling it. 
 Inside the railing was a desk belonging to King William 
 and Mary ; an elegant gold sacramental falcon ; a hand- 
 some christening fount about three feet high and two feet 
 wide. In another department I saw the block that Lord 
 Lovat was beheaded on and the axe that was used ; also 
 instruments of torture such as thumb-screws, etc. ; 
 also an old saddle, embroidered with gold, belonging to 
 the Duke of York ; armor of Charles II. when a 
 boy ; an imitation of Prince of Wales' wedding cake ; it 
 was a huge affair. I stood on the spot where Queen Anne 
 Boylen and Lady Jane Grey were executed. Afterward 
 I went into the department once used as a prison where 
 these two women, with a number of prominent persons 
 far back in the past, were imprisoned. The old walls 
 were covered with inscriptions. I purchased a book 
 with some of the inscriptions in. I will give a few. 
 
84 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Some of the words are spelled in queer style, " Authur 
 Pool, I. H. S. A passage perillus maketh 8 a port pleas- 
 ant, A.D., 156S ;" " Charles Bailey, Be frend to one, 
 be ennemy" to none, Anno. 1571-ioSept. The most 
 unhapy man is he that is not pacient in adversities for 
 men are not killed with adversities, but with y e im- 
 pacience which they suffer." Another, " Philip 
 Howard Earl, of Arundel. It is a reproach to be bound 
 in the cause of sin, but to sustain the bonds of prison 
 for the sake of Christ is the greatest glory ; ' ' this was 
 was written on the old wall, May 1587. The Tower is 
 open on Saturdays ior visitors, free of charge. From 
 the tower we took a walk down along the Thames em- 
 bankment to Waterloo bridge. 
 
 Sunday, June 24. — Walked over to City Road 
 Chapel to the service. They use the ritual ; it was much 
 like the low Episcopal service, and was very impressive. 
 The sermon was such that one could easily follow the 
 thread of it. The choir was quite large and contained 
 some fine voices. The organist is the grandson of the 
 sainted Charles Wesley. I had the pleasure of shaking 
 his hand at the close of the services. I spoke to him of 
 the great influence that his grandfather and great 
 uncle, John Wesley, exerted, their work for the Master 
 being felt all over America. He pressed my hand 
 warmly and replied : "I am glad of it. " In the even- 
 ing I went to Liverpool Road Wesleyan Church. After 
 service at the church quite a number of the members 
 assembled in a small street just off St. Pancreas Road 
 and held services. They had a small organ and two of 
 the young men had cornets, and when they all began to 
 sing the crowd soon gathered about them . One man be- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 85 
 
 gan to exhort the unsaved to come to the Saviour of all 
 mankind. When the crowd grew restless, they charmed 
 them with some sweet songs again. I was delighted 
 with the service. After it closed several of the young 
 men walked down home with me. I found them earnest 
 Christians. 
 
En=Route for Scotland. 
 
 ONDAY, June 25. — I arose early and 
 began making preparations to leave 
 the city where I had spent three 
 weeks, the recollections of which 
 will not soon be brushed from mem- 
 ory's wall. I went to the great Bank 
 of England to get a note changed. 
 It was well worth the long walk I 
 took to get there. It is quite an 
 institution . The gold coins piled up made one feel a little 
 envious. I called to see my friend W , at Cheap- 
 side. He said he had written to his father that I would 
 break my journey at York and go to Brompton and re- 
 main with them over night, and he insisted on me doing 
 so. With a great many regrets I left London at 5 p. m. 
 Dr. R. left on the steamer for Edinburgh, Scot- 
 land. I passed through a number of fine towns, one of 
 them being Bedford, where the noted John Bunyan 
 wrote his widely-known book, " Pilgrim's Progress." 
 Two ladies got in the car there and I engaged in con- 
 versation with them. They gave me a little history of 
 the old town. I arrived at Birmingham at 8:30, rode 
 out to Harborn, and received a very cordial welcome at 
 my English home. 
 
 Tuesday, June 26. — Eeft Birmingham for the old 
 city of York ; passed through the large cities of Derby, 
 Chesterfield, and Sheffield, arriving at York at 3 p. m. 
 This was one of the most interesting cities I visited. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 87 
 
 History tells us that the Romans occupied this 
 site for more than three centuries. The Emperor 
 Severus is said to have died in York in 211, 
 A.D., also Constantius, in 306, A.D. Henry II. 
 held his first parliament here in 1160. March 1190, 
 several hundred Jews sacrificed their lives to 
 popular hatred. The first church was built for 
 Christian worship in the year 627, and stood where the 
 large and finely built Yorkminster now stands. This 
 Cathedral was completed 1472. I was charmed with 
 its beauty. Surely back in those days they had fine 
 ideas of architectural beauty. The old walls still sur- 
 round the city. It is said they were originally built by 
 the Romans. I walked around them and had a good 
 view of the city. As I walked through the old streets, 
 and saw so many quaint looking buildings, I was so 
 taken with it that I decided to spend another day there. 
 I met an old lady on the street. She was distributing 
 tracts . I stopped and had quite a long conversation with 
 her. She gave me some valuable information in refer- 
 ence to the city. I understood from a gentleman that I 
 afterward met, she was in that locality-every day giving 
 tracts to all the passersby. Sometimes persons treated 
 her rudely, but if a soldier lad was passing at the time 
 he would step in between her and the one illtreating 
 her and say to him : " Don't you hurt that old gal." 
 He said she had the profound respect of the soldiers . 
 I saw a great number of the redcoats on the streets. 
 Took the train for Brompton, some twenty miles away, 
 
 arriving at 6:30, and found the family of my friend W 
 
 looking for me. They gave me a welcome that I shall 
 not soon forget. The family at home consisted of father, 
 
88 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 mother, two daughters and three sons. They were a 
 very musical family, and I was quite charmed with their 
 singing. The old gentleman was a fine basso singer, 
 and both the young ladies played the piano finely. My 
 autoharp quite interested them, as they had never .seen 
 one before. They kept me up singing and chatting 
 until long after 12 o'clock. 
 
 Wednesday, June 27. — I was quite surprised when 
 
 Mrs. W informed me that she had never been to the 
 
 city of York, only twenty miles away, notwithstanding 
 she was born in that locality. I told them I was so 
 delighted with the old city I intended to go back and 
 spend another day there. They insisted on my return- 
 ing and spending another night with them. One of the 
 young men walked to North Allerton, a distance of two 
 miles, with me. Like the town of Brompton, it is very 
 old. It was market day and I quite enjoyed the sight 
 of the market people with their produce spread out on 
 the street and in the market house, that had stood the 
 storms of long, long years. Went back to York, 
 and while standing on the old bridge spanning the river 
 Ouse, I inquired of a young man near me what old 
 building that was near the bridge. He informed me 
 it was Clifford's Tower, where, in the original tower, 
 2,000 Jews were massacred. He gained my confidence, 
 and I walked with him around the old walls, passed 
 through several old gates ; he pointed out to me the 
 King James' old palace, now used as a blind asylum, 
 and I went through it. One of the little blind boys acted 
 as guide. He took me through each department, and 
 would stop for a few minutes to get his bearings and 
 then proceed. I was very much interested in him as 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 89 
 
 well as in the institution. I passed through an old 
 street called the Shambles ; the houses were very- 
 old, built so that each floor projected beyond the 
 lower one, making their roofs nearly meet with 
 those on the opposite side of the street. I found 
 myself stopping and gazing about like a boy making 
 his first visit to the city. I then went into the court- 
 yard of King William's old palace, now used for the 
 parish poor. I thought, what a change ! Once the home 
 of royalty, now the abode of the lowly. From there I 
 went to Foss Gate, to the Merchant's Adventurer Hall. 
 The lady having charge said, as she took me through : 
 ' ' The Merchants of York have been meeting here for 
 800 years, and it is still used as a business room." 
 There is an old chapel connected with it that 
 was built in 141 1, and pewed in 1663. They were re- 
 pairing it. I gathered up a wooden pin from one of 
 the old rafters as a relic. She remarked: "Here is 
 where the merchants attend service before going to sell 
 their wares." I replied : " I think most of them the 
 world over sell their wares, and, if they have time, then 
 say their prayers." I left this charming old city re- 
 gretting I could not spend more time there, and returned 
 to Brompton and spent another evening with that fine 
 old Yorkshire family, whom I shall always remember 
 very kindly. 
 
 Thursday, June 28. — L,eft for North Allerton at 
 10:30 ; from there was booked, as they style it, for 
 Edinburgh, Scotland. I broke my journey at Durham. 
 The town is very ancient. The Cathedral, one of the 
 largest and finest in England, stands on a very high 
 hill overlooking the town. A beautiful river winds its 
 
9 o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 way through a very picturesque valley. There is an 
 old castle near the Cathedral which was built in 1093, 
 by William, the Conqueror. There were a great many 
 visitors, as there was a Sunday school excursion from a 
 town on the borders of Scotland. I went through the 
 Cathedral and then up in the dome, and had a grand 
 view of the surrounding country, and was wonderfully 
 pleased with the scenery. Left early in the afternoon 
 for Newcastle-011-Tyne. It is a great ship-building 
 town, but not much of interest to the sightseer is there. 
 I rode on top of a tram through a fine part of the city. 
 It was a general holiday, and everyone seemed bent on 
 having a good time. There had been a race at the fair 
 grounds, and as I was going to the station I met a 
 great throng of people returning from it. I left for 
 Edinburgh, glad to be on the move again. I was 
 interested in the old walls at Berick, on the coast. A 
 gentleman informed me that, centuries ago, a great 
 many battles had been fought there. It is a large town 
 in Scotland, just over the line. The scenery was fine. 
 The cattle, grazing on the sides of the green hills, made 
 a beautiful picture. I arrived in Edinburgh at 10 p. 
 m. and found my way to the Y. M. C. A. hall, and 
 
 learned the whereabouts of Dr. R . A young man 
 
 kindly took me to the hotel where the Doctor had 
 secured a good room for me. 
 
 Friday, June 29. — Edinburgh is divided by abroad 
 valley of gardens. Princess street, one of the principal 
 thoroughfares, is beautiful ; it is terraced on the new 
 side of the city, and contains some very large, attrac- 
 tive stores. On the opposite side of the valley is the 
 famous Edinburgh Castle, perched on a rock 300 feet 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 91 
 
 above the surrounding valley and 445 feet above sea 
 level ; the old part of the city slopes down from this 
 rock. I have always heard that Edinburgh is one of 
 the finest cities in the world, being referred to as the 
 " Modern Athens. As I rode on the top of the tram 
 along Princess street and looked down on those gar- 
 dens, so tastefully arranged in the valley below, and 
 then at the old castle, standing far above the city on 
 that huge rock, I concluded that, of all the cities I had 
 visited, its beauty could not be excelled. I went to 
 the house that John Knox lived in from 1559-72, and 
 in which he died. A quaint old inscription is on the 
 outside of the house : " L,ofe. God. above- al and your 
 neichtbour as yi self. ' ' We went down through Cannon 
 Gate, which is called the Whitechapel of Edinburgh. 
 A great many little closes (or courts, as we would call 
 them) lead from this street, whose entrances are 
 quite narrow, but the enclosures a trifle wider, each 
 containing several houses, wretched looking places, as 
 are also many of the occupants. At that time the 
 smallpox was quite prevalent in that section of the 
 city, and I hesitated about taking the risk of going 
 
 through. Dr. R said he thought there was no 
 
 danger, but, as I saw the red flags hanging from the 
 windows in all directions, I passed along rather hur- 
 riedly. A few minutes' walk brought us to Holyrood 
 Palace and the Abbey, where the attendant informed 
 us it would be opened for visitors an hour later. In 
 looking up the history of this place, I learned that the 
 Abbey was founded by King David I. The palace was 
 begun by Charles IV., and burned by the English in 
 1544, and again by Cromwell's soldiers in 1650. Queen 
 
92 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Mary spent, most of her time here. As we stood by 
 the gate, the room that Rizzio was assassinated in 
 while at supper with Mary was pointed out to us. The 
 deed was done by Darnley, Ruthven and others in 
 1566. We was quite anxious to pay a visit to this his- 
 toric place, but our time was limited. We went to the 
 drill -ground at the base of the hill, which is 822 feet 
 high, on the top of which is Arthur's famous Seat. 
 A short distance away were the ruins of St. An- 
 thony's Chapel. We stood and gazed very wistfully 
 at the top of Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat, but knew 
 it meant too much labor to reach the summit. We 
 witnessed a fine military display. The cavalrymen 
 handled their horses skilfully, showing excellent train- 
 ing ; the Scottish Highlanders, with their plaid kilts, 
 were quite attractive, and went through a very inter- 
 esting drill. Several of them were detailed to go up 
 the mountain — as I styled it — and when some distance 
 away sounded their bugles, and a number of their 
 comrades answered the call and ran up the side of the 
 mountain as dexterously as goats. The baud discoursed 
 some fine old Scotch airs, that quite charmed me. We 
 visited the Edinburgh Castle, which was considered a 
 stronghold prior to the days of gunpowder, but which 
 is now used as an infantry barracks for 1,200 men, and 
 has an arsenal containing 30,000 stands of arms. We 
 saw the State Prison, where the adherents of the 
 Stuarts were confined, and passed through the old 
 palace yard, then into the old crown-room, where are 
 kept the regalias, or, as they are sometimes called, the 
 honors of Scotland. The crown of Robert Bruce, 
 with which Charles II. was crowned, is beautiful, as 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 93 
 
 is also the sceptre. I was greatly interested in many- 
 other relics that I saw there. My notes were hurriedly 
 taken as I passed through. Queen Mary's bed-room 
 was a small apartment ; in this room her son, James 
 VI., was born. I had a good view of the country 
 from the little window, from which it is said-the infant 
 Prince James was lowered in a basket to his mother's 
 friends, to be educated in their faith. This portion of 
 the castle was built by Queen Mary in 1565, and is 
 on the edge of a rock 300 feet above the valley. 
 I was quite interested in Queen Margaret's old church. 
 It is on the highest part of the castle, and is the oldest 
 building in Edinburgh, having been built in 1050. 
 For many years it was used as a magazine, but, 
 through the efforts of Dr. Daniel Wilson, it was restored 
 in 1853. It i s quite a small edifice, and contains a 
 beautiful little window presented by Queen Victoria. 
 I stopped at the barracks of the Scottish Guards, which 
 certainly are comfortable quarters. I engaged in con- 
 versation with one of the soldiers, who said : " I have 
 just returned from a visit home, and feel unfitted for 
 duty. I shall not be able to settle down to this kind 
 of life for several days. A fellow feels a ' wee bit ' 
 bad in leaving the folks, especially mother." I 
 became very much interested in this young man, and 
 passed him out a huge bundle of sympathy, and gave 
 him one of my hymn books and called his attention to 
 the hymn, "A Sinner Dike Me." He said: " I will 
 read it, and keep it to remember you by." On the 
 bomb battery stands Mons Meg, a very large gun, 
 made at Mons, Belgium, 1476. From this battery I 
 had a grand view of the city and surrounding country. 
 
94 ' A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Edinburgh has a population of 345,000, suburbs in- 
 cluded. We came down High street, once considered 
 one of the finest streets in Europe, but time has robbed 
 it of its beauty, and a great many of the old houses 
 are crumbling with age. We visited Natural Art Gal- 
 lery, which contains a number of fine paintings of cele- 
 brated artists. The statue of Burns is here. In the 
 museum are a number of very old relics, among them 
 being John Knox's pulpit, from St. Giles' Church. 
 Scott's handsome monument stands near the Art Gal- 
 lery. Under the canopy is a statue of Sir Walter 
 Scott. It is quite an ornament to Princess street. 
 Some distance away is the monument of Robert Burns — 
 but these two men would live in the memories of lovers 
 of their works without a marble shaft. We went by 
 trim to Leith, and from there by steamer to the 
 wonderful Firth Bridge. My guide book gives its 
 dimensions as being 1 * 2 miles long ; the height of 
 the cantilevers, 360 feet; length of central girders, 350 
 feet; length of large spans, 1,710 feet ; headway above 
 high water mark at centre of spans, 150 feet ; the 
 weight of iron and steel used, 54,000 tons. There 
 were 500 accidents occurred during the seven years 
 they were building it ; 57 of them ending fatally. 
 Our little steamer passed under the bridge and 
 landed at South Queen's Ferry, a short distance below. 
 We remained on the steamer and returned to Leith 
 again. We took a trip to Portabella, a watering place a 
 few miles from Edinbugh. It is quite a nice little 
 seaside resort. They have small cars in which the 
 bathers change their clothing. Horses are attached 
 to the cars and they are taken out a certain distance 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 95 
 
 and the bathers step from the cars into the surf. The 
 ladies and gentlemen are not allowed to bathe together. 
 One of the bathing masters told me they were not 
 permitted to come within a certain distance of each 
 other. I gave him a discription of an American 
 seaside resort, where hundreds of men, women and 
 children bathe together, and it is considered within 
 the bounds of propriety. 
 
 Saturday, June 30. — Rode from Princess street 
 through one of the finest parts of the city to the 
 Botanical Gardens. As my time was limited, I could 
 only hurriedly cast my eyes about, but saw 
 enough to convince me that any admirer of plants and 
 flowers could spend a day there nicely. On my return 
 called on the secretary of the Y. M. C. A., and was 
 much pleased with him; he spoke of their good 
 work, but remarked that if the young men were more 
 actively engaged in Christian work, they would not 
 need so much else to interest them. They have a 
 
 finely equipped hall. Dr. R left for Glasgow in 
 
 the morning, and I left at 1:20 for Sterling, to visit the 
 gentleman I met the first night I spent in London. 
 We passed over the Forth bridge and through Alloa, a 
 town of considerable size, having the appearance of 
 being quite a business place. The country between 
 Edinburgh and Sterling is very pretty. We arrived 
 at 3 p. m., and I found my way to the home of Mr. 
 
 J • He and his good wife gave me a reception 
 
 that assured me I was welcome He had a trip 
 arranged for himself and I, so after partaking of some 
 refreshments, we went by train to Callender, which is 
 a pleasant little town, then walked a distance of three 
 
96 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 miles along the Pass of Leny, to Loch Lubnaig, a 
 beautiful sheet of water about 5 miles long and i mile 
 broad. It is of considerable depth, but the water is so 
 clear we could see the pebbles at the bottom. It 
 abounds with fish ; I saw a number of them exercising 
 their fins. On the opposite side stands Ben Ledi, a 
 grand old mountain, covered with verdure, lifting its 
 head above the valley to the great height of 2,871 feet. 
 The scenery was subline and I drank it in with a relish, 
 
 and Mr. J , who is a great lover of nature and of 
 
 poetry also, informed me that he never tired of visiting 
 that romantic spot. He also remarked that this was 
 one of the places from which Sir Walter Scott received 
 his inspirations when he wrote some of his beautiful 
 poems. I am not surprised that lovers of poetry 
 are charmed with his beautiful word-pictures taken 
 from this beautiful spot. Near the Falls of Leny is 
 the churchyard and chapel of St. Bride, spoken of in 
 the "Lady of the Lake." I copied from the only 
 remaining tombstone the name of P. McKinley, died 
 1825. We passed a number of the old thatched roofed 
 cottages, some of them with huge rosebushes climbing 
 up their sides. They had an air of neatness and com- 
 fort about them, and seemed quite homelike. I was 
 reminded of the poem of Robert Burns, entitled "The 
 Cotter's Saturday Night." When we were returning 
 from Callender there was a very poor woman with two 
 small children in the compartment with us. She had 
 walked from her home in the highlands, a distance of 
 sixteen miles, and begged money at Callender to pay 
 her fare to the Bridge of Allen. She was going to the 
 military camp at Cambusbarron, two miles from Ster- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 97 
 ling, to see her husband. My friend, Mr. J , 
 
 whose heart seemed to be as large as the world, inter- 
 ested himself in her, and gave her a ticket to complete 
 her journey to Sterling, and then called the attention 
 of all those in the compartment to her destitute con- 
 dition. I was wonderfully pleased with the prompt- 
 ness with which each one responded. Some of them 
 were men who were rough and profane, but had 
 hearts full of sympathy. I quite admired those warm- 
 hearted Scotchmen, and am sure, as the shillings and 
 sixpences were passed to her, the look of gratitude 
 which she gave to those who had shown her this kind- 
 ness more than repaid them for the little sacrifice they 
 had made. 
 
 Sunday, July 1. — Mr. J had arranged to go 
 
 to Cambusbarron, a little village two miles from Ster- 
 ling, to attend the joint meeting of the Young Men's 
 and Young Women's Christian Association. It was 
 quite an enjoyable walk over the hills. On reaching the 
 hall we found a large audience assembled. I had only 
 been seated a few minutes before they began singing 
 my old hymn, "Saves a Poor Sinner Like Me." I 
 can never describe my feelings as I listened to them 
 singing it as heartily as I ever heard it sung in 
 America. I thought, is it possible the piece which I 
 wrote a number of years ago, and which I 
 did not think would get beyond my own little city, has 
 found its way over into the highlands of Scotland ? I 
 thanked God for inspiring me to write those words, 
 which have been such a blessing to the world. I 
 was called on to give them a short address, which I 
 did, and at the close was invited by the superintendent 
 7 
 
9 8 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 of the Sunday school to address the convention, which 
 
 met previous to the regular session. Mr. J 's 
 
 parents lived in the village, so I was taken through the 
 quaint old streets to their cottage. The family at 
 home consisted of father and mother, one daughter, 
 (a young lady, ) and two sons ; one of them a young man, 
 the other a lad of about fifteen years. The first thing 
 this fine old Scotch lady did after I was introduced 
 was to prepare some refreshments for me. I never 
 visited that little cottage, no matter at what hour of 
 the day, but the neat little tray was brought to me 
 
 with something to tempt my appetite. Mr. J s 
 
 father was an invalid, and had been for a number of 
 years. He was a fine old Scotch character, and a man 
 of considerable intelligence, and I quite enjoyed hear- 
 ing him converse. The convention was held in the 
 Presbyterian church. The congregation were prin- 
 cipally the parents of the scholars, with a sprinkling of 
 children. The pulpit was one of those high, old- 
 fashioned ones, with winding steps. I said to my 
 friend, " I think I shall beg to be excused from taking 
 my position up there. I will be conspicuous enough 
 down below." He replied, with a merry twinkle in 
 his eye, " I think you will have to speak from the 
 pulpit." Sure enough, the superintendent insisted 
 upon my coming up with him. I should like to have 
 a photograph of my tall form climbing the stairway 
 and standing in the pulpit, with my head about even 
 with the gallery. I felt rather awkward perched up 
 there, and am sure it must have been rather trying on 
 the necks of those who sat near the pulpit. I made 
 the acquaintance of some very excellent people in the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 99 
 
 village, and will always remember my visits to their 
 hospitable homes. In the evening, as we passed 
 through the streets of Sterling, I saw quite a large 
 number of people assembled in front of one of the 
 Presbyterian churches, holding services, and was in- 
 formed it was the custom of the members of this, as well 
 as of other denominations, to hold their early services 
 on the street, and that great good had been accomp- 
 lished by them. 
 
 Monday, July 2. — Mr. J C and two of 
 
 Mr. J 's " wee bairns " went with me to see this 
 
 interesting town. We passed through the old market 
 place, then by a broad gravel walk to the top of this 
 high rock, where stands this famous Sterling Castle, 
 from which can be seen the battlefields where ' ' Wallace 
 fought for liberty and Robert Bruce secured his hard- 
 won crown." From Victoria lookout and battlements 
 the view of the surrounding country is magnificent, 
 the tall mountain peaks in the Highlands, the valleys, 
 and the stream winding through the meadows, is a 
 picture that is photographed on my memory. History 
 tells us that Sterling Castle dates back as a royal resi- 
 dence to A.D. 990, when Kenneth III. collected his 
 forces there and marched to meet the Danes at L,un- 
 carty. It was the favorite residence of James V., and 
 there James VI. spent his early 3'ears, under the tutor- 
 ship of the celebrated George Buchanan. There are 
 very many more historical facts connected with it 
 which I would like to give. On the esplanade of the 
 castle is a large statue representing King Robert Bruce 
 sheathing his sword after the battle of Bannockburn. 
 Leading up to the great arched doorway is a draw- 
 
ioo A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 bridge over the dry fosse of the castle. There was a 
 soldier pacing to and fro. I was much interested in 
 going through this castle, which is strongly garrisoned. 
 Mr. C — — proved to be an excellent guide, as he 
 seemed quite familiar with the history of the castle. 
 In one of the rooms there were a number of relics, 
 which I spent some time inspecting. There were 
 two old chairs, of the reigns of James III. and James 
 V., respectively, and several old battle-axes found on 
 the battlefield of Bannockburn, also a number of other 
 rude weapons. In the Douglass room I saw a beauti- 
 ful little window, put in by order of Queen Victoria 
 to commemorate William Earl Douglass, murdered 
 here in February, 1452, by James II. From the castle 
 we went down a flight of stairs to a small garden, in 
 the centre of which is a granite pyramid, erected to the 
 memory of the Scottish covenanters by the late William 
 Drummond, uncle of Professor Henry Drummond. It 
 contains a number of Bible inscriptions, and in large, 
 bold lettering these words: "Rock of Ages." The 
 cemetery is on the slope a little below the castle, in 
 what they call the valley. It is beautifully situated, 
 and hundreds of Sterling's dead sleep there. In the 
 centre are the statues of reformers Knox, Melville and 
 Henderson, also a statue of the covenanting martyr 
 Renwick, and one of James Guthrie, covenanting min- 
 ister of the High Church, and martyr. There was a 
 magnificent monument erected to the memory of the 
 two young women who suffered a martyr's death. I 
 copied the following inscription from this monument : 
 "Margaret, virgin martyr of the ocean waves, with 
 her like-minded sister Agnes, bound to a stake within 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 101 
 
 flood mark of the Solway tide. They died a martyr's 
 death May n, 1685. 
 
 " L,ove many waters cannot quench. God saves 
 His chaste imperiled one in covenant true. 
 Oh, Scotia's daughters, earnest scan the page 
 And prize the flower blood bought for you." 
 
 There were a number of other beautiful inscriptions 
 around the base of the monument. My pencil was 
 busy copying epitaphs that attracted my attention 
 which appear on the page set apart for them. We then 
 visited the High Church, traditionally called the 
 Church of the Grey Friars. The West Kirk, as it is 
 called, was built in the fourteenth century, the East 
 Kirk in the sixteenth century. This was the church 
 that John Knox is said to have preached in. I saw the 
 old pulpit and communion table that were in use then ; 
 they were on exhibition in Cowane's Hospital, com- 
 monly called Guildery. Over the doorway is the statue 
 of John Cowane, one of the principal beneficiaries of the 
 town. There were various curiosities, among which 
 were old tankards, weights and measures that were 
 used as standards. 
 
 Tuesday, July 3 — I purposed leaving to-day for 
 
 Glasgow to join Dr. R again, but Mr J insisted 
 
 so strongly on my remaining until I had visited all the 
 principal places of interest in and around Sterling, that 
 
 I took the risk of missing Dr. R and not having his 
 
 company on my journey through Ireland. I visited the 
 Wallace monument, which stands on a very high hill 
 overlooking the river Forth. On the second floor of 
 the tower is the armor of Wallace and busts of Sir Wal- 
 ter Scott, Carlyle, and William Murdoch, inventor of 
 
102 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 lighting by gas; John Knox, born 1505, died 1572 ; 
 Robert Burns and a number of others whose memories 
 are cherished in Scotland and other countries ; the sword 
 used by King Robert Bruce at the battle of Sterling 
 Bridge, September 11, 1297, with this inscription: "The 
 sword fit for archangels to wield was light in his terrible 
 hand. ' ' It was a long, tiresome journey to the top of the 
 monument, but the view I had from the balcony more than 
 repaid me for the exertion I made. The river Forth 
 coursing its way in serpentine form through that fertile 
 country, was a picture that no human hand could 
 paint. I met a young man from Aberdeen, and to- 
 gether we went to the old Cambuskenneth Abbey. We 
 paid twopence and secured the key from a family living 
 in an old house a short distance away, and climbed up 
 the winding stairway to the top of the abbey, which was 
 crumbling with age, and from there we visited the tomb 
 of James III., just back of the abbey. On our way to 
 the ferry we stopped at a very old farmhouse and 
 refreshed ourselves with a glass of milk. The floors of 
 the old house were stone, and I should judge that the 
 hand that placed them there had ceased from toil long 
 years ago. When we reached the ferry we found a boy 
 with a small rowboat ready to take us across the nar- 
 row stream , and a few strokes of the oar took us to the 
 other side, the fare being a penny. I called at the Y. 
 M. C. A. building and met the secretary, who is a mer- 
 chant, and only gives his evenings to the work. I 
 walked through a very pretty part of the city, the side- 
 walks in that section being about three feet above the 
 centre of the street, and the grand old trees forming an 
 arch over the whole, made it a beautiful sight. I saw 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 103 
 
 the home of Professor Drummond's childhood, and it is 
 
 a fine old residence. My friend, Mr. J , was one of 
 
 the Professor's Sunday school scholars, and he spoke 
 very highly of him as a teacher. 
 
 Wednesday, July 4.— Mr. J described the 
 
 beauties of the Trossachs to me and urged me to visit 
 them, so I left for Callender on the 8 a. m. train, and 
 from there rode on the top of a coach a distance of eight 
 miles to the Trossachs; it was a delightful ride. 
 The scenery was simply grand ; the tall mountain peaks 
 seemed to be lifting their heads in all directions, with 
 here and there a beautiful sheet of water winding 
 around their huge base. I sat on the seat with a fine 
 old English gentleman and his wife, of Derbyshire, 
 England, with whom I became quite well acquainted. 
 Far up in the mountains we met two men with bag- 
 pipes, and in company with them were two wretched 
 looking women, each with young babes wrapped in 
 shawls and strapped on their backs, in Indian style. 
 The men walked down the road toward our coach and 
 began discoursing a very peculiar air apparently for our 
 benefit, but really for their own. We threw them 
 some pennies and were glad to get beyond the discord- 
 ant strains of their bag-pipes. Soon the Trossachs 
 hotel hove in sight, from the top of which I saw the 
 stars and stripes floating. I had been singing- 
 down in my heart all the morning, ' ' The Star 
 Spangled Banner," but as I caught sight of that 
 old flag, I could scarcely keep that song I learned in 
 childhood from finding its way to my lips. It being 
 the celebration of our great Independence Day in 
 America, the proprietor of this splendid hotel, 
 
104 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 alone far up in the highlands, had hoisted the flag in 
 honor of his American guests and the American 
 tourists passing through that section. We rode up to 
 Loch Katrine and embarked on a little steamer for the 
 head of that magnificent lake, which nestles between 
 two mountains and is dotted with miniature islands. 
 Ellen's Isle is a beautiful spot, mentioned by Scott in 
 his poem entitled, " Lady of the Lake." In this 
 romantic spot, amid the grandeur of this mountain 
 scenery, the thoughts, the beauty of which have stirred 
 the hearts of lovers of poetry in the old and new world, 
 were suggested to Sir Walter Scott, the great poet. 
 The ride up the lake is a beautiful one, the 
 distance being nine miles. As our steamer sped 
 along over the bosom of that placid lake, overshadowed 
 by those lofty mountain peaks, it seemed almost like 
 " fairy land." Most of the passengers were going to 
 Glasgow by the Caledonian Canal, which the old Eng- 
 lish gentlman informed me was a trip well worth taking. 
 There were a large number of American tourists wait- 
 ing at the landing to take the steamer back to the 
 Trossachs. They were very patriotic, judging from their 
 display of the American flag, as most of the ladies had 
 small flags festooned across their shoulders, and the 
 gentlemen had them fastened to their umbrellas and 
 canes, and they came on board the steamer apparently 
 in the spirit of the day. I was not very long in mak- 
 ing the fact known that I was born in the 
 "Land of the free and home of the brave." But 
 while this is the case, I also have a strong love for Old 
 England and her three fair daughters, Ireland, 
 Scotland and Wales. For in all my travels 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 105 
 
 through the British Isles, from those living in luxury 
 and wealth to those down in the "vale of poverty," I 
 received nothing but kindness, and have every reason 
 for believing that they have a good, warm feeling for 
 America. I have always felt kindly toward strangers 
 coming to our shores, but I think I shall feel more so 
 in the future. Coming down the lake I had a grand 
 view of Ben Venue, a grand old mountain whose tall 
 peak seemed to be touching the clouds. It is 2,393 
 feet in height. Ben A'an can be seen lifting its rugged 
 peak to the height of 1 ,851 feet. Then came our ride 
 back to the hotel, in the rear of which is a mountain 
 called Sron-Armailte, and is 1,149 feet in height. We 
 remained there about an hour, giving us time to get 
 some idea of the grandeur of the scenery. There were 
 three coaches, and I rode from the steamer to the hotel 
 on the small one, but concluded to find a seat on one 
 of the others with the Americans, for there was only 
 one man on the coach, and he sat with the driver, so 
 when we were ready to leave for Callender I made an 
 effort to get a seat on one of the other coaches, but was 
 informed they were especially for the tourists, so I seated 
 myself on top, of the small coach for a quiet ride over 
 the mountains, but just a few moments before leaving, 
 two Catholic priests took seats beside me, one of them 
 having the appearance of being about thirty-five years 
 old, and the other about twenty-eight. I had no idea 
 of forming their acquaintance, for I had never 
 conversed with a priest. As we were about leaving, 
 a man climbed up on the wheel and called for the 
 driver's fee. When the priest sitting next to me passed 
 him a shilling, he said: "I can't make the change." 
 
106 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 I did not have a sixpence in change, so the priest 
 said : ' ' Jnst keep my shilling and consider this gentle- 
 man's fee paid," referring to me. I thanked him and 
 told him I would give him the change when we reached 
 Callender, but he replied, " I settled for you ; I do not 
 wish any change." We at once began a conversation, 
 and I found them excellent company ; they were jolly, 
 good-natured men. We rode in the compartment to- 
 gether from Callender to Sterling. I was quite amused 
 to hear the elder priest guy the younger one. They 
 said to me : " Did you know we were priests ? " " Oh, 
 yes," I replied, and I thought when I saw you coming 
 toward the coach I would have a quiet time of it going 
 over the mountains." The elder one said : " You 
 must have formed a very poor opinion of this gentle- 
 man," pointing to his companion. " I have formed a 
 very good opinion of both of you," I replied, " and am 
 very glad to have formed your acquaintance." We ex- 
 changed our religious views very pleasantly and when 
 I was leaving them they grasped my hand, shook it 
 warmly, and said: " We have spent a very pleasant 
 afternoon with you." As this was the last night I ex- 
 pected to remain at Sterling, Mr. J invited to his 
 
 house a number of his friends from Cambusbarron and 
 Sterling, whom I had met, and a very enjoyable even- 
 ing was spent. They sang some fine old Scotch airs 
 for me, and then requested me to sing the " Star 
 Spangled Banner." Just before they bade me a final 
 adieu they sang, " Should Auld Acquaintance be For- 
 got," etc. I noted that evening as one of the most 
 pleasant I spent during my stay in the old country. 
 Thursday, July 5. — I took my autoharp and went 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 107 
 
 to Cambusbarron and played and sang "In That 
 
 City" for Mr. J , Sr. I shall never forget that 
 
 old man as he lay in bed with the tears coursing down 
 his cheeks. Reaching out his hand to bid me good- 
 bye, he said : " I shall never meet you here again, but 
 will meet you in that " City," and then gave me a 
 neatly folded little note, saying: "That contains my 
 sentiments." As I passed out of the door of the little 
 cottage I received the ' ' God bless you ! ' ' from that 
 family that I have numbered among my choice friends. 
 
 In a letter received a short time ago from Mr. J 
 
 came the information, " Father has gone to the eternal 
 city that you sung to him about " When I returned 
 
 to Sterling and bade good-bye to Mr. C and wife, 
 
 Mr. J and his excellent wife and their six ' ' wee 
 
 bairns, ' ' a feeling of sadness crept over me as I thought 
 that in all probability I am looking into the faces of 
 these kind friends for the last time. Left the grand old 
 town of Sterling at 1 p. m. and about an hour's ride 
 brought me to the busy city of Glasgow, which has a 
 population of about 800,000. History tells us that a 
 small Roman colony once occupied this site, and about 
 the year 560 St. Mungo founded a religious house here, 
 so that it dates far back in the past. It is sixty miles 
 from the sea, but is said to rival Liverpool in shipping. 
 I passed over the splendid Glasgow bridge and was 
 surprised to see the great number of ships lying at the 
 docks far down the river. I promised my friends, Mr. 
 
 and Mrs. S , of Camden, New Jersey, that when I 
 
 visited Glasgow I would call on their relatives. Mrs. 
 
 S has a sister living at Paisley, a few miles from 
 
 Glasgow, and thither I went by train. When I called 
 
io8 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 on and informed her that I had a message from her sis- 
 ter in America she seemed overjoyed, as she had not 
 heard from her for a number of years. She said : " It 
 is nearly forty years since I bade her good-bye." I re- 
 mained only a short time there and then rode on the 
 top of a tram through one of the principal streets. The 
 city has a magnificent town hall ; the Coates cotton 
 mill is an immense building ; also passed the Coates 
 Memorial Baptist Church, which is a large and hand- 
 some structure. On some of the business streets there 
 were quite a number of large, well-stocked stores. The 
 celebrated Paisley shawls are made here. Returned to 
 
 Glasgow and called at the house of Mr. S 's sister, 
 
 but they were away in the country. From there went 
 to the Y. M. C. A. hall, and was directed by the assist- 
 ant secretary to the Hotel Waverly, and found very 
 comfortable quarters for the night. 
 
 Friday, July 6.— Called at the Y. M. C. A. and 
 
 met the secretary, Mr. O , and found him one of 
 
 the brightest and most genial secretaries that I met 
 during my travels. When he learned I was the author 
 of the hymn, "A Sinner L,ike Me," he informed me 
 that his wife, who is the daughter of the Rev. Horatius 
 Bonar, the celebrated hymn writer, had been singing 
 that hymn all over Scotland as a solo for a number of 
 years, and he said: " I am sure she would be pleased to 
 meet you, and as she is to meet a committee of ladies at 
 the Young Women's Christian Association Hall in a 
 short time, I will take you around and introduce you." 
 And so we went to this fine hall fitted up for young 
 ladies, which reflects great credit on the people of 
 Glasgow, and met this distinguished lady, along with a 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 109 
 
 number of others of Scotland's noted Christian women. 
 The Y. M. C. A. hall is one of the largest and best 
 
 equipped that I visited. Mr. kindly gave me a 
 
 plan whereby I could see the principal places of inter- 
 est. The municipal building is a very large and hand- 
 some structure, and is an ornament to the city. The 
 stores on Buchanan street, which is one of the princi- 
 pal thoroughfares, compare favorably with any city on 
 either side of the Atlantic. The old Cathedral interested 
 me very much and I spent considerable time there. The 
 large stained glass windows are magnificent, and the 
 designs on them attracted my attention. The dimen- 
 sions given of the old edifice are 319 feet long and 63 
 feet wide. It contains a number of pieces of statuary 
 and tablets, and the old churchyard is filled with slabs 
 with inscriptions that can scarcely be read, being so 
 old. Back of the Cathedral, terraced on the side of the 
 hill, is a beautiful cemetery in which stands the monu- 
 ment of Knox and a number of others of Scotland's 
 cherished dead. I also visited West End, where there 
 are a number of elegant residences, the Botanical Gar- 
 dens, the University, and a finely arranged park 
 claimed my attention for a short time. I embarked on 
 the steamer " Shamrock " for Londonderry, Ireland, 
 and had a good view of the shipyards as we passed 
 down the river Clyde. It was one continuous sound 
 of the hammer until we got beyond the city limits. A 
 severe thunder storm poured its fury out upon us when 
 we were a little below the city, so that I was deprived 
 of a good view of the scenery along the river. We 
 reached Greenoch at 6:30 and then started seaward 
 
no A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 again. I left Scotland charmed with its beauties, and 
 shall always kindly remember her warm-hearted and 
 hospitable people. 
 
A Trip Through " Old Ireland." 
 
 ATURDAY, July 7.— When I came out 
 on deck we were steaming up the river 
 Foyle and the scenery was charming. 
 Those great hills, sloping down to the 
 margin of the river dotted with little 
 farm-houses, was very picturesque, and 
 as we approached Londonderry it struck 
 me as being a very pretty little city. It 
 is built on both sides of the river ; on 
 what is called Water Side, the houses seemed to be 
 terraced on the side of the hill, and a handsome bridge 
 spans the river just above where we landed. When I 
 stepped ashore I could scarcely realize I was in 
 " Old Ireland," a land I have always desired to see. 
 A young man from Australia, with whom I became ac- 
 quainted on the steamer, had some business to attend to 
 and invited me to go with him. We crossed in a min- 
 iature ferry-boat, which was an odd-looking craft, and 
 returned by way of the bridge to the city proper. The 
 old walls that still surround the city and are preserved as 
 a promenade, were built in 1688 and some parts of them 
 bear the marks of the bullets made during the wonder- 
 ful siege of 'Deny. I walked around them and had a 
 good view of the city. I saw the large cannon called 
 " Roaring Meg," used during the siege. Londonderry 
 has a population of about 35,000, and the business por- 
 tion compares favorably with any city of its size that I 
 visited. Some of the " shops " are quite large. I 
 
ii2 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 called at the Y. M. C. A. and at the postoffiee, think- 
 ing I might find some trace of Dr. R , bnt failed to 
 
 do so. My old heart bounded with joy when they 
 passed me out some mail matter from America, for- 
 warded to me by my good friend, Mrs. P -, of Har- 
 
 born, England. I was alone in a strange land, and as 
 I read those letters I felt that I was in close touch with 
 those who had kindly written them. I went to the 
 old cathedral and the lady having charge kindly showed 
 me through, and before 1 left, called my atten- 
 tion to an old cannon ball found in the yard 
 after the siege. I called at the manse (or par- 
 sonage) of the East Wall Wesleyan Church and intro- 
 duced myself to the pastor, Rev. Mr. , and 
 
 found him a good, warm-hearted old gentleman. After 
 some conversation he invited me to preach for him on 
 Sunday morning. I thanked him and told him when 
 I preached I generally had a very small congregation — 
 no one there but Butler. He smiled and said: "Oh, 
 I thought you were a preacher." He requested me to 
 help him in his service in the morning and evening, and 
 directed me to one of his members who kept a temper- 
 ance hotel, which I found to be a very homelike place. 
 Went down through a part of the city containing a 
 number of little houses, one of which, with its little 
 windows, amused me particularly. I saw a typical old 
 Irish woman sitting in the market-place smoking a 
 clay pipe, seemingly getting a great deal of comfort 
 from it. The Salvation Army made quite a display, 
 and held a very excellent service on one of the princi- 
 pal streets. I was compelled to take refuge from the 
 storm in a large grocery store, and one of the gentle- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 113 
 
 men, who thought me a native of Ireland, became quite 
 friendly and invited me to call in whenever I was in 
 that locality. I had about walked the soles off my 
 shoes and called at a cobbler's shop, and while they 
 were being repaired had quite an interesting conversa- 
 tion with the proprietor. The old man was quite in- 
 terested in my description of America. Before I re- 
 tired I began to feel somewhat at home in ' ' Old Ire- 
 land." 
 
 Sunday, July 8. — According to promise, I was 
 present at service at the East Wall Wesleyan Church, 
 and assisted the pastor as best I could ; in the afternoon 
 went to the Sabbath school and addressed the children. 
 
 Mr. A , the assistant superintendent, who had 
 
 charge of the school, had a large, warm Irish heart in 
 him, and made me feel quite at home in their presence. 
 In the evening I took charge of the prayer service after 
 the sermon, as the pastor had to go over to 
 the Water Side and preach at another chapel. I 
 became acquainted with quite a number of the 
 
 members, among them a Mr. McC and a Mr. 
 
 H , the latter gentleman formerly from the town of 
 
 Tipperary, which is in the south of Ireland. He 
 urged me to visit his old home when I was in that 
 locality. When I returned to the hotel I found 
 several persons who had just landed from the steamer 
 "City of Rome." They had been living in America 
 for a number of years, and had returned to the home of 
 
 their childhood on a visit. Mr. B , the proprietor, 
 
 introduced me to them as being from America, and 
 they, thinking I was formerly from the "Old Sod," 
 said to me : ' ' How long has it been since you left 
 
ii4 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Ireland?" "Indeed," I said, "I have never left 
 yet." They looked surprised, and in reply said : "We 
 understood the gentleman to say your home was in 
 America." " So it is," I replied ; " but I have never 
 left Ireland, for the reason I never was here before." 
 They smiled, and said: "We thought you were an 
 Irishman. ' ' My grandmother Butler's father came from 
 the north of Ireland, so I concluded that I must 
 resemble him in a very striking manner, and according 
 to her discription of him, I am quite willing it should 
 be so. 
 
 Monday, July 9. — Left 'Derry for Port Rush on the 
 8 a. m. train. In the same compartment as myself 
 were several Americans. I engaged in conversation 
 with them, and, when they informed me they were from 
 Wilmington, Delaware, I felt as though I had met 
 friends almost directly from home. Port Rush is a 
 seaside resort, and from what I could see of it in 
 passing through on the train, I jotted it down in my 
 note book as a very pretty little town. From Port 
 Rush I rode on the electric tram to Giant's Causeway. 
 We ran very close along the wild, rocky coast, and I 
 kept my eyes busy gazing at those strange looking 
 caverns formed in the white rocks. The ruins of 
 Dunluce Castle, on a rock about 100 feet above the 
 sea, attracted my attention, and I felt inclined to leave 
 the tram and explore the old ruins. A narrow wall 
 connects the ' castle with the mainland. Giant's 
 Causeway is a marvelous formation of rocks. One 
 would think surely they were chiseled out by human 
 hands and placed there. Most of the stones were 
 quite uniform, and, as far as I can recollect, they were 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 115 
 
 something over one foot in diameter, perfectly level 
 on top, and a few inches apart, reminding one of 
 stepping-stones. My description of the size of the 
 stones may not be accurate ; had I then had any idea of 
 publishing my diary, I would have made more elaborate 
 notes of this wonderful place. The Causeway extends 
 a short distance out into the sea. I sat on those 
 rocks, with the waves breaking gently at their base, 
 and wrote in my note book. There are formations 
 bearing different names in the rocks in and around the 
 Causeway. "The Giant's Gateway," "Giant's Organ," 
 " Chimney Tops," " The Priest and His Flock," and 
 ' ' The Hen and Chickens ' ' were some of the titles 
 given them. In order to see everything of interest 
 here, it is necessary to go with a guide in his small 
 boat. This I did not do, for the clouds hung low and 
 occasionally dropped down great sheets of water, com- 
 pelling me to hurriedly find a refuge. I met an old 
 lady selling photographs of the Causeway and little 
 trinkets. I purchased some articles of her, and when 
 she urged me to continue in the good work, I informed 
 her I had used up all my small change. She gave me 
 her blessing, and looked up into my face and said, with 
 her good, rich brogue : "It's meself thot had a good 
 mon, an' as foine a lookin' b'y as ye " (I thought the 
 old lady's eyes needed attention when she called 
 me a boy), " thot wint out to sea an' niver come back ; 
 thot's why I'm carryin' this basket." After failing 
 to respond to her pathetic appeal, she concluded 
 I must, indeed, be short of change. In going out on 
 the Causeway again, I saw a group of old ladies with 
 their baskets of wares, the same old lady being one of 
 
n6 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 the number. They were standing near what is called 
 the "Wishing Chair," a stone with several others 
 a trifle smaller encircling it. These old ladies were 
 anxious that I should sit on it ; one of them in particu- 
 lar assuring me that if I made three wishes while 
 sitting there they would surely come true. I knew she 
 was talking for a shilling, and the old ladj r whom I 
 "had met before helped me out by saying : " Don't be 
 botherin' him ; he's no change ; he spint it with me." 
 But she paid no attention to what No. i said, but kept 
 saying to me : " Sit ye down ;" so I finally consented. 
 They gathered around me and insisted that I should 
 make three wishes before I arose. I told them I had 
 only one wish, and that was to get up, for it was wet 
 down there, and that wish came true, for I was soon 
 on my feet. They were all talking at a very rapid 
 rate, and I said to them as I w r as leaving: "Well, 
 peace to your bones." A man who was standing near 
 said : "What bones do you mean, jaw bones?" I left 
 Giant's Causeway well pleased with my visit there, 
 and if any of the readers should visit that beautiful 
 island across the sea, do not fail to see Giant's Cause- 
 way. When I returned to Londonderry, I met Mr. 
 
 McC and Mr. H , and we took a walk on the 
 
 Water Side, along the embankment on the river 
 front, and, as we ascended the hill, had a good view of 
 'Derry. This is a very romantic place ; we could see 
 far over into County Donegal. I met the Rev. Mr. 
 
 Q again, and his good wife, and bade them a final 
 
 adieu as I was to leave in the morning, and called on 
 several with whom I had so pleasantly associated 
 during the few days I spent in their city. Mr. 
 
THRO UGH THE B RITISH ISLES. 1 1 7 
 
 McC and my Tipperary friend spent the evening 
 
 with me at the hotel. I regretted leaving Londonderry 
 so soon, and I shall always remember my visit there 
 with pleasure. 
 
 Tuesday, July 10.— I arose early and " booked " 
 for Belfast. Mr. MeC , who is a traveling sales- 
 man for a large business house in Londonderry, met 
 me at the train and rode with me as far as one of the 
 towns in County Donegal. The Donegal whiskers I 
 have heard spoken of quite often, but here I saw the 
 genuine article. A little man boarded the train at one 
 of the stations in County Donegal ; his hair was a 
 bright red and his whiskers were a shade redder ; they 
 began a little below his ears, encircling his throat, and 
 made a very striking border for his collar. He sat op- 
 posite me, and I had to suppress a laugh, which was 
 quite an effort for me to do. At Omagh, the county 
 seat of Tyrone, I " broke my journey." I have some 
 friends who lived there at one time, and have heard 
 them speak of Omagh so frequently that as I walked 
 through the streets of that pleasant little town it 
 seemed quite familiar to me. The county court was 
 about convening, and, judging from the crowd that were 
 in and about the court-house, business was brisk. I 
 saw the lawyers hurrying to and fro with documents in 
 their hands, preparing to untangle some unfortunate 
 one from the meshes of the law. In traveling through 
 the different countries I found old human nature about 
 the same. Prisons and court-houses are just as neces- 
 sary over there as they are in our great country. The 
 great adversary is succeeding all too well in making 
 men and women believe that his way is the best. I 
 
nS A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 took the liberty of calling on the Rev. Mr. F -, pas- 
 tor of the Wesleyan Chapel, who gave me a cordial re- 
 ception, and expressed his regrets at my not being able 
 to be with him on Sunday. He pointed out the old 
 manse (or parsonage) where one of my friends lived 
 when a young lady, her father being pastor of the 
 chapel at that time. They were erecting a very large 
 Catholic church and it struck me that money was not 
 so hard to get hold of there as I had imagined, judging 
 from the number of fine churches of different denomi- 
 nations, and the amount of business the merchants 
 seemed to be doing. I visited the poor district, and 
 was interested in the miniature houses, in which 
 the occupants seemed to be perfectly happy. Left for 
 Belfast in the afternoon, passing through Duncannon, 
 which is quite a large town. We changed cars at Porta - 
 down, then passed through the towns of Moy, 
 L,urgan and L,isburn. Some of these towns are noted 
 for the manufacture of fine linen. We passed a num- 
 ber of bogs where men and women were engaged in 
 digging and piling up the peat, which they cut into 
 small squares and pile up to dry. It is used as fuel by 
 a great many of the people. I asked an old man, who 
 had a cartload for sale in Omagh, for a piece of it. 
 "Help yourself to all you want," he said. After a 
 ride of something over four hours I arrived at Belfast, 
 a city that I felt at home in as soon as I entered, it 
 seemed so Americanlike in its appearance. It has a 
 population of about 260,000, is nicely laid out, and one 
 can find their way about as easily as in our own great 
 city of Philadelphia. The large stores that lined the 
 principal business streets (the proprietors of which 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. i 19 
 
 seemed to be as full of snap and push as any wide- 
 awake merchant in America) were wonderfully attrac- 
 tive, and most of them were well patronized by the 
 ladies, who seemed to be spending their shillings as rap- 
 idly as the average American lady disposes of her hus- 
 band's extra change. As is my custom, I made my 
 way to the Y. M. C. A. hall, an organization that 
 every city and town should have, and that all Christian 
 and good-thinking people should be interested in. 
 Hundreds of young men have been saved from being 
 wrecked, and a host more might be if more atten- 
 tion was given to this very worthy institution, and the 
 churches would be all the stronger by the grand work 
 done by these associations. On going into a strange 
 city, alone especially, a feeling of loneliness would take 
 possession of me, but when I saw the sign of the Y. M. 
 C. A. on a building, and entered, I always found the 
 secretary or his assistant ready to give me a warm 
 shake of the hand and bid me feel at home, and fre- 
 quently I have formed the acquaintance of those whose 
 company has been very helpful to me. These places 
 are open when the churches are not. I was directed 
 at the hall to a temperance hotel on East College 
 Square, and, like most of the places I stopped at, was 
 very homelike. At the hall in the evening I met a Mr. 
 F , a very excellent young man, formerly from Edin- 
 burgh, Scotland, who was preparing himself for mis- 
 sion work in Africa. His life was rather a sad one, 
 his father being dead, and his mother had lost her rea- 
 son beyond recovery. 
 
 Wednesday, July 1 1 . — By my note book I see the 
 day was spent in a general tramp around the city. 
 
120 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 Went out nearly to Cave Hill, and in coming back saw 
 a group of people gathered around a large church wait- 
 ing to catch a glimpse of a young couple who were 
 having the nuptial knot tied, and I thought there was 
 about as much curiosity manifested as I had ever seen 
 over in America on such occasions. It seemed to be a 
 day set apart for performing that ceremony, for a little 
 beyond, in front of another church, was another large 
 crowd, anxiously waiting to see the fresh bride and 
 groom. On visiting the docks, found the shipping was 
 quite extensive, and shipbuilding is carried on here on a 
 large scale, a number of large vessels plying between 
 Liverpool and New York having been built here. Went 
 through a very old and odd-looking market. It 
 seemed to me that I was paying a visit to Noah's 
 ark ; one could, for a few shillings, purchase goods 
 enough to begin housekeeping on a small scale. Also 
 visited a part of the city containing a great many hand- 
 some residences, and from there went to the district of 
 the working class ; most of the houses were two-story 
 brick, and were very comfortable looking homes. 
 While on the top of a tram, riding through the principal 
 business streets, I met two gentlemen from Baltimore, 
 Maryland, who asked me a question about a certain 
 place we were passing, and when I informed them I 
 was from America, they said: "We thought you 
 were a resident here." A short time afterward, while 
 in Robinson & Cleaver's immense dry goods store 
 making some purchases, the clerk waiting on me said : 
 "I should judge from your appearance you were a 
 native of our country." This store is the largest and 
 finest in Belfast, and is noted for its cheap and elegant 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 121 
 
 linens. On returning to the Y. M. C. A. hall, 
 
 met Mr. B , the secretary, whom I had heard 
 
 speak at Exeter Hall, London. He, like myself, is a 
 bachelor with several years piled up on him. He 
 
 introduced me to Rev. Mr. McA , who informed 
 
 me that he had visited America, and his wife was 
 
 formerly from Wayne, Pennsylvania. Mr. B 
 
 asked me if I was married. Of course I answered no. 
 The reverend gentleman said, with a great deal of 
 humor, " you ought to have known he was a bachelor 
 by his sad looking countenance." In reply, I said: 
 " We are the ones that possess sunshine, notwithstand- 
 ing public opinion is against us." 
 
 Thursday, July 12. — This was a general holiday 
 in Belfast, it being the annual celebration of Orange- 
 men. The Y. M. C. A. made an excursion to the Isle 
 of Man, taking about 1,500. The Orangemen had a 
 very large parade ; some part of it formed on East 
 College Square, and the entire procession passed 
 within a block of the hotel, so I saw most of it 
 from my window. The brass bands were quite 
 numerous, and most of them were very good. There 
 was a very elaborate display of banners all over the 
 city ; even in the small streets they were stretched 
 across from the houses on the opposite side. In the 
 afternoon, took a ride to Balmoral, about one mile 
 from where the celebration took place. Two young- 
 men, who I met on the tram, walked with me through 
 a beautiful part of the country, and on our return we 
 met the parade on the homeward march. Aside from 
 a few who had been keeping company with ' ' John 
 Barleycorn," they were very orderly. The whole 
 
122 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 thing, both in and out of the city, passed off quietly. 
 The young men went with me to the Dublin boat, in 
 which I embarked for the city of Dublin. There were 
 very few passengers, and the steamer was small and 
 the accommodations poor, but as my shillings were 
 getting short and I could save several by going that 
 way, I concluded I would endure it for one night. I 
 formed the acquaintance of a medical student ; he was 
 a bright, interesting fellow, and we passed the evening 
 very pleasantly together. Had a good view of the sea 
 front of County Antrim and County Down, as we 
 passed along in the steamer. 
 
 Friday, July 13. — The ride up River Ljffey, which 
 divides the grand old city of Dublin, with its 420,000 
 inhabitants, was a pleasant one. We landed about 6:30 
 a. m. There were very few people on the streets, and 
 scarcely any business houses open. As a rule, they 
 begin business between the hours of 8 and 9 A. M. 
 Some of the smaller places are ready for trade about 7 
 o'clock. Near the Quay, where we landed, I saw an 
 old lady that quite amused me ; she had a basket of 
 fruit, and was sitting in the bottom of a cart. She had 
 on a large pair of shoes that stood up like monuments, 
 andalittle, old-fashioned black bonnet relieved by a white 
 cap peeping out from it, with three frills, the last one 
 encircling a very decided looking face. After bidding 
 
 Mr. W^ , the medical student, adieu, I was alone 
 
 again in a strange city. A short walk from the Quay 
 brought me to Sackeville street, one of the principal 
 thoroughfares, and which is a beautiful street. A 
 great many of the stores, both in this and other busi- 
 ness streets, are quite as fine as most of the London 
 
THROUGH THE BRF1ISH ISLES. 123 
 
 stores. After taking a stroll down this street and over 
 the O 'Connell Bridge to Trinity College and the Bank of 
 Ireland, I inquired the way to the Y. M. C. A. hall, 
 and was directed there, it being on Lower Abbey 
 street, a short distance from Sackeville street. Left my 
 luggage there, and sallied forth to see another part of 
 the city, passing through Marlborough street, on which 
 is a large cathedral, and back to Sackville street, 
 where stands Nelson's monument, which is 121 feet 
 high. A sixpence, the attendant informed me, would 
 admit me, which amount I paid, and climbed the 
 winding stairway to the balcony, from which I had a 
 good view of the city and surrounding country. The 
 Hill of Howth, the Irish Sea, the Wicklow Mountains, 
 the beautiful country, and most of the city was 
 scenery that I considered very fine. On returning 
 from the monument to the Y. M. C. A. hall, I met the 
 
 secretary, Mr. W B , a warm-hearted, genial 
 
 man, whose bright, cheerful face I shall not soon forget, 
 and whose kind deeds, along with those of whom I 
 met through him, I have hung on memory's wall, to 
 remain through all the years of my life. He gave me 
 such a cordial welcome I almost felt I was meeting an 
 old friend. He introduced me to the secretary of the 
 City Union, and he at once invited me to address the 
 Sunday Morning Breakfast, as the gentleman who 
 was to speak had disappointed them. " If I am 
 large enough to fill the breach," I said, "you can 
 use me." I presume he concluded if I possessed 
 ability according to my size, I would answer very well. 
 
 Mr. B took me to a temperance hotel on Lower 
 
 Abbey street, kept by Mrs. E , a remarkably fine, 
 
124 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 motherly old lady, where I remained during my stay in 
 
 Dublin. As Mr. B and I were coming down 
 
 Sackeville street, we met a Mr. H , to whom I was 
 
 introduced. He was a young man whose ready wit 
 could not be surpassed. The witty remarks that he 
 
 and Mr. B passed out to each other caused me to 
 
 laugh so that I attracted the attention of the passersby. 
 The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Y. M. C. A. were to give 
 a tea party at the Hill of Howth, on Saturday after- 
 noon, and Mr. B invited me to go along, and as 
 
 he had to go with the ladies in the morning to assist 
 
 them, he requested Mr. H to meet me at the hall 
 
 at a given time in the afternoon, and pilot me to Howth, 
 
 which he readily agreed to do. Mr. B invited me 
 
 to go with him to Kingstown, a few miles from Dublin, 
 where he boarded, he being a bachelor also, although 
 not quite so far advanced as myself. A half hour's 
 ride brought us to his home, which was near the sea 
 wall, and from the window where I sat I had a good 
 view of the Irish Sea, which behaves so badly at times. 
 
 His roommate, a Mr. S , was a pleasant young 
 
 Englishman and very entertaining. The lady of the 
 house was a kind, hospitable woman and a strict 
 member of the Roman Catholic Church. She was 
 interested in hearing about America, as she had two sons 
 living in Brooklyn, New York. I was introduced to a 
 
 Mr. McC and family living near by, a gentleman 
 
 holding a position in the Dublin postomce. He invited 
 us to take supper with him. I wondered how I would 
 manage another meal after such a one as this good 
 lady had prepared for us. After returning from a long 
 walk, we sat down to a table laden with tempting food, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 125 
 
 and I succeeded grandly in hiding considerable of it 
 away. It was very late when I returned to Dublin. 
 
 Mr. B informed me the train would stop a short 
 
 distance from Lower Abbey street, but the guard said 
 this was the last train for the night, and did not go 
 beyond the main station, which was a long distance 
 from my hotel . I fastened my eye on a very respectable 
 looking young man who was coming from the train, and 
 finally asked him to direct me to Lower Abbey street ; 
 he said: "I am going in that vicinity, and will accom- 
 pany you." He gained my confidence, and I felt quite 
 safe with him as we wended our way through what 
 seemed to be a rough locality. I thanked him kindly 
 as he left me at the door, and put him on the long list 
 of warm-hearted Irishmen. 
 
 Saturday, July 14. — I joined Secretary B and 
 
 a young man whom I afterward learned was employed 
 
 in the same store with my friend W , at Cheapside, 
 
 London, and we were shown through the Bank of 
 
 Ireland, through the courtesy of a friend of Mr. B , 
 
 who holds a position of trust there. It is customary 
 to clip the bank notes when they are returned, as they 
 are used but once. I gathered up a few of the clip- 
 pings, and had a great desire to gather up some of the 
 notes, legitimately, as my roll was getting exceedingly 
 small. After leaving the bank the young man from 
 London and I visited the Glasvevin Cemetery, 
 where rests the remains of Daniel O'Connell, whose 
 memory is cherished by Irishmen the world over. We 
 each paid a sixpence and w r ent down into the vault and 
 saw his coffin, with those of other members of his 
 family ; also visited the grave of Paruell , and saw a 
 
126 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 young lady forming the letters of his name on the 
 mound with fresh cut flowers. There were a number 
 of wreaths in immortelles, placed there by different 
 societies. We saw a number of fine monuments, 
 erected to the memory of other prominent men of Ire- 
 land, some of whom had been bishops of the Roman 
 Catholic Church. Leaving the quiet resting place of 
 the dead , we came through a new and very pretty part 
 of the city, where the young man left me to take the 
 train for home. After leaving him I went through 
 Moore street, which was so crowded with people mar- 
 keting that quite often I had to walk in the centre of 
 the street. The vegetables looked very nice, although 
 there was not such a variety as we see displayed in our 
 markets. Met Mr. H — — at the appointed time and 
 place, and asked him whether it would be advisable for 
 us to go to the Hill of Hovvth, as it was then raining. 
 He replied in a manner which made me laugh heartily : 
 ' ' You are in a strange kind of a country now ; Howth is 
 nine miles away, and it may not be raining there. Some- 
 times it rains on one side of Sackeville street and is dry 
 on the other." "Then we will go," I replied, "if 
 that is the kind of climate you have in Ireland." 
 We were joined at the Amein Street Station by a 
 number of good, jolly young men. Several of them 
 
 in our compartment were inclined to guy Mr. H , 
 
 but he always had an answer ready to pass out to them . 
 One young man, sitting opposite me, noticed Mr. 
 
 H 's handkerchief showing from his coat pocket 
 
 and said to him : " H , I think I have seen that 
 
 handkerchief before." Scarcely had he finished the 
 sentence when Mr. H said: "It is quite likely, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 127 
 
 for your poor old mother washed for me three weeks 
 ago." The manner in which he made this remark 
 caused a roar of laughter, even the young man, although 
 somewhat confused, joining in the laugh. We did 
 
 very little but laugh at the wit of Mr. H ; who was 
 
 formerly from the city of Cork. On reaching Howth, 
 which is a good sized town, we walked through a 
 splendid domain to a beautiful spot, where the ladies 
 had prepared lunch for us. There were about fifty 
 persons in the company, men and women of culture 
 and refinement, most of whom were actively engaged 
 
 in Christian work. I was introduced by Mr. B to 
 
 the entire company, and requested to sing the hymn I 
 have so often referred to, it being a favorite of most of 
 
 them. Among the number was the Rev. Mr. K 
 
 and wife. Mr. K- is a prominent Presbyterian 
 
 minister of Belfast, and, I was informed, is a man 
 whose influence for good is widespread. I had a pleas- 
 ant conversation with him and his excellent wife. 
 Mr. F , who is one of Dublin's successful mer- 
 chants, invited me to spend Sunday with him at his 
 home, near Donneybrook, a suburb of Dublin. Mr. 
 B told me it was in all order to accept the invita- 
 tion. Then a Mr. W came to me and invited 
 
 me to his home at Black Rock, another of Dublin's 
 beautiful suburban towns. I told him I had planned 
 to go to the Lakes of Kiliarney on Monday, but he 
 insisted on me postponing my trip and pay him a visit 
 on Monday, which I finally consented to, and shall 
 never regret having done so. One of the gentlemen 
 photographed the entire party, and afterward a small 
 group, in which my tall form is quite conspicuous. 
 
128 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 We climbed to the peak of the grand old Hill of Howth, 
 which overlooks the Irish Sea, and from which can be 
 seen Ireland's Eye and Kingstown harbor, and the sea 
 front of County Wicklow. Before leaving the grounds 
 
 the Rev. Mr. K gave us a very good address, after 
 
 which Mrs. F rendered a solo that was highly 
 
 appreciated. She has a sweet, musical voice. That 
 afternoon spent at the Hill of Howth, with those who 
 showed me, the tall stranger, so much kindness and 
 attention, I shall always look back to with very pleas- 
 ant recollections. 
 
 Sunday, July 15. — According to previous engage- 
 ment I went to the Y. M. C. A. hall at 8 A. M. to 
 address the Sunday Morning Breakfast. There were 
 something over 600 men and women assembled, 
 who, judging from their appearance, came from the 
 slums of the city. I did my best to throw out the 
 " Life Line" to those unfortunate ones, and trust that 
 some one was rescued by my effort. From there went 
 to Merion Hall, where the Plymouth Brethren, of 
 
 which Mr. and Mrs. F are members, hold their 
 
 services. I attended the bread-breaking, which is the 
 first service, and then listened to a very excellent 
 sermon by a minister from a distant town. Mr. F — — , 
 having to take charge of his father's mission at one of 
 the suburban towns, was unable to meet me at tliehall, 
 so he had arranged that I should accompany his wife 
 to their home. A half hour's walk brought us to 
 their elegant residence, at Donney brook, where I was 
 
 royally entertained. Mrs. F introduced me to her 
 
 two little daughters, one six and the other eight years 
 old. They gave me a reception I shall never forget; 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 129 
 
 they threw their little arms around my neck, saying: 
 " Welcome to our home, Mr. Butler." I was relating 
 this incident in the home of a friend in Pennsylvania, 
 where there were a number of young ladies present. 
 One of them excused herself for interupting and said : 
 "Mr. Butler, if you were expecting to be treated in 
 like manner by the young ladies here this evening, 
 we have been rather slow in performing our duty." 
 The story ended in a grand laugh, in which none 
 joined more heartily than myself. The long walk to 
 
 the home of Mr. F prepared me to do justice to the 
 
 sumptuous meal awaiting me. It was so entirely 
 homelike it did not seem like my first visit there. 
 The little girls were remarkably bright and interesting, 
 and sang beautifully with their mother. Mr. F — - — , 
 who came home shortly after our arrival there, gave 
 me an account of their mission work. They insisted 
 on my remaining with them to tea, as the secretary, 
 
 Mr. B , was expected there, which I did, returning 
 
 with Mr. B in time for the evening service at the 
 
 Y. M. C. A. hall. Secretary B , who is very 
 
 earnest in his efforts to rescue the lost, has a noble 
 band of young men who assist him in his good work. 
 
 Monday, July 16. — In company with Mr. B , 
 
 went to the Dublin Visiting Medical Mission. This 
 very worthy institution was recently organized by some 
 of the charitably disposed persons of Dublin. It is 
 nonsectarian, and is supported entirely by the liberality 
 
 of the people. Mr. B is one of the committee, and 
 
 Mrs. F one of the secretaries. Many of the 
 
 poor in the courts and alleys of Dublin know Mrs. 
 F , not simply from her passing their door, but from 
 
130 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 her visits to their wretched homes, and remember her 
 kindly for administering to their needs. They have a 
 short service in the mission rooms prior to the dispens- 
 ing of medicines. There were about forty persons 
 present, who evidently felt the pinching of poverty, 
 some of them having very sad looking countenances. 
 They listened attentively to the speaker as he told them 
 of the Great Physician who could cure their sin-sick 
 souls. At the close of the service thev received treat- 
 ment from Dr. I!, , a young man, whom I was in- 
 formed was an excellent Christian. In coming from 
 the mission we passed through some of the slums, for 
 Dublin, like every other city in the world, has its sec- 
 tions where the degraded congregate. In the afternoon 
 went to Black Rock, a short distance from the city, 
 
 where Mr. J W resides, one of the gentlemen 
 
 I met at Howth on Saturday. On entering that fine, 
 large home I received another good old Irish welcome. 
 
 Mr. W- and his wife and two sons and daughter, 
 
 and his sister, made me feel at once that I was with 
 
 friends, and not strangers. Miss W , who is an 
 
 accomplished young lady, and her brother, played sev- 
 eral fine duets on the piano. Both of the sons are 
 graduates of Trinity College, Dublin. Mr. W in- 
 formed me that his brother, living at Howth, had sent 
 me an invitation to visit and take dinner with him on 
 Tuesday. My plans were arranged to go to the south 
 of Ireland, and having already delayed my trip for a 
 visit to this home, thought I must be on the move early 
 
 on Tuesday, but Mr. W had a way of putting 
 
 things that made you think his way was the best ; 
 he planned to have me call at his place of business, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 131 
 
 and, with his youngest son, visit some places of inter- 
 est that I had not yet seen, and afterwards meet him at 
 the Amein Street Station at a given time and he would 
 accompany me to Howth . So passed another pleasant 
 evening in one of Old Ireland's many refined Christian 
 homes. 
 
 Tuesday, July 17. — While in the vicinity of 
 Stephen's Green it began raining very hard. Stepping 
 into a music store for shelter, to my surprise I found 
 one of the firm was a young man whom I had met at 
 the picnic at Howth. After the rain ceased I took a 
 stroll through a number of beautiful streets that I had 
 not visited before, and on which were many grand 
 homes. Dublin is considered a very wealthy city. 
 Paid a hurried visit to Phoenix Park, for the clouds 
 gave me warning that they would soon begin business 
 again. It is no trouble to rain in Ireland. Near one 
 of the monuments I found an old coin ; the date on it 
 was 1689. In the park I met a young man who had a 
 strong desire to go to America, but I think before I 
 left him I had convinced him he was better off in 
 Ireland, for the present. At the Corn Exchange, 
 
 where Mr. W 's place of business is, I met his son, 
 
 and together we went through old Trinity College, 
 from which have gone many young men who have 
 been an honor to Old Ireland. We spent some time in 
 the Museum and in the National Art Gallery. There 
 were a number of Ireland's old relics in the former 
 place. I came away much pleased with my visit to 
 these places of interest. Rode out to the suburbs of 
 the city, then walked to the village of Rathfarnham, 
 then went to Amein Street Station and met Mr. W 
 
132 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 and his brother and niece, and a short ride brought us to 
 Howth. Rode from the station in an Irish jaunting 
 car ; they sat on the seat without any effort, apparently, 
 but I tightly grasped the arm of the seat and wondered 
 even then whether or not I would find myself rolling in 
 
 the dust. Mr. W 's home stands upon the hill, 
 
 from which can be had a good view of the sea, and for 
 grandeur it compares with any that I visited. 
 We took a walk along the high bluff, where, far below, 
 breakers were dashing at its base. They showed me the 
 spot where a few weeks previous an English tourist fell 
 over the cliff and lodged on a ledge of rocks some 
 distance below, where he was found some hours after- 
 ward, badly injured, and was rescued with great 
 difficulty. As I gathered around the table with Mr. 
 
 W 's family, which consisted of his wife, two 
 
 daughters and two sons. I concluded I had not met a 
 more refined and hospitable family. 
 
 Wednesday, July 18. — The train left King's 
 Bridge Station at 7 a. m. for Killarney, and I was com- 
 pelled to walk the long distance to the station, as there 
 were no trams running at that hour, for I presume 
 there is not traffic enough to pay much earlier than 7 
 o'clock. The country from Dublin to Killarney is 
 very beautiful, but I noticed that comparatively small 
 portions of it were under cultivation. In the com- 
 partment with me were an old Scotch lady and her son 
 and daughter. I soon managed to get into conversa- 
 tion with them. The gentleman informed me they 
 had been to America, most of their time being spent in 
 the West. They considered America a great country. 
 It was a journey of about seven hours from Dublin to 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 133 
 
 Killarney, and the interesting conversation I had with 
 these Scotch people, together with the beautiful scenery, 
 made it very pleasant. The town of Killarney, with a 
 population of about 5,000, aside from a few large 
 hotels and a cathedral, is not very inviting. I was 
 surprised, on entering the town, to find so many small 
 and wretched looking houses, but the sublime scenery 
 all about it any lover of nature would not soon weary 
 of. A young man in Dublin referred me to a hotel 
 
 kept by a Mrs. J -. Just as I arrived she said : 
 
 ' 'There are two jaunting cars about leaving for the lakes, 
 and there is room on the rear car for you if you wish to 
 go." As I intended to remain only until the next 
 morning, I availed myself of the opportunity of taking 
 in the grandeur of that lake region, which any one 
 visiting Ireland should not fail to see. There were 
 three Americans and an Irishman and his son, from 
 Glasgow, on one car, while on the other was his wife 
 and daughter and sister-in-law. As I seated myself 
 beside his wife, he got off the car and came over to me 
 and said : ' ' That is my wife ; see that you do not run 
 off with her." In reply I said : "I have no wife of 
 my own, and you need have no fear of me depriving 
 you of yours." Our driver was wit boiled down. He 
 was a young man, and the lady sitting next to me 
 called him, in a familiar way, " Bill." He drove his 
 fine animal quite briskly, and I bounced about on the 
 seat, and felt a little uncertain whether I would 
 stay there or not, with all my holding on. I 
 asked him whether he had any shoemakers' wax, 
 to which he replied, in the broadest Irish I had 
 heard in all my travels, "What does yez want with 
 
134 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 that ?" "To put on the seat," I replied, "for I shall 
 not be able to stay much longer, at the rate you are 
 driving." "Shoemaker's wax we've not," he said, 
 "but it's cobbler's we have." We had not proceeded 
 far before it began to rain, " L,et me off," I said, " I 
 will go back to the hotel; I don't care to go any 
 further in the rain." "Sit yez still; it is nothin' 
 but the prasperation comin' from the mountain," he 
 said, in a way that caused me to laugh so loud they 
 heard me on the other car, though some distance away. 
 Then he and the lady carried on a conversation that 
 called forth one continuous roar of laughter. "You 
 could make your living in America very nicely," I 
 said to him. "What at, lying?" the lady remarked. 
 " Well," said he, "If they were as well pleased with 
 a lie as with the truth, and paid me for it, what would 
 be the difference?" I said to him, after I had partly 
 ceased laughing, "There's a heap in that head of 
 yours." "Yes," said he, "more than yez would be 
 knockin' out with a comb." The rain ceased about as 
 quickly as it commenced, and we drove to the gate of a 
 large domain, attended by an old man, who insisted 
 upon our paying him a certain amount for allowing us 
 to go through, but, after a long and heated debate 
 between him and the parties on the head car, we were 
 allowed to pass through for considerable less. The 
 drive was delightful through this fine estate to Muckross 
 Abbey. From my pocket guide book I learned the 
 ruins were a church and abbey founded 1440, and 
 partly rebuilt in 1602, and is yet in a fairly good con- 
 dition ; in the enclosure of these old ruins were several 
 very ancient looking tombs. I stood on five of them, 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 135 
 
 beneath which, I was informed, the five kings of 
 Ireland were buried. We remained some time at this 
 interesting old place ; leaving here, we rode along a fine 
 driveway overlooking a lake lying between the moun- 
 tains. One would have to see the scenery here to appre- 
 ciate its grandeur ; words are inadequate to describe it. 
 We stopped at an old cave, the entire party, with the 
 exception of myself, going through. The entrance 
 was small, and the exit much smaller, so I contented 
 myself with merely looking in, and concluded not to 
 enter the gloomy cavern , for it might be rather trying 
 on my clothing as well as on my huge frame. " Bill " 
 called out and said : " Are you not going in ?" "No," 
 I replied, "not a foot of me; my bones will be 
 in a place like that soon enough." He, with his ready 
 wit, said: "Ah, there is a way out of that, though 
 there'll not be out of the grave." We rode along the 
 mountain side until we came to a quaint old house, 
 and then left the jaunting cars and crossed a ravine, 
 down which a little sparkling stream came tumbling 
 over the rocks and formed a small waterfall near where 
 we passed. We climbed up the side of the mountain 
 and gained the top, and with great delight " viewed 
 the landscape o'er," and I am sure my eyes never 
 rested on grander scenery. The Irish gentleman 
 pointed out the spot where a tourist had, only a short 
 time previous, ventured too near the precipice and was 
 crushed on the rocks several hundred feet below. I 
 kept my distance, for I was anxious to again see old 
 friends in America. Just before " Bill " and the other 
 driver turned their horses' heads homeward, this same 
 Irish gentleman, who seemed familiar with that section 
 
136 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 of the country, and with the ways of the people, 
 especially the drivers, came around to each one for a fee 
 for " Bill " and his partner. Our bundle of wit said : 
 ' ' This is our harvest ; there is nothing left us 
 here in the winter, but the fireside and the lunatic 
 asylum ; I generally go to the asylum . ' ' When I 
 returned to the hotel and paid the few shillings for that 
 enjoyable ride, I considered it money well spent. 
 ' ' Bill ' ' and the Lakes of Killarney are indellibly 
 impressed on my memory. I took a walk through the 
 main streets, stopped in one of the stores and purchased 
 a blackthorn cane, which I brought to America. 
 
 Thursday, July 19. — Went by early train to 
 Malloy, and from there to the city of Cork. I was 
 curious to see the old city, having heard so much 
 about it. In passing through its streets, it impressed 
 me as being a very busy place, although there are 
 comparatively few manufacturing places there. It has 
 a population of about So, 000, and has a number of 
 very good business thoroughfares. It was market day, 
 and the streets were filled with people buying and 
 selling. Most of the market women looked as though 
 they belonged back in the long-ago. They wore 
 ancient looking bonnets with white caps, whose frills 
 were conspicuous. Some of them were apparently 
 very fond of their clay pipes. The little donkeys, 
 overshadowed by carts loaded with produce, amused me. 
 Was directed by a policeman to the Y. M. C. A. hall. 
 The secretary, Mr. B , showed me through the build- 
 ing, which is one of the best equipped halls that I have 
 ever been in. They have a fine gymnasium, and quite 
 a large audience-room. Mr. B introduced me to 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 137 
 
 Mr. George W , who organized the outdoor meet- 
 ings in Cork, and who has been subject to so much 
 persecution from some of the rough element of the 
 city . While at the hall , met a number of good, sociable 
 men and engaged in a pleasant conversation with them, 
 which gave me a homelike feeling. One of them was 
 a professor of music, and seemed to be a perfect mas- 
 ter of the organ. Oncoming from the hall, heard a 
 brass band discoursing a fine air, and on reaching one 
 of the main streets, found it on the lead of a large cir- 
 cus parade, which had drawn the people from far and 
 near, for the streets were thronged ; and children ! 
 well, from the vast number that were following the 
 parade I concluded that Ireland, even though she had 
 furnished America with a good portion of her popula- 
 tion, would be well able to keep up her record. The 
 clerk who waited on me in a store where I made some 
 purchases said, as I used an expression familiar only in 
 America, " I thought you were a native of our coun- 
 try until I heard you express yourself just now ;" and 
 so from Londonderry to Cork they claimed that if I did 
 live in America, I was born in Ireland. As I traveled 
 through this beautiful island and mingled with her 
 people, I concluded that no one need hesitate to 
 acknowledge coming from such a grand country. In 
 passing along St. Patrick street, saw the statue of 
 Father Matthews, a man who was very earnest in the 
 great cause of temperance. Went to St. Ann's Church, 
 built 1722, and which has a spire 120 feet high ; it is 
 said to be one of the most interesting churches in Cork; 
 it was crowded with devout worshippers. The cathe- 
 dral of St. Fionn Bar is a large and beautiful structure. 
 
i 3 S A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 I wrote ray name in the record book, then leisurely- 
 walked through the cathedral and greatly admired 
 its beauty, especially the altar. On coming out, met a 
 Catholic priest on the opposite side of the street, and 
 remarked to him : "That is a fine structure; I thought, 
 when I entered, it was a Catholic cathedral. ' ' ' ' No, ' ' he 
 said, " it is a Protestant." We engaged in conversa- 
 tion along a religious line, and exchanged our views in 
 such a way that neither took offense. Went by train 
 to the celebrated Blarney Castle, a distance of five 
 miles, and paid a sixpence at the entrance of the park. 
 The Castle is of stone, with a tower 120 feet high, and 
 was built by Comae McCarthy in the fifteenth century. 
 The attendant, who is an old lady, said to me : " Don't 
 be coram' down without yez kiss the Blarney stone." 
 I climbed up the old stone stairway, and on reaching 
 the top inquired of a young man where the famous 
 stone was. He kindly pointed it out to me ; it was on 
 a projecting buttress between two iron bars. There is 
 a battlement around the top of the castle, and in order 
 to kiss the stone it is necessary to be held by the heels 
 while you perform this wonderful feat . When he informed 
 me how it was reached, my desire was not strong enough 
 to take the risk of being gathered up from below 
 in a condition to be laid away in some cemetery in Old 
 Ireland. I heard a secretary from England relating 
 his experience of being held by the feet while he gave 
 the stone his compliments. Once was sufficient for 
 him, he said. When I came down, the old lady 
 said: "Did you kiss the Blarney stone?" "No," I 
 replied, "I will save my kisses until I get back to 
 America. I'll not waste them on a stone." The 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 139 
 
 park, in which the castle stands, is nicely shaded, and 
 is used as a quiet little picnic resort. There were 
 several private parties there then, who seemed to be 
 having a pleasant time. I remained there a short time 
 and wrote up my diary for the day. Spent the even- 
 ing in the Y. M. C. A. hall with a Mr. McC , who 
 
 gave me considerable information about the city. 
 William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, was converted 
 to Quakerism in the city of Cork. 
 
 Friday, July 20. — Left the city of Cork at 10:30 
 A. m. for the city of Limerick. At the station a 
 mother seemed very much distressed, for her daughter, 
 a young lady of about eighteen years, was leaving 
 home for a distant city. As the train moved off, 
 leaving the mother on the platform, the daughter, who 
 was in the compartment I was in, burst into a flood of 
 tears. I remarked to her, " It is rather hard, parting 
 with friends." "Oh, yes," she replied, "I am 
 leaving home for the first time." But the tears were 
 soon brushed away, for when the train moved slowly 
 into the station at Limerick, I noticed a tall, handsome 
 young man walking along and looking very anxiously 
 into the different compartments, and when their eyes 
 met, the sunshine came into both of their faces. It 
 might have been her big brother, but I thought there 
 was too much sentiment for a tie of that sort. The 
 country from Cork to Limerick is quite as fine as in 
 any part of Ireland. I noticed a great many thrifty 
 looking farms, and I should judge the soil was very 
 fertile. Limerick has a population of 40,000. I have 
 heard a great deal about the city, for I have an old 
 friend who lived there when young. Some of the 
 
i4o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 buildings had the appearance of being very ancient. 
 There were some very pretty parts which I passed 
 through. As I had only a few hours to remain there, 
 I kept on the move. I passed down the principal 
 thoroughfare, on which were a number of attractive 
 looking stores, then over one of the bridges spanning 
 the river Shannon, into a section where there were 
 a number of little, forlorn looking shanties. There 
 are several nice churches in this city, which is 
 something that graces any city or town. I called on 
 
 Rev. Mr. A , pastor of the Wesleyan Church. 
 
 He had just been appointed there, his last charge 
 being in Belfast. He and his wife welcomed me 
 to their home, and made my short stay in L,imeriek 
 a very pleasant one. In bidding them good bye, 
 I felt I was able to add two more choice friends 
 of the good old Irish type to my already lengthy list. 
 A journey of a few miles brought me to the town of 
 
 Tipperary, where I called on Mr. H , father of one 
 
 of the gentlemen I met at Londonderry. He keeps a 
 large drapery (or dry goods store, as we would style it), 
 and has quite a number of clerks in his employ, most 
 of whom board with him, that being the custom in 
 that country. He insisted on my remaining with him 
 over night. He and his son, a young man, comprise 
 his immediate family, his wife being deceased. His 
 housekeeper was a very agreeable lady, and spared no 
 pains to make my visit pleasant. She was a devout 
 
 Roman Catholic, as were all the clerks. Mr. H 
 
 is a Methodist, the only one in the town, but I was in- 
 formed he had the respect of the entire community, 
 irrespective of creed. After tea Mr. H showed 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 141 
 
 me through the town. It contains a large Catholic 
 church, a Presbyterian church, and Church of Ireland; 
 there are three banks, and several stores of fair size. 
 We went to New Tipperary, which is at the extreme 
 end of the old town, and built within a few years past. 
 We passed a number of little cabins in going there, 
 and as I looked into the open doors I wondered how 
 people managed to live in such a small place, especially 
 some of the families, who seemed to have a good 
 supply of children. We stood on the top of Mutton 
 Pie Hill, and from its peak had a good view of the 
 country and town. It rained nearly every day I was 
 in Ireland, so while up on this hill, which bears such 
 a suggestive name (especially to a hungry man), down 
 came the usual shower-bath, and compelled us to hur- 
 riedly seek shelter. 
 
 Saturday, July 21. — Mr. H accompanied me 
 
 to the railroad station, and while waiting for the train 
 we gathered some shamrock. Deft Tipperary on the 8 
 a. m. train for Dublin ; passed through Goold's Cross, 
 Cashnell, Templemore, Ballybrophy and one or two 
 more towns, which, a gentleman sitting next to me 
 informed me, were in County Tipperary ; Mount Rath, 
 Marysborough, Port Arlington, in Queen's County. In 
 Kildair, saw the cavalrymen drilling on a splendid 
 drill-ground. We arrived in Dublin at 11:45 a.m. 
 
 Secretaty B gladdened my heart by presenting me 
 
 some mail matter from home. Mr. S invited me 
 
 to spend the evening with him at Kingstown, and as 
 the yachts Vigilant and Brittania were to race there in 
 
 the afternoon, Secretary B requested me to go with 
 
 him to witness the race. It was a gala day at Kings- 
 
142 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 town harbor, and an immense crowd were gathered there. 
 We walked out on the long pier and saw the boats 
 coming in the distance, the Vigilant on the lead, and 
 
 while on the pier, met Mr. F , and we went to Mr. 
 
 B 's and sat by the window and saw the boats pass 
 
 that were causing so much excitement on both sides of 
 
 the Atlantic. Mr. B said to me, " of course you 
 
 are rejoicing to see the Vigilant coming in ahead." 
 "Well," I replied, " I have been claimed as a native 
 of the "Old Sod " so much I can scarcely tell which 
 
 one I am interested in." In the evening Mr. S and 
 
 myself went to Victoria Mountain and Killiney Hill, 
 which overlooks Kingstown, and from which can be 
 seen the town of Bray, in County Wicklow. We re- 
 mained until it began to grow dark, and the lights at 
 Bray and Kingstown were a fine sight. 
 
 Sunday, July 22. — Went to the Centenary Wes- 
 leyan Chapel, at Stephen's Green. The Rev. Wesley 
 
 G , the pastor, preached a grand sermon. From 
 
 where I sat he had the appearance of a comparatively 
 
 young man. In a conversation with a Rev. Mr. B 
 
 the next day, I remarked that Rev. Mr. G was a 
 
 rising young preacher. He laughed and said, " he is 
 as old as I am, ' ' and he was a man well advanced in life. 
 He remarked that several had been mistaken like myself, 
 seeing him at a distance. In the afternoon, attended 
 the Sabbath school of the Lower Abbey Street Wesleyan 
 Chapel. The superintendent requested me to teach a 
 class of young lads, and after teaching the lesson, I gave 
 them an account of Sunday school work in America. 
 They were very much interested. I did not think any 
 one knew me, and was much surprised when the pas- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 143 
 
 tor came to me and requested me to sing "A Sinner 
 Like Me," as he understood I had written it. A young 
 
 man, whose name was W P , came to me at 
 
 the close and said : "I told the pastor about you ; I 
 met you at the Hall." Went to the service at this old 
 church in the evening, and heard the newly appointed 
 pastor preach on, " It is a Faithful Saying," etc. At 
 9 p. m., found a large gathering at the Y. M. C. A. 
 hall, and did what I could to advance the Master's 
 Kingdom there. So closed my second Sabbath in 
 Dublin. 
 
 Monday, July 23. — L,eft Harcourt Street Station at 
 9:30 for Fox Rock, a suburb six miles from Dublin, 
 containing many splendid homes with well arranged 
 grounds. Relatives of particular friends of mine in 
 America live there. I called at their fine home, 
 expecting to remain there only a short time, then take 
 the train for Bray, in County Wicklow, but while 
 
 in conversation with Miss G , her mother 
 
 ordered the groom to harness the horse to the 
 jaunting car, and, when she came into the parlor, 
 said she had planned a drive for us to County 
 Wicklow, and intended returning by way of Bray. 
 I had learned considerable of the hospitality of that 
 country, and accepted the invitation. Just as Miss 
 
 G and her mother and I were about leaving the 
 
 house for the drive, the Rev. Mr. B , a fine old 
 
 gentleman, pastor of a church on the suburbs of 
 
 Dublin, called, and Mrs. G invited him to 
 
 accompany us. As we rode down through the Scalp, 
 the large rocks, which were piled up on each side like 
 a huge wall, looked as though they had fallen from 
 
144 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 the side of the mountain and the road had been cut 
 through them. The roads all through the British Isles 
 are well made and exceedingly level, so that one 
 enjoys a ride over them very much. We stopped at 
 Lord Powerscourt's domain, in County Wicklow. The 
 scenery is very romantic . Between the mountains is a 
 broad ravine with a beautiful stream of water hurrying 
 down the rocks and finding its way out into the sea. 
 
 Miss G drove around to the entrance at the other 
 
 end of this large and grand domain, and we walked 
 leisurely through it, and I enjoyed every moment I 
 spent there. We met an old man with a violin, sitting 
 
 on a rock. Mrs. G requested him to play one of 
 
 their popular airs. He brought the music out of his 
 instrument in a way that indicated he had been using 
 the bow for many years. As we stood on a ledge of 
 rocks and looked down into the ravine below, I wished 
 for a kodak, that I might get the picture to carry 
 
 back to America. Rev. B was quite a poet, and 
 
 read us some of his latest poems. We passed through 
 
 the grounds and joined Miss G again, and drove 
 
 down through Bray, which is a pleasant town on 
 the coast. On our way homeward we passed through a 
 little town, and saw two small children, one of whom 
 was entirely blind ; the}^ began begging for pennies, and 
 we threw them some ; this encouraged them to con- 
 tinue their asking, and the girl grasped the hand of the 
 blind boy and ran down the road after us for quite a 
 distance. I was informed that Ireland was a land of 
 beggars, but I saw comparatively few of them. At 
 least there were not many that annoyed me ; they 
 may have had an idea that my funds were low. When 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 145 
 
 we returned to the house, a dinner that would do 
 credit to any home awaited us, which I most 
 
 thoroughly enjoyed. Rev. Mr. B and I returned 
 
 to Dublin and I took a walk along the Quay, past the 
 Four Courts, and saw St. Patrick's Cathedral in the 
 distance. It is said to be built on the spot where St. 
 Patrick built a church, and near a well where he 
 baptized his converts. I bade good bye to many of 
 those whom I have every reason to call genuine friends, 
 and began making preparations to leave the Emerald 
 Isle, for which I shall always have a good warm 
 
 feeling. Mr. W P invited me to spend the 
 
 evening with him at his home. He is a young man in 
 whom I was deeply interested, and, if the way is 
 opened for him, will make a useful man to the 
 Wesleyan Church, of which he is a member. When I 
 
 bade Secretary B good bye, I said to him : "If ever 
 
 I should have the pleasure of meeting you or any of my 
 friends from this side of the Atlantic in America, I 
 will use the same club of kindness that you have 
 beaten me with. A few months agohe came over to 
 attend the Y. M. C. A. Convention at Springfield, 
 Mass., and at its close spent a few days with me, and I 
 did my best to square accounts with him. His 
 discourse at Tabernacle M. E. Church, Camden, N. J., 
 on Sunday, and the ones at Bethany M. E. Church and 
 at the Y. M. C. A. hall, in the afternoon, gave the 
 people who heard him an idea of the kind of lads that 
 grow in Ireland. 
 
 Tuesday, July 24.— Left the old city of Dublin 
 from North Wall for Holyhead, Wales, and ran into a 
 storm before getting out of the river Diffey, and, upon 
 10 
 
146 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 reaching the mouth of the river, saw that the Irish Sea 
 was bent on having a row with our steamer. We had 
 not gotten far beyond the point called Ireland's Eye 
 before the angry waves began to dash over us. It 
 seemed to be the day for settling up accounts, for nearly 
 every one was busy. Among the passengers were a 
 number of soldiers, going home on furloughs : they 
 may have been very valiant on land, but the old Irish 
 Sea was a "wee bit" too much for them, and from 
 the appearance of some, she nearly used them up. 
 Where was Butler ? some one might ask. Well, he 
 was busy ciphering with the rest, and sighing for a 
 
 quiet harbor. In a letter I wrote to Mr. B after 
 
 returning to England, told him I had formed a strong 
 attachment for Ireland and many of her sons and 
 daughters, but had no love for the Irish sea, for no 
 sooner was I in her grasp than she robbed me of my 
 morning meal, and tussled with me for the previous 
 one. That ride of a few hours on the belligerant Irish 
 Sea was more uncomfortable than my trip across the 
 Atlantic. The chopped sea is trying to a ship, but 
 more so to a person not accustomed to that kind of 
 treatment. We took the train at Holyhead, and was 
 soon hurrying along through the romantic country 
 of North Wales. Would like very much to have 
 spent some time there, for the mountain scenery was 
 charming. On the steamer I became quite well 
 
 acquainted with a Mr. L, , of Westport, County 
 
 Mayo, Ireland, and we rode together on the train as 
 far as Bangor. The tubular bridge, in Wales, inter- 
 ested me. Passed through a great many pretty towns 
 in Wales and England. Wolverhampton is a large 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. H7 
 
 manufacturing town in England. Arrived at Harborn 
 at 9 p. m., and enjoyed another pleasant evening at 
 "my English home." 
 
Back Again to Old England. 
 
 EDNESDAY, July 25.— Went to the 
 Wesleyan Church at St. Martin's 
 and Islington road, the seat of the 
 British Conference. The admission 
 was by ticket. One of the minis- 
 ters interested himself in trying to 
 get me a ticket, but the demand 
 had been so great that he failed, 
 so I went back to Harborn. The 
 public schools had their annual celebration on the 
 
 cricket fields near Mr. P 's home, and the field 
 
 sports, running matches, and the excellent drill given 
 by the lancers, pleased the large concourse of people 
 greatly. I availed myself of an opportunity of giving 
 a temperance lecture to a young man from London, 
 whom I met on the grounds, but he failed to see the 
 danger of strong drink, which has been the overthrow 
 of so many. The fireworks in the evening were mag- 
 nificent, especially the last piece, entitled, "Thanks to 
 All." 
 
 Thursday, July 26. — The Sabbath school of the 
 old Harborn Church and the day school joined in a 
 celebration and parade ; they made a nice display, 
 passing through the streets. I assisted in trimming 
 the national school-room, where the children were 
 lunched. In the afternoon they finished the day 
 on the field adjoining the rector's residence, some 
 of the young people — and a sprinkling of the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 149 
 
 older ones, too — joining in the merry dance. The 
 brass band played some airs that made the dancers 
 bound quite lively. As I watched the children and 
 older people enjoying themselves with various games, 
 I concluded that English people get out of a picnic all 
 there is in it. 
 
 Friday, July 27.— Mr. P and I went to 
 
 the steamship office in Birmingham, where I engaged 
 my berth on the steamer " South wark," sailing for 
 Philadelphia on August 2 2d ; from there we went 
 by tram to Hands worth, a part of Birmingham, and 
 went through the old Handsworth church. Like all 
 the old churches, there were old tablets and marble 
 slabs with the names of some who lived far back in 
 the past. There was a short service held while we 
 were there; the congregation was very small, consist- 
 ing of four ladies, Mr. P , and myself. Mr. P 
 
 said the rector read the service at that hour, whether 
 there was any one there or not. On my return to 
 Harborn, stopped at the seat of the British Conference. 
 Went into the chapel -yard just in time to assist in 
 caring for a little boy, a son of one of the ministers, who 
 had suddenly fallen in a fainting fit, and was thought by 
 his anxious father and mother to be dying, but after 
 some remedies were applied by a physician, he 
 recovered sufficiently to be removed to their home in a 
 carriage. In the evening I was invited to the home of 
 
 W C 's head gardener, and with the good 
 
 natured, jolly Englishman and his family, spent the 
 evening very pleasantly. 
 
 Saturday, July 28. — Left Birmingham by the 
 Great Western Railroad for Stratford-on-Avon, and 
 
i 5 o A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 arrived there at n A. m. Called on the secretary of the 
 little Y. M. C. A., and after a short talk with him, he 
 accompanied me to the old church where Shakespeare 
 and his wife are buried. I admired the quiet old town 
 as I passed through its wide, clean looking streets on 
 my way to this historic church. The grave of 
 Shakespeare is inside the chancel rail, a plain flagstone 
 marking the spot. On the chancel wall is a bust of 
 the great poet. There was an old Bible with 
 the record of his baptism. The churchyard which 
 overlooks the beautiful river Avon, contains a great 
 many very old tombstones. Leaving there, we walked 
 over to Ann Hathaway 's cottage, in the little village 
 of Shottery. It was a beautiful walk of about one 
 mile through the meadows. I came to an old thatched 
 roof cottage, and thought it looked ancient enough for 
 the Hathaway cottage, but found I was mistaken and 
 was directed to it by a policeman. I went to the 
 door and was met by a small girl, who informed me 
 the admittance fee was a sixpence. On entering 
 this, the quaintest house I was ever in, I met an old 
 
 lady, the attendant, Mrs. B by name, who 
 
 informed me she was a descendent of Ann Hathaway, 
 and began showing me some of the old relics. In the 
 old chimney corner was a ham closet which she said 
 was used in Ann Hathaway 's time, and an old oaken 
 bench that she was very particular in telling me Shake- 
 speare and Ann were supposed to have sat on when 
 courting. I said to her : "Let me sit on it ; I may get 
 an inspiration," but she kept on with her description of 
 the various old pieces of furniture without paying 
 much attention to my request. She showed me an 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 151 
 
 old table and some chinaware that belonged to Ann. 
 A lady and gentleman came in while she was showing 
 me through, and while she was repeating the old, 
 old story to them, I wrote in my note book, sitting by 
 the table referred to. She said to us: "There is an 
 old bedstead upstairs that I will show you ; it belonged 
 to Ann Hathaway, and is 400 years old." So 
 we followed the old lady (who informed us she was 
 eighty years of age) to the room above. She gave us 
 the history of this old bedstead, which looked solid 
 enough to stand as many more years. As I was look- 
 ing at the walls, which were completely covered with 
 names, she said: "Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote his 
 name on these walls when here on a visit, but it is 
 against the rules to write on them now." I replied: 
 "It is because there is no more room, if that is the 
 rule." I am not given to putting my name in public 
 places, but concluded that if possible my name should 
 be among those on these walls. Near the window I saw 
 a space and hurriedly wrote my name while she was 
 engaged in conversation with the lady and gentleman, 
 but just as I was finishing, she looked up and said: 
 " Oh, don't do that," and repeated, " it's against the 
 rule." I do not often break the rules of any place I 
 visit, but the temptation was too strong to resist. 
 When I was leaving the cottage she said to me, "You 
 can pick some leaves from that bush near the old 
 well, which I did, and pressed them in my guide book, 
 and also drank from the old well. The lady informed 
 me she had lived in the cottage for seventy years . From 
 there I walked back to Stratford with the gentleman 
 and his wife, who were from Worcester. I was sur- 
 
152 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 prised when they informed me they had never visited 
 Ann Hathaway 's cottage before, although living only a 
 few miles from it. Then I visited Shakespeare's old 
 home. The first floor is a museum containing relics 
 which belonged to this noted man ; among them was a 
 sword, and a letter written by Mr. Richard Quyney to 
 Shakespeare in 1589, and some early editions of some of 
 his first plays. I wrote my name in the visitors' book, 
 where I noticed the names of a great many Americans. 
 From the museum, I climbed the quaint old stairway 
 and went into the room where, nearly three hundred 
 years ago, this wonderful character made his advent 
 into this great world. It is said this room is in its 
 original state, except that persons from various parts 
 of the world have written their names on the walls until 
 there does not appear to be space enough to write anoth- 
 er. It is said Byron, Scott, Washington Irving, George 
 IV. — the Prince of Orange — the Duke of Wellington, 
 Tom Moore, and Dickens are among the noted men 
 who have inscribed their names on the walls. I 
 was shown into a very small room, which one of the 
 attendants told me was used by Shakespeare's father 
 as a wool-room. The Shakespeare Memorial, a* mon- 
 ument erected by the late George W. Childs, of Phila- 
 delphia, is quite an ornament to the beautiful town of 
 Stratford. As I sat on a bench in the old churchyard 
 on the banks of the river Avon, I saw in the distance 
 the handsome Shakespeare Memorial Theatre . As I left 
 this interesting old town, I thought the day spent there 
 would long to be remembered. I have already referred 
 to my expected visit to Worcestershire. I had purposed 
 spending a month in and around South Littleton, and 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 153 
 
 had engaged my boarding place, but spent more time in 
 other parts than I intended, so could only stay in this 
 locality for a few days. It is a ride of about fourteen 
 miles from Stratford-on-Avon to South Littleton. I 
 
 had written to Mr. B , a relative of my old friend, 
 
 Mr. R , of Camden, New Jersey, that I would be 
 
 there on Saturday afternoon, and when I left the train 
 expected to find him at the station , but saw no one that 
 I thought answered his description. Upon inquiring 
 of the station master, he, pointing to a young man 
 sitting in a cart a little beyond the station, said : "there 
 is his son, waiting for you." There was a huge smile 
 that took possession of his face when he saw me ap- 
 proaching the cart. He seemed greatly pleased to see 
 me, and gave me a look that seemed to say, "if you 
 are a sample, they must raise some tall lads in America. ' ' 
 I seated myself beside him ; he applied the home- 
 made whip to the animal, and I was soon bouncing 
 along toward the little town, whose church spire I 
 could see about a mile distant. We rode through the 
 quiet, old-fashioned town, passing down a little street 
 just beside the old church. As we drove up to the 
 house, which is more than 200 years old, the mother 
 and the other two sons came out, and any one would 
 have thought, by the warm welcome I received, that I 
 was a relative coming home. When I came to the 
 door, found it necessary for me to bend considerably in 
 order to avoid a collision with the top. The floors 
 were of stone, laid, I judge, in whatever manner the 
 builder of long-ago happened to gather hold of them. 
 There were the old open fire-place, with a tea kettle 
 hanging from a long hook, boiling away for my benefit, 
 
i 5 4 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 and seats in the chimney corner, upon which I 
 frequently sat and sang, accompanied by my autoharp. 
 
 Mr. B , who was obliged to go to Evesham, a town 
 
 a few miles away, on business, came home shortly after 
 my arrival, and as we gathered around the family board 
 and partook of the palatable meal prepared by the 
 
 good lady, Mrs. B , and talked of the friends in 
 
 far-away America, I had the same homelike feeling 
 that took possession of me when visiting a great 
 number of homes through the British Isles. Board 
 
 had been engaged for me at the home of Mr. M , 
 
 the village blacksmith, in another part of the town. 
 While on our way there, in passing the church- 
 yard, they pointed out a freshly made grave 
 and said to me : ' ' They buried the remains of a young 
 man there this afternoon, who, while on a drunken 
 debauch, blew his brains out. He left a wife, two 
 small children and a widowed mother. I met 
 them a few days afterward, coming from the grave- 
 yard, and I thought as I saw that sorrow stricken young 
 widow, and the mother, who was being supported by 
 the hands of kind friends, as they led her back to their 
 desolate home, surely every Christian, as well as good- 
 inclined people ought to be engaged in trying to crush 
 out the great "Demon Rum." The house in which 
 
 Mr. M lived was a large, comfortable one, but 
 
 quite as old as the one I had just left. The old 
 stone floors, and chimney corner, and old-fashioned 
 windows, with their broad casements, which could be 
 used as a seat very nicely, and in which I sat 
 and wrote to the friends at home, struck me as being 
 very quaint. The family at home consisted of Mrs. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 155 
 
 M and her daughter, a young lady who showed the 
 
 excellent trait of being kind and attentive to her mother. 
 Mr. M was away on business ; the other four mem- 
 bers of the family, with the exception of a very bright, 
 intelligent girl of about fourteen, who was living at 
 Evesham, were married and live some distance away. I 
 was soon made to feel at home, and in the few days I spent 
 there, everything was done to make my stay a pleasant 
 
 one. Mrs. M said to me : "Mr. Butler, I never saw 
 
 an American before; you seem very much like our 
 own people," and I am sure I felt as though after such 
 pleasant associations with the people during my sojourn 
 in the British Isles, that they were ' ' bone of my bone 
 and flesh of my flesh." 
 
 Sunday, July 29. — There is an organization of 
 about twenty persons who meet in a small hall for 
 
 worship. Mr. B is a member; he came to the 
 
 house and invited me to go with him to the men's 
 Bible class, which meets in the morning. I found 
 them earnestly engaged in studying the Bible, and was 
 quite interested in listening to old and young giving 
 very intelligent answers to the questions being asked. 
 There is a chain of little towns in this rural district — 
 South Littleton, Middle Littleton, North Littleton, 
 Badesy and several others in a radius of a 
 few miles — and this Bible class was made up of 
 men from these towns. In the afternoon, visited 
 a man living near by who had been helpless 
 with rheumatism for nine years, and in the meantime 
 had had several hemorrhages. He had one of the 
 most interesting faces I ever looked into, and was a 
 man of considerable intelligence and possessed Christian 
 
156 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 resignation. I frequently went into his humble little 
 home and sang for him. He would often request me 
 to play and sing, " In That City," and say to me, as a 
 smile would play over his face, " I expect to soon be 
 there," and, like my old Scotch friend that I visited at 
 Sterling, he has since gone to live in that " Heavenly 
 City." In the evening the hall was crowded with an 
 attentive congregation. At the close of the service I 
 was requested to give them an entertainment some even- 
 ing during the week. I informed them I had never been 
 the central figure in an entertainment, but would do 
 my best. 
 
 Monday, July 30. — Mr. W B and I went 
 
 through the old church — the original one built 
 nine hundred years ago — and through the yard, which 
 contains many old tombs, some of which date back as 
 far as 1690. Some of the readers may think I have a 
 weakness for wandering through old graveyards, and I 
 confess, whenever I passed an old church or church- 
 yard, I felt inclined to halt and read the quaint old 
 
 epitaphs. Mr. B and I walked to Bidford, a town 
 
 four miles distant, and in going there passed through 
 some of the towns I have already mentioned. Bid- 
 ford is a neat, pretty little town situated along the river 
 Avon, which flows through this beautiful country. 
 
 This was the old home of Mrs. R , wife of my 
 
 friend, Mr. R , and she desired me to inquire after 
 
 her relatives, whom she had not heard from for years. 
 
 Mr. B introduced me to an old man who, when I 
 
 inquired about the relatives of this lady, said to me : 
 "I know them very well, and I remember her fifty 
 years ago . ' ' He directed us to where one of her brothers 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 157 
 
 was at work on a farm on the outskirts of the town. 
 We inquired for him of some women who were picking 
 berries. One of them said : " You are from America." 
 "Yes," I replied. "Well, I have an old aunt living 
 
 with a Mr. L, , in St. Louis," she further remarked. 
 
 " That is several hundred miles from where I live," I 
 said. One of the women said: " I am the wife of the 
 
 nephew of Mrs. R and will call Mr. B , my 
 
 uncle." When the old man came to where we were, 
 and I told him that I was requested to call on him, by 
 his sister in America, he was quite broken up, and 
 said : " I thought she was dead years ago. And is my 
 sister living?" It surely was good news from a far- 
 away country to that old man. In the evening, quite a 
 
 number of the young people met at Mr. B 's, and I 
 
 sat in the old seat in the chimney corner and enter- 
 tained them with several harp solos and a description 
 of the wonderful country from whence I came. 
 
 Tuesday, July 31. — Sat in the old window case 
 and wrote a long descriptive letter to my uncle, 
 who had written to me expressing himself as 
 desirous of being with me, to rummage through the 
 old ruins of England. In this old town, nearly every 
 house gave evidence of having been built when our 
 country was in its infancy. Most of the day was spent 
 in practicing for the coming entertainment. Miss 
 
 M was an excellent violinist, and Mr. F 
 
 B understood how to get the sweet strains from 
 
 this instrument also, and a Mr. J , of Birmingham, 
 
 who was visiting in the village, could use his voice in 
 song quite well, so I began making up a fair program. 
 After a delightful walk to the new home which Mr. 
 
i 5 8 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 B was building, I returned and spent the evening 
 
 at Mrs. M 's, with a number of friends who were 
 
 interested in the concert, which was being advertised 
 in the villages. It was looked forward to as being one 
 of the greatest events in years, and I thought it would 
 be when I appeared on the stage. 
 
 Wednesday, August i. — Went by train to the 
 town of Evesham, about four miles away. I did not 
 think to find it such a large and interesting place. Its 
 ancient looking houses and buildings so attracted me 
 that I spent nearly the whole day there. I passed 
 through a very narrow street to two old churches 
 which stand near each other, surrounded by a large 
 old churchyard. They were built near the line of two 
 parishes, divided by an old bell tower built in 1520. 
 Near the Roman Arch is an old house, which, an old 
 man informed me, was the only original one in the 
 town. In making some purchases at one of the stores, 
 I had a long conversation with the proprietor and 
 another gentleman, and found they, like most people of 
 that country, were quite willing to listen to an 
 account of America. The river Avon divides the 
 town, and some of the residences have beautiful lawns 
 sloping to the edge of the river. Near the bridge 
 which spanned the river at one of the main streets, I 
 saw a sign on a public house, as they style them over 
 there, bearing the name of "The Angel Inn." I 
 thought surely that is not an appropriate name for a 
 place of that kind, but afterward concluded it was, for 
 I remembered there were two kinds of angels. I 
 remained in this interesting old town until late in the 
 afternoon, and think I saw it pretty thoroughly. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 159 
 
 This was the evening of the grand vocal and instru- 
 mental concert, and long before the time for the 
 commencement, the village lasses had donned their 
 best gowns, and with the lads of their choice were 
 making their way to the hall. When the talent 
 arrived we had great difficulty in getting to the 
 platform, for young and old had packed the little hall. 
 The concert began at the appointed time, with Butler 
 the most conspicuous of all the talent (for they were 
 all of small stature), master of ceremonies. We had 
 been very economical in getting up our programs. I 
 think we had but two, and they were not very elabo- 
 rate; only a plain piece of paper with the order of 
 
 exercises written with lead pencil. Miss M and Mr. 
 
 B gave some very good violin solos, and Mr. J 
 
 sang some pieces which called forth heavy encores. I 
 was sandwiched in with an autoharp solo, and was 
 requested to sing and play, " Old Folks at Home," and 
 then give them a short address on the colored race. 
 Very few had ever seen a Negro. "God Save the 
 Queen" was the closing piece. Well, our homespun 
 concert, gotten up by Butler, the amateur professor, 
 was appreciated by the entire audience. The proceeds 
 were for the organ fund. 
 
 Thursday, August 2. — I had a very pressing 
 invitation to go with a number of persons from the 
 different towns, on a picnic to the town of Broadway, 
 seven miles distant, standing on a high hill. They 
 told me it was the oldest town in that vicinity, and 
 were anxious that I should see it, but my days in 
 England were numbered, and it was necessary for me 
 to pack my bundle and be on the move. I made the 
 
160 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 acquaintance of some excellent people in this as well 
 as in the adjoining villages. I was interested in 
 getting the young men organized into a society of some 
 kind, which would fit them for greater usefulness, and 
 talked to a number of them about it, and promised, 
 when I returned to London, to get some plans in 
 printed form from the secretary of the Y. M. C. A. at 
 Exeter Hall. Left on the 5 p. m. train for Birmingham, 
 arriving at Harborn in time to spend the evening 
 with the kind friends there. 
 
 Friday, August 3. — Mr. E P and I went 
 
 to Birmingham and called at Cook's office and made 
 inquiry concerning a trip to Antwerp, Belgium, then 
 sallied forth to see more of this fine old city. Some 
 of its streets had become quite familiar to me. We 
 
 were invited to the home of a Mr. D , a druggist 
 
 by whom Mr. E P was formerly employed, 
 
 and I spent a few hours very pleasantly in another 
 good old English home. Another budget of mail 
 awaited me when I returned to Harborn. It seemed 
 strange as I read of the extreme heat in America — the 
 thermometer crowding beyond ioo° — for I had been 
 using my overcoat and heavy clothing most of the 
 summer. It was moderately warm through the day, 
 but in the evening, as a rule, it was cool enough for a 
 " top coat." I enjoyed a long walk through the town 
 of Harborn, and returning, stood on the hill near the 
 church, where I had a view of the country for miles 
 around. 
 
 Saturday, August 4. — Purchased my ticket at 
 Cook's office for Antwerp, and left on the 11:20 a. m. 
 express for London. It was the Saturday prior to 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 161 
 
 Bank Holiday, and the trains were greatly crowded. 
 Hundreds of people were leaving the city for points all 
 along the road. We changed cars at Leicester, a town 
 of considerable size, having the appearance of being a 
 beautiful place. I left by the through line, and as 
 there were comparatively few going from this point to 
 London, most of the passengers taking the train I would 
 have taken but for a slight misunderstanding, I rode all 
 the way, the sole occupant of the compartment. In 
 traveling in England, one has to look out for himself 
 generally. The guards, as a rule, are gentlemanly, 
 but are not so particular in informing you of the changes 
 as they might be . I arrived there at 3 : 30 p . m . and went 
 to my old quarters on Bernard street, and then called 
 
 on Mr. H S , and then took the long ride 
 
 to Stamford Hill and spent another enjoyable 
 
 evening at "Hope Lodge," with Friend S and 
 
 family. 
 
 Sunday, August 5. — I was pleased to be able to 
 spend another Sunday in London. When I went to 
 the Great Queen Street Church, it seemed something 
 like going back home. The friends gave me a hearty 
 welcome. On my way home I stopped at the Lincoln- 
 on-Field Church, and then went to Liverpool 
 road to inquire after a friend, and in coming back 
 came down the St. Pancras road, where I met a 
 number of Salvationists and engaged in conversation 
 with some of them. All over that great city these 
 men and women can be seen pushing forward the 
 cause of their dear Master. When I returned to the 
 house for dinner, I met another native of Calcutta, 
 who was in London studying medicine, and expected 
 
162 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 to graduate the following week. In the evening, as I 
 
 was going into church with friend H S , Mr. 
 
 A , a local preacher, accosted me and requested 
 
 me to go with him to Parker street, West Centre, to 
 the county council lodging, where he was to conduct 
 a service. It is a place nicely fitted up as a cheap 
 lodging place for men who were out of employment. 
 The service was held in the reading-room, which is quite 
 large. There were about one hundred and fifty men, 
 old and young, assembled ; most of them were smoking 
 
 and reading. Mr. A said they usually did not pay 
 
 much attention. Two young ladies accompanied us ; 
 one presided at the piano, and the other sang a solo. 
 As she sang a beautiful and touching piece, they were 
 
 very attentive. Then Mr. A introduced me to 
 
 the audience and announced I would sing, accom- 
 panied by my harp. After I had played and 
 sang a piece for them, several exclaimed: "Much 
 obliged to you." It rather surprised me to be 
 applauded in that style. After the service many of 
 them gathered about me and shook my hand, and said : 
 " God bless you, and give you a safe passage across 
 the Atlantic." I returned to Great Queen Street 
 Church to the Communion service, which was con- 
 ducted a little different from the way they are in 
 America. 
 
 Monday, August 6. — This was Bank Holiday, 
 and business, as a rule, was suspended, and it seemed 
 that all that could were making their way to 
 the parks and pleasure resorts in and around the city, 
 about which could be seen the large posters giving 
 notice of some grand Bank Holiday excursion. I 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 163 
 
 expected to leave by train in the evening for Harwich, 
 and from there by steamer for Antwerp. Went to 
 Cook's tourist office at Ludgate Circus and got some 
 English money exchanged for Belgium, and then took 
 a stroll through Cheapside, noted for its hand- 
 some stores. From this great thoroughfare ran a 
 number of small streets that have quite a history. 
 Bread street, which is quite small, is where Milton, 
 the great poet, was born. Milk street, also bear- 
 ing a suggestive name, is where Sir Thomas Moore 
 was born, and on it stood Mermaid Inn, a favorite 
 place of Shakespeare. Fleet street, running from St. 
 Paul's to the Strand, has an interesting history to all 
 lovers of Dickens' works, for on this street stood the 
 Fleet Prison, made famous by him. It seemed to me 
 that you could not go anywhere but you were informed 
 that some great man was born there, or some import- 
 ant event happened there, and as I walked through the 
 streets of London I felt very desirous of spending 
 several weeks more in sightseeing. The Mansion 
 House, the palace of the L,ord Mayor, is a splendid 
 building, as is also the Royal Exchange. The carvings 
 upon it are magnificent. I remained here some time in 
 looking at this fine building. In the afternoon I went 
 
 out again to what Mr. S and family styled my 
 
 "London Home," at Stamford Hill. Mr. S and 
 
 his youngest son and I went to the beautiful Finsbury 
 Park, and I should judge from the immense throng of 
 people who were enjoying themselves there, it was a 
 place very much appreciated by the residents of that 
 part of the city. It was laid out very nicely ; the 
 great beds of flowers were arranged in the most artistic 
 
164 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 manner, and there was a miniature lake on which 
 were a number of small boats, well patronized. 
 At 8 p. M., boarded the train for Harwich. In the 
 compartment were three young men, who, like my- 
 self, were not hard to become acquainted with. One 
 of them was a jolly lad, and by his witty remarks 
 amused his little audience. They were speaking 
 of the towns they came from, and I asked this bundle 
 of fun what part of England he thought I was from. 
 He replied: "I guess you are from America." He 
 had heard me use the word guess, common to Ameri- 
 cans. We left Harwich for Antwerp at 9:30, and I 
 soon retired. 
 
In Holland and Belgium. 
 
 ! UESDAY, August 7.— Arose about 4 
 a. m., and when I came on deck we 
 were in sight of Holland. We met a 
 great many odd looking fishing boats. 
 Their dark looking sails and tub-like 
 shape attracted my attention. I met 
 the three gentlemen again on deck, and 
 the clown, as I styled him, saw the 
 funny side of everything, and had a 
 way of making us see it. I shall not soon forget that 
 chap who made the trip to Antwerp so pleasant for me. 
 We stopped just off Flushing, Holland, and took on 
 the pilot. We were near enough to the city to see 
 that it was a place of some note. There was a Catho- 
 lic priest on board with whom I became acquainted. 
 He informed -me he was stationed near the town of 
 Leeds, England, but his home was in Antwerp. He 
 said he had a strong desire to go to America, but 
 when he mentioned it to his old widowed mother, 
 it grieved her very much, and he could not with- 
 stand her tears. He seemed to possess a fine 
 Christian spirit. As we came in sight of Antwerp, 
 he pointed out the places of interest. It is a great 
 shipping place, and the masts of the ships seemed 
 to be lifting their heads in all directions. Our 
 bundle of fun was disappointed in not having his 
 friend meet him at the wharf, and walked with 
 the other two men and myself to the street run- 
 
166 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 ning along the river front. He would stop and call 
 the attention of the passersby to the address of the 
 place he expected to go, but no one that we met 
 understood English. We soon had a crowd of men 
 and boys following us, all anxious to understand 
 enough to pilot him to his destination. This amused 
 me very much, as the people came to the store doors 
 and watched us. Finally he found a man who spoke 
 English, as also the other two did, and so we separated, 
 they going to the hotel with their guide, and 
 I to the Exhibition. A sense of loneliness came 
 over me as I realized I was alone in a land 
 where I, as a rule, could not be understood. The 
 Exhibition was a repetition of what I had seen in 
 America, but I would have been very much interested 
 had I had some one with me. For once in my 
 life I had come to a place where I found it impossi- 
 ble to converse with any one. The great crowds 
 of people I passed where talking in an unknown 
 tongue. I saw a very striking figure of Christ on 
 the cross, in life size, with two figures each side 
 of him. A large harp made of artificial flowers 
 attracted the attention of many people. The 
 American exhibits were not very elaborate. The 
 Midway Plaisance and the Zulu Village, with a 
 number of natives rowing on a miniature lake, 
 singing some hideous song, seemed to draw most 
 of the crowd. The furniture, tapestry and statu- 
 ary in the main building, and the machinery hall 
 claimed my attention for some time. I spent most 
 of the day there without saying very much to anj^one. 
 Just before I left I became acquainted with a gentle- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 167 
 
 man from Belfast, Ireland, and I assure you was 
 glad to find some one that I could converse with. He 
 went to London on the steamer, and invited me go to 
 the wharf with him — which I did. I felt inclined to 
 shake off the dust of the city and return to England 
 also, but I wanted to pay a visit to Brussels and 
 purposed spending the night and the following day 
 there. When I boarded the street car, I said 
 to the conductor : "I want to go to Brussels 
 Station." He shrugged his shoulders, shook his 
 head and gave me a look that indicated he 
 would like to help me out. I began to appreciate 
 the feelings of people who came to our shores 
 without a knowledge of our language. "Can you tell 
 me how I will reach the Brussels Station," I repeated. 
 Finally by motions and spreading my hands in 
 a great manner, much to the amusement of the 
 passengers, made him understand where I wanted to 
 go, and on reaching the boulevard leading to the 
 depot, he motioned for me to get off the car. As I 
 made my way to the station, concluded not to 
 take a trip to a country again without knowing some- 
 thing of the language or having company. Many of 
 the streets of Antwerp are very beautiful and are kept 
 in excellent order ; as I passed along the boulevard 
 leading to the station, noticed a great many fine 
 houses. When I went to the office to get my ticket, 
 just in front of me was a young man who greatly sur- 
 prised me when he asked for six tickets for Brussels. 
 I laid my hand on his shoulder and said to him : 
 "Excuse me, sir, but I am so glad to hear a 
 man speak English; are you going to Brussels?" 
 
i68 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 He gave me a look and seemed to take in the 
 situation at once, and sympathizing with me in my 
 lonely condition, said: "Yes; buy your ticket 
 for the express and go along with us ; there are 
 three ladies and two other gentlemen in our party." 
 I needed no further invitation for I felt I had 
 suddenly fallen into the hands of a friend, and when 
 we came to the platform I found three very 
 refined looking ladies, and two gentlemen, whom 
 anyone at a glance would have known were 
 excellent people. They were from Bradford, England. 
 The young man said to them by way of an intro- 
 duction : "This is another American gentleman who 
 is going to Brussels with us," and turning to 
 me, remarked : ' ' We met a gentleman from your 
 country who will join us in a short time." We 
 had the compartment to ourselves ; the partitions 
 being low, the people in the ajoining one seemed 
 very much interested in our English conversation. 
 The American finally put in an appearance and 
 became very friendly with me. " If you have no 
 objection," I said to the Englishman, "I would 
 like to stop at the same hotel with you." He 
 kindly said : ' ' You are entirely welcome to go with 
 us." On reaching the hotel, the maid showed 
 us to our rooms and I was well pleased with 
 my quarters; but presently she came up stairs 
 and said in broken English to the American 
 and I : " These rooms are engaged by those other 
 people and we have no vacant rooms, but the pro- 
 prietor has gone to another hotel below here to get 
 you accommodations." This young woman was the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 169 
 
 only one about the house who made any attempt to 
 speak English, and she knew very little more 
 about it than I did about French, which as a 
 rule, is spoken in Belgium. Presently the in- 
 formation came to us that rooms had been secured 
 for us, so we followed the young man, the pro- 
 prietor, to a very genteel looking place and no 
 one in this house could speak a word of English. 
 The lady showed us to our apartments, and as 
 there were no matches in the room, I asked her for 
 some. She smiled, and shrugged her shoulders, as 
 is their custom when they do not understand. 
 I saw at once that I would have to use my hands 
 instead of my tongue, so began to make motions on 
 the wall and point to the gas. She seemed to enjoy it 
 for she went out laughing and soon returned with the 
 needed article. The American invited me to go out 
 with him, but concluded to retire and be prepared 
 for the tramp I had planned for the following day. 
 During the night I was awakened by some one 
 trying my door and thought now I will have to pre- 
 pare to defend my pocket-book, but on investigation 
 found it was the American. He called to me and 
 said : "Do you know your key is on the outside of 
 the door?" "No," I replied, I thought I locked 
 my door on retiring. He considered me very careless, 
 which was the case, and I then made sure the key was 
 in its proper place. 
 
 Wednesday, August 8. — Before any of the friends 
 whom I met the day previous, were on the scene of 
 action, I was on the streets of the magnificent city of 
 Brussels, inquiring my way to the places of interest, 
 
iyo A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 but met with very little success, in getting any 
 information. The first place on my program was 
 the Cathedral, and I thought as I stepped up to a 
 priest on the street, I was sure of being directed 
 there, but to my surprise, he began to elevate 
 his shoulders and shake his head, and I was 
 obliged to pass on; so concluded to try again. This 
 time I showed another priest a cut of a cathedral at 
 Ghent. He looked at it and then began pointing in a 
 way that indicated to me he thought it was Ghent 
 that I was inquiring about. I shook my head, and 
 he gave me a look which seemed to say, I would 
 help you if I could. Finally I caught sight of 
 the tall spire and wended my way through the 
 crooked streets to the grand old structure. There 
 were many devout worshippers, but they did 
 not seem to be disturbed as the visitors walked 
 around. In one end of the Cathedral there was 
 a pulpit that attracted my attention. It was sup- 
 ported by two carved figures representing stalwart 
 men, with an angel each side of the stairway 
 and a number of other designs on the pulpit, which 
 were magnificent. Leaving there, I went to Hotel 
 de Ville, which is a large, handsome structure, 
 originally built 1402-43, and has a tall, stately 
 spire 370 feet high, with a colossal statue of 
 St. Michael on top. Saw a great number of 
 carriages standing in front of the hotel, and quite 
 a crowd about the entrance, so my curiosity 
 caused me to halt. Presently, saw a wedding 
 party coming out, which struck me as being a 
 grand affair, judging from the ladies' gorgeous attire. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 171 
 
 The bride's dress was of white silk, with material 
 enough, apparently, for two ordinary costumes. A little 
 maid followed in the rear holding fast to a part of it, 
 keeping it clear from all incumbrances. This, being 
 a bachelor's description, of course will not be con- 
 sidered as being entirely clear. Leaving this scene of 
 gaiety, I went through the Arcade. It is a long arch, 
 with beautiful stores on either side. Entering one 
 of them, I made some purchases and was sur- 
 prised when the young lady spoke to me in broken 
 English. From there, went to a part of the city that 
 contained many large and handsome edifices, which 
 I judged were government and city buildings. I 
 greatly admired the grand boulevards, which were 
 lined on both sides with residences that would be 
 ornamental to any city. The military parade inter- 
 ested me as it passed a nicely arranged park, at 
 the entrance of which I was standing. There 
 was a gentleman near me, whom I ventured to 
 ask to direct me to the Antwerp Station. His 
 shoulders began to take an upward course and 
 his hands an outward turn, and it was evident 
 that the information would not be forthcoming ; 
 but the thought occurred to me to try a little 
 of the German language, and found, like myself, 
 he understood something of it. It was suffi- 
 cient to enable me to find my way to the station 
 without much trouble. Having some time to 
 spend before the train left for Antwerp, I went 
 through what was, apparently, a very old part of the 
 city, the houses being built principally of light 
 stone. Waterloo is only a few miles distant, and I 
 
i 7 2 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 felt inclined to stop over another day and visit this 
 historic old battlefield. I left this magnificent city, 
 with its 475,000 inhabitants, well pleased with my 
 visit there, although I had experienced so much 
 difficulty in being understood. In the compartment 
 I occupied returning to Antwerp, there was not one 
 person who could understand a word of English, so 
 I spent the time looking at the country as we 
 passed along, and noted the different towns. There 
 were a great many women at work in the fields, 
 and in Antwerp I saw them on the wharves help- 
 ing the men unload the boats. On arriving, find- 
 ing I had considerable time for sightseeing, 
 went through quite a number of the quaint old 
 streets, and visited the Cathedral, which is said to 
 be the finest in Belgium. It was built 1 352-1 530, 
 and is 384 feet long and 130 feet high. A gentle- 
 man gave me a discription of this grand old Cathe- 
 dral before taking my trip. I was very much dis- 
 appointed in not being able to see the painting, 
 "The Descent From the Cross," by Rubens, as 
 it was veiled. It is said to be a masterpiece. 
 The wooden shoes worn by the men who were 
 cleaning the streets, were a novel thing to 
 me. Antwerp is, apparently, a city that carries on 
 considerable business with the outside world, for 
 as I walked along the street on the river front, 
 saw the flags flying from the ships, from different 
 parts of the world. The population of Antwerp 
 is 240,000. I left at 7:45 for Harwich on the 
 steamer which was very much crowded ; a num- 
 ber of the passengers had a weakness for the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 
 
 173 
 
 whiskey bottle, and with this disturbing article 
 about, it was difficult for many of us to get much 
 sleep . 
 
In Old England Again. 
 
 ^HURSDAY, August 9.— When I came 
 \ on deck the shores of old England greet- 
 ed my eyes. Soon we ran into the quiet 
 harbor and in a short time, were speed- 
 ing away by train toward the busy city 
 of London. The country we passed 
 through, I found, like all the other parts 
 of England which it was my pleasure 
 to see, was greatly to be admired. We 
 passed through a number of towns, some of which 
 were beautiful ; one in particular, the town of Colches- 
 ter, I recollect it as being quite a large and pleasant 
 lookingplace. We arrived in London at 8:30, affording 
 me another day for sightseeing in the great metropolis. 
 As I wended my way through its crowded streets and 
 passed the vast number of large and attractive stores, 
 well patronized, concluded after all there was not so much 
 depression in business as one would imagine. In m)' 
 travels through this wonderful city, as well as in other 
 cities and towns on both sides of the Atlantic, I 
 observed that the real cause of so much poverty and 
 distress is, "Strong Drink." In the streets of this 
 great city, I saw men and women, young and old, 
 going into public houses, spending their shillings 
 for intoxicating drink, when they had great need 
 of going to the tailor for an outfit. In my tramping I 
 came to a thoroughfare called Threadneedle Street, 
 (a name very suggestive to a bachelor.) I was curious 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 175 
 
 to learn the origin of such an odd name for a street, 
 but had not time to look it up. Went through a part 
 of the New Law Court, a large and attractive building, 
 which is said to have cost $5,000,000. On my way 
 down the Strand stopped at the old Church of St. Mary- 
 le-Strand, where Thomas Becket was once priest. It 
 bears the marks of years. I was also on Maiden Lane, 
 where Voltair lived. Then went to Exeter Hall, a place 
 that had become quite familiar to me. One is always 
 sure of a cordial welcome there from the secretary or his 
 worthy assistant, who gave me some printed forms 
 and some instructions in reference to the Y. M. 
 C. A. work, which I was to take to South Littleton, 
 as I was anxious to have them organize an association 
 there. A short distance from Exeter Hall is Convent 
 Garden ; it is a flower and vegetable market, and is 
 said to be the chief market of the kind in London. 
 Frequently in going to the Strand I would stop there 
 and spend a little time in looking about. As my 
 time was growing short in London, and this was 
 my farewell visit, kept on the move. I had 
 been to a number of the places referred to 
 several times, yet learned something more of their 
 history, and felt like paying another visit to them. 
 Whitehall Palace was very interesting to me, and I 
 would like to have seen more of it. It is said that 
 this is the place where Henry VIII met Ann Boylen, 
 and where he died. From there Elizabeth was 
 taken to prison. Milton and Cromwell once lived 
 there, and there the latter died. It is a large, massive 
 old building. Also went to the famous Scotland Yards, 
 the police headquarters, and it is an immense place. 
 
176 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 The nephew of an old friend of mine in America, was 
 on the police force, and he desired me to call and try 
 to find out his whereabouts, but I did not succeed, as 
 it would take to much of my time. I went to Stam- 
 ford Hill to bid farewell to my friends at ' ' Hope 
 Lodge." When I grasped the hands of Mr. and Mrs. 
 
 S , and their three promising sons, and his mother, 
 
 a woman of rare excellence, and bade them good-bye, 
 I wished there was not such a wide stretch of water 
 between England and America, so that I might have 
 the pleasure of frequently visiting this home. But 
 while I left these friends with a possibility of never see- 
 ing them again in this life, carried the remembrance 
 of their kind deeds with me to America, and shall keep 
 them in a good state of preservation throughout life. 
 Rode on the tram to Holborn, then walked through 
 Southampton Row and Russell Square to Bernard 
 
 street, spending the evening with Mr. H S , at 
 
 Free Masons' Hall, and on returning home found one of 
 the lodgers, a young man from the West Indies, in great 
 trouble, having lost his pocket book with a large 
 amount of money. He had my sympathy without my 
 shillings, for I was keeping careful watch over them, 
 wondering if I would be able to complete my plans 
 without being stranded. 
 
 Friday, August 10. — This being my last day in 
 London, I was on the move very early. My first point 
 
 was Peckham, where lived the brother of Mr. H , 
 
 of Camden, N. J., and whom I had not as yet seen, 
 as he was out when I called. He had sent me an 
 invitation to spend several days with him, which I was 
 unable to do. I walked over the long-to-be-remem- 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 177 
 
 bered Waterloo Bridge, and seated myself on the tram, 
 and although I had been over the route several 
 times, found many things to interest me in passing 
 
 along. Telford road, on which Mr. H lived, 
 
 is built up with fine homes on each side, and is a 
 pleasant part of the city. The door bell was answered 
 
 by Mr. H , who met me as an old friend would 
 
 another, and when I entered the parlor, was introduced 
 to another brother from a distant town. As I 
 intended leaving in the afternoon for Birmingham, my 
 stay was brief; but while there, although not near 
 time for the noonday meal, Mrs. H prepared din- 
 ner. They said : ' ' We could not think of letting you 
 leave London without taking a meal with us" — another 
 demonstration of English hospitality. It did me 
 good to see how delighted all those were to whom I 
 took messages from friends in America. Leaving 
 Peckham, I rode to Kings Cross, and from there 
 returned to the house and soon bade farewell to the 
 old city of London, and left St. Pancras Station for 
 Birmingham, arriving there at 5:30. Just as I 
 reached New street, the elements gave me a cordial 
 reception, for the rain came down in torrents, compell- 
 ing me to ride inside the bus, thus depriving me of my 
 usual seat on top, which I so much enjoyed, in riding 
 to Harborn. 
 
 Saturday, August 11. — Mr. E P and I 
 
 went to Birmingham to Cook's office and left the order 
 to call for my luggage, which was to be sent to the 
 steamer South wark at a given time. It began to seem 
 as though my stay was rapidly drawing to a close, but 
 aside from a desire to see friends in America, I 
 
178 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 wished to remain longer, for there were many 
 places which I wished to visit, some of them 
 full of interest to one who was fond of making 
 a tour into the past. At 3 p. m., I boarded 
 the train for South Littleton, arriving there at 6 p. m., 
 and found the friends looking for the return of the 
 wandering American. In the evening a few of the 
 
 young men met at the home of Mr. M . I was 
 
 greatly amused while listening to them in their exceed- 
 ingly broad manner of speaking, exchanging their 
 views on different questions. One of them, a nephew 
 
 of Mrs. M , sat in the old chimney corner smoking 
 
 his pipe, and frequently by his droll, witty remarks, 
 would cause that little circle to laugh heartily — I laugh- 
 ed in a very high key and was generally the leading voice. 
 In the company was a young man who had recently 
 become a Christain through the efforts of this noble 
 little band of young men; he had been rescued from a 
 life of dissipation. He gave great promise of becom- 
 ing a power for good. 
 
 Sunday, August 12. — Met the Bible Class at the 
 hall. The lesson was from L,uke ix, and it did me 
 good, as those plain unassuming men brought up the 
 precious truths from the unfathomable mines of God's 
 word. They expressed themselves in a way that 
 impressed me with the fact that they regarded the 
 Bible as being the inspired word of God. In the even- 
 ing some of the members of the Salvation Army from 
 Evesham were present and took part in the service, 
 at the close of which, about -twenty persons assembled 
 at the home of Mr. B , and, as I sat in the chim- 
 ney corner, and talked to the young men in reference to 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 179 
 
 the organization of their Y. M. C. A., they became 
 very enthusiastic about it, and shortly after my return 
 
 home, came the information from Mr. F B that 
 
 they had organized and were already engaged in active 
 work ; and no doubt through their earnest efforts, 
 many of the }roung men who visit the public houses 
 will be saved. I played and sang some pieces for them, 
 after which the entire company joined in a farewell 
 song which impressed me very much. In the company 
 
 was the sister of my friend, Mr. R , of Camden, 
 
 N. J.; she was a woman of nearly four score years, 
 but had retained considerable of her youthful spirit, and 
 the young people enjoyed her society very much. 
 That little company, which gathered in that quaint 
 old house to bid the "Yankee " farewell, and give him 
 their good wishes for a safe voyage across the Atlantic, 
 will live in my memory, along with others of that 
 little village whom I am free to call my friends. I 
 
 asked Mr. F B how he would like to go to 
 
 America ; he said in a manner that amused the com- 
 pany : "I would like to go if I could go when 
 asleep ; I would not want to know anything about 
 crossing the ocean . ' ' 
 
 Monday, August 13. — When I bade good-bye to 
 
 Mr. G , the invalid whom I have previously referred 
 
 to, he said to me as he looked up into my face : "I 
 shall soon be in that city where I will be entirely free 
 from all my afflictions;" and as I looked at that man, 
 so utterly helpless and yet so happy, felt I had 
 been made the better for my having known such a 
 character. I left the little village of South Littleton, 
 feeling that my visit there had been one of pleasure, and 
 
1S0 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 also of great benefit to me. Worcester was the next 
 point of interest in view. This town is in the center of 
 England and is beautifully situated, the river Severn 
 dividing it. The Cathedral, which is a large and 
 elegant structure, standing near the banks of the river, 
 was built in 1034- 1374. The dimensions given are 
 394 feet long, 72 feet wide and 162 feet high. The 
 decorations are magnificent, and the fine stone pulpit 
 in the choir is quite an ornament to the Cathedral. 
 The monument of King John, is said to be one of the 
 most ancient in England. I remained to a short 
 service, which was sung by an excellent male choir. 
 The large baptismal font made of wood, carved in 
 the most artistic manner with heavy brass ornaments 
 and spires reaching nearly to the arch above it, with 
 carved figures of some of the saints on each side, I 
 admired very much. I copied from a tablet the 
 name of a lady who died in 1697, also that of Sir 
 
 Thomas L, , and his wife, — the former died in 1650, 
 
 the latter in 1666 ; also another of a man who died in 
 
 1674 ; Thomas S , clerk of the city of Worcester, 
 
 died in 1695. The chimes of the Cathedral are said 
 to be very fine; the pieces used for each day are 
 placed on a little bulletin board. I copied the ones 
 that were there : "Home Sweet Home," "My Lodg- 
 ings are on the Cold Ground, ' ' ' ' God Bless the Prince of 
 Wales," " Ye Banks and Braes." In the rear of the 
 Cathedral are the ruins of an old abbey, overlooking 
 the river. A gentleman gave me a short history of it. 
 There is a subterranean passage leading from this abbey 
 to a considerable distance under the city, but as I failed 
 to jot down, in my note book, the account given to me 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 181 
 
 of it, have lost the thread of some of the interesting 
 facts connected with it. There is a beautiful little 
 park besides the abbey, from which I had a grand view 
 of the country on the opposite side of the river. The 
 population of the city is about 40,000 ; several of the 
 business streets present a good appearance. One part 
 of the city is called ' 'The Cross, ' ' deriving its name from 
 the streets forming it. Visited the Y. M. C. A. hall, 
 a neat little building on Copenhagen street, and the sec- 
 retary seemed to be putting forth every effort to attract 
 the young men of the city to this worthy place. From 
 there went to the Royal Porcelain works ; in going, 
 passed through one of the most ancient looking 
 streets that I had seen in all my travels. The little 
 houses looked as though they were built many hundred 
 years ago. At the entrance there is a show-room with 
 a fine display of beautiful wares. The payment of a 
 sixpence, entitled me to a guide book, and a visit 
 through this interesting place. The celebrated Royal 
 Porcelain ware is sold in nearly every market in the 
 world. I was taken all through, from the mill to 
 the finishing room, and was well repaid for my visit 
 there. Left this ancient city at 4 p. m., and in a short 
 time was in the familiar city of Birmingham , and was soon 
 
 sitting at the old hearthstone at Harborn. Mr. E 
 
 P took me to visit a wealthy bachelor, a particular 
 
 friend of his. He and his nephew, a good, sociable 
 young man, who with the exception of the house- 
 keeper, were the sole occupants of this large and 
 splendid mansion. When I was introduced to this 
 member of the "bachelor's fraternity," situated as he 
 was, confess I could not quite understand how it was 
 
1S2 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 he had held his membership in this worthy order so long. 
 
 Tuesday, August 14. — Took the 'bus to Five 
 
 Ways, then walked down Islington Row, then to Great 
 
 Colmore street, and called on the aunt of Miss P , 
 
 who had some messages and gifts to send to friends in 
 America. At 1:20 p. m., left Birmingham on the Mid- 
 land Railroad for Nottingham, where Mr. A M 
 
 and Mrs. D lived, and who I had promised to visit 
 
 before returning home. Nottingham has a population 
 of 230,000, and is a very interesting city. I 
 
 was directed to the home of Friend M . He 
 
 and I were soon on the tramp through the busy streets, 
 and then went to the quaint old market-place, which 
 covers about five acres, and I enjoyed the trip through it. 
 We visited the famous old castle ; it stands on a very 
 high rock overlooking the city and river Trent, and 
 from there I had a grand view of the valley of Trent. 
 There is an excavation from the castle to the river ; it 
 is called "Mortimer's hole. ' ' There is a museum in the 
 castle containing some relics which would interest any 
 lover of old curiosities. At the entrance is a very nice 
 park, where the children seemed to be having a good 
 time. In the evening when we returned, found quite 
 an excitement in the locality of my friend's home. 
 The honeymoon of a bride and groom of a week, 
 had suddenly terminated in a serious distur- 
 bance, resulting in her leaving without a very 
 affectionate farewell. As the young bride passed 
 us, returning to her father's house, I said: "She has 
 found, like many others, that marriage is a failure." 
 Some of the women took up the case and discussed it 
 at great length. 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 183 
 
 Wednesday, August 15. — Mr. M , having 
 
 shown me through some of the beautiful parts of the 
 city, took me to Narrow Marsh, the White Chapel of 
 Nottingham ; there I saw some of the most depraved 
 looking men and women that could be found anywhere. 
 I east my eyes about as we hurried through, and 
 wondered how humanity could, in an enlightened land, 
 sink so low. Nottingham is noted for its lace and 
 hosiery mills, where hundreds of men and women are 
 employed. One evening we came through one of the 
 districts where a number of the mills are situated, just 
 as the employes were coming from work, and the streets 
 were so crowded that it was almost impossible for us to 
 
 get through. Mr. B , a brother-in-law of Mr. 
 
 M , is proprietor of a large lithographic establish- 
 ment, which we visited and were much interested in, as 
 
 Mr. B showed us the process of making their fine 
 
 work. While there, was introduced to a Mr. L, , 
 
 whose father is' owner of a lace manufactory ; he invit- 
 ed us to meet him at a given point, and he would take 
 us through the mill, which he did, and we spent some 
 time in watching them making lace, most of which 
 was very handsome. We went to the park, which is 
 quite a fine addition to the city; also visited the Cathe- 
 dral cementry, under a portion of which are the caves 
 where Robin Hood secreted himself when pursued by 
 those who sought to bring him to terms. We spent 
 some time looking at these old caverns, some of which 
 look as though they were ready to collapse. On our 
 way to the home of Mrs. D , one of the ship's com- 
 pany, we passed through what was once the "Great 
 Forest," and which bears that name yet, although the 
 
i«4 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 trees are very scarce. This forest is said to be where 
 Robin Hood spent most of his time roaming around. 
 The part of the city where Mrs. D lives is com- 
 paratively new, and the houses are very neat and 
 pretty. 
 
 Thursday, August 16. — Went with Mr. M 's 
 
 mother to see some very old houses, which were built 
 in the side of the rocks. The original rooms are cut 
 in the solid rock, the fronts having been built at a 
 
 more recent date. Mrs. M knew a family living 
 
 in one of the houses, and the mother of the lady of the 
 house, showed us through this quaint place. She was 
 nearly eighty years old, and pointed out the room to 
 us in which she was born, and also where her mother 
 was born. She informed us that her mother lived 
 there during her married life, her father having built 
 the front of the house, and she had spent all her 
 life there, her married daughter now having charge 
 of it. In one of the rooms in the rock was a bed- 
 stead built close to the side of the rock, and this 
 odd piece of furniture was two hundred years 
 
 old. When I returned to Mr. M 's, I found 
 
 Dr. R there, whom I had not met since I 
 
 left him in Edinburgh, Scotland, but had correspond- 
 ed with him. His headquarters were at Long Eaton, 
 a town a few miles from Nottingham. He came over 
 
 to have me go home with him, but Mr. M had 
 
 arranged a trip to St. Winford's Church, which stands 
 near the banks of the Trent, about two miles from the 
 
 city. In the afternoon Mr. M and I took this 
 
 pleasant walk along the river to the church. Near by 
 was a little town, the most of which were thatched 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 185 
 
 roof cottages, giving it a very ancient appearance. As 
 a matter of course I soon found my way into the old 
 churchyard, and with book and pencil wandered 
 among the tombs, copying the epitaphs that were out 
 of the line of the ordinary. When we turned our 
 steps homeward, the afternoon was nearly spent, 
 and on reaching there found a Philadelphia Ledger, 
 and perused it with pleasure. 
 
 Friday, August 17. — After a visit to the home of 
 
 Mrs. B , sister of Mr. M , 1 booked for Long 
 
 Eaton, as I had promised to spend a little time with 
 
 Dr. R before returning home. I was entertained 
 
 at the home of Mr. D , a friend of the doctor, 
 
 where he had been stopping at intervals during his stay 
 in England. This gentleman was a lace manufacturer, 
 and in his home of wealth and refinement, I was made 
 
 welcome at once. Dr. R , Mr. D , Jr., and I 
 
 took a walk through the town. Most of the houses 
 are large and handsome, with fine grounds. We 
 called on some friends of theirs, and were entertained 
 
 in good old English style. When I bade Dr. R 
 
 good-bye, I discovered he was a trifle blue, and he said: 
 ' ' I am home-sick and wish I was going back to 
 America with you," but in reply I said : " I am sick 
 because I am not able to remain here longer, for there 
 are yet many places I wish to visit. ' ' Booked for Trent , 
 a short distance away, where after waiting for an hour 
 for the train, started in the direction of Harborn. I 
 was anxious to go to Northampton, where the gentle- 
 man lived who rendered me so much kindness on my 
 first day in London, but was informed it would take 
 me some distance out of my way, and my time was 
 
186 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 limited. When I arrived at the old home at Harborn, 
 they were having an interesting game of lawn tennis 
 in the field ajoining the house. Mrs. T , a very- 
 estimable lady and an intimate friend of Mrs. P , 
 
 kindly presented me with a very handsome Bible and 
 other valuable books before I left. She is a lady ol 
 considerable means and who, by her consecrated wealth, 
 brings joy and gladness to many of Harborn 's needy 
 ones. 
 
 Saturday, August 18. — Mr. E P and I 
 
 went to the free librarj 7 at Birmingham ; in one part is 
 a museum in which was an idol from Hindostan, 
 said to be two thousand years old. There were 
 many other interesting old relics which we spent some 
 time in looking at. The reading-room was the most 
 complete of any I ever visited ; there were papers on 
 file from countries far and near, several of them being 
 from different cities in America. Then went to a store 
 similar to John Wanamaker's, but on a smaller scale. 
 I purchased a hat, which my friends said was very 
 becoming, but on reaching America, found there was 
 a difference of opinion with my friends here in regard 
 to the hat. One of my friends said, soon after greeting 
 me :" Butler, you need more hat than that." After 
 several comments of that kind, concluded to lay it 
 
 aside as a souvenir of my trip. Mr. P joined us 
 
 and we together took a walk through a part of the 
 city that in all my tramping I had not visited before. 
 In going through the old St. Phillip's churchyard, 
 which is used as a thoroughfare, I found myself halt- 
 ing in front of some old time-worn tombstones and 
 reading the epitaphs ; in doing so, came across one of 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 187 
 
 the most peculiar pieces of poetry I ever read, 
 
 and which I copied. Mr. P said : "I have been 
 
 coming through here for years and never saw that 
 before." He was quite as much amused as myself. 
 On returning to Harborn the entire family, with Mr. 
 
 S F , (who has since became a member of it), 
 
 the tall Yankee, and Joe, the pet dog, were photo- 
 graphed in a group in front of the house. 
 
 Sunday, August 19. — Went to the Weslyan Chapel 
 on South street, Harborn, and listened to a very 
 earnest and practical sermon by a young local preacher. 
 After hearing his excellent discourse, concluded 
 he was on a fair way of becoming a full pledged min- 
 ister. The service was similiar to that at City Road 
 Chapel ; at the close I was introduced to several of 
 
 the members by Mr. N whom I had met at his 
 
 place of business in Birmingham. The superintendant 
 of the Shenly Field Schools, at Northfield, and his 
 
 wife, were intimate friends of the P family, and 
 
 requested them to bring -the American to visit them at 
 this very worthy institution. So in the afternoon Mr. 
 
 E P and myself took this very enjoyable walk, 
 
 a distance of three miles to Northfield. We walked 
 some part of the way along a splendid road passing 
 some very quaint old farm house and then took a by- 
 path across the meadows leading to the cottages which 
 are situated on a hill, from which can be seen the tall 
 church spires at Birmingham. The country in and 
 around this place is beautiful, and on reaching the top 
 of the hill, I feasted my eyes on the sublime scenery. 
 The Shenly Field Schools, or home for friendless 
 children, as we would style it, is conducted differently 
 
i88 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 from any institution of the kind that I have any 
 knowledge of. There are a number of cottages built 
 of brick and quite attractive looking and nicely arranged 
 for the purpose they were intended for. Each cottage 
 is in charge of a man and his wife, with twenty 
 children under their care ; the children call them father 
 and mother. The girls are thoroughly drilled in 
 domestic affairs, and the boys are learned some 
 mechanical business. They also have schools with an 
 efficient corps of teachers, so that the children may, 
 on leaving this institution, go out into the world pre- 
 pared, in a measure, to meet its responsibilities. I under- 
 stood that many children had gone from this place and 
 grown up to be useful men and women, thus reflecting 
 great credit on those whose care they were under. 
 
 Mr. D , the superintendant, and his excellent wife, 
 
 seemed well adapted to fill this responsible position. 
 As he showed us through the different cottages, I 
 could see that he had the love and respect of the 
 children, for as soon as they. saw him coming their 
 faces would light up with a smile, and the kind words 
 dropped by him seemed to bring sunshine into their 
 young lives ; many of them were orphans, and others 
 were children whose parents were dissipated and who 
 possibly never knew what the comforts of life were 
 until going there. He said to me: "I will take you 
 to see my little ones after the matron has them snugly 
 tucked away in bed." Some of the readers might 
 think a visit there would not interest a bachelor very 
 much, but it did. We were taken to the dormatory, 
 where were long rows of neat looking beds, from 
 which peeped the faces of little ones who had not the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 189 
 
 care of a loving mother, but a matron who seemed 
 an excellent substitute for one. They ranged in age 
 from about three years to five and six . There was a 
 beautiful little flaxen haired girl about three years old, 
 who attracted my attention ; any father and mother 
 would have been proud to have owned such an interest- 
 ing child ; Mr. D said she was bright and intelli- 
 gent. There was a boj' about the same age who had 
 an unusually handsome face, and whose intelligence was 
 remarkable. As I stood looking at those twenty little 
 tots, they drew quite heavily on the sympathy of the 
 bachelor's heart. They have a fine little chapel 
 where they are taught which path to take leading to life 
 eternal, and they also receive instructions along that line 
 in the cottages. We sometimes say this is a cold 
 world, but after knowing something of these 
 institutions, both for young and old, that are found in 
 great numbers on both sides of the Atlantic, and the 
 Christian churches that dot our land and other 
 countries, I am inclined to say that it has been 
 warmed by our holy Christianity, until it is quite a 
 
 comfortable place to live in. Mr. and Mrs. D are 
 
 fine musicians and gave us some very good selections. 
 We remained at tea and they insisted on us staying at 
 supper, as the curate was to be there and they wanted 
 
 us to meet him, but Mr. E P said : " Mr. 
 
 Butler has only spent this one Sunday with us since he 
 has been in England, and as I am to leave for Kent this 
 coming week, to be away from home a long time, and 
 we both want to go to the old Harborn Church this 
 evening." So we started for home but found it was 
 raining so hard we were compelled to return. Mr. 
 
190 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 D informed us that their telephone was connected 
 
 with the Christ Church in Birmingham, and we would 
 be able to hea;; some of the service. At the time for 
 
 service Mr. D called me to the telephone, and, as 
 
 I placed my ear to it, heard the sweet strains of the 
 organ, and, as I listened to the choir — which is con- 
 sidered one of the best in England — taking their part in 
 the service, felt I was in communication with the 
 heavenly country, particularly so when they sang one 
 of the old, sweet, familiar hymns. I was so charmed 
 that I reluctantly yielded my place at the telephone 
 to others. When I again had the opportunity of 
 listening the rector was just announcing the text ; his 
 voice had a musical sound, as it came over the wires to 
 me with that gospel message. The sweet sounds of 
 that service seems to linger in my ear yet. In a short 
 time the curate put in his appearance ; he was one of 
 those kind of persons that a few minutes in his 
 presence made you feel quite well acquainted with him . 
 We sat down to an elegant repast at 9:30, and not 
 only enjoyed what was set before us, but the pleasant 
 conversation which was carried on at the table , none being 
 more jovial than the curate. Soon after we wended 
 our way through the midnight darkness, back to Har- 
 born, reaching there about eleven o'clock. So closed 
 my last Sabbath in England. 
 
 Monday, August 20. — Arose early and began pre- 
 paring to take my departure from my English home, 
 
 to which I had become much attached. Mrs. P 's 
 
 sister and brother-in-law, from Liverpool, visited Har- 
 born during my trip to Antwerp and left a cordial invi- 
 tation for me to spend a few days with them before 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 191 
 
 sailing for home; and as there were but three days 
 more to divide up between Chester, Oldham, Man- 
 chester and Liverpool, was obliged to be on the move 
 early. With messages and a bundle of love to Fred. 
 in America, I bade good-bye to my kind friends and 
 hurried to Birmingham, and was soon speeding away, 
 by the Great Western Railroad, to the old city of 
 Chester; aside from the city of York, it is the most 
 ancient-looking city which I visited. History informs 
 us that there was a town on this site before the Roman 
 invasion, but it was the Romans who made the definite 
 foundations. The old walls, which were in ruins for 
 about three centuries, were restored A. D. 907; a 
 walk around them gave me some idea of the size of 
 the city. While on the walls met four Americans — a 
 lady and three gentlemen — who had landed in Liver- 
 pool that day, and enjoyed a pleasant conversation with 
 them. They informed me the3' expected to remain 
 in the country a year. I quite envied them. In going 
 through some of the ancient streets was interested in 
 looking at the curious carvings on some of the old 
 houses ; there are covered avenues above the streets, 
 with a flight of wooden steps leading up to them, the 
 stores being on the avenues above and below. 
 I made a purchase at one of the stores — which 
 is called, " The House of Good Providence," from the 
 fact of it being the only house whose occupants escaped 
 the terrible plague, a few centuries ago. It is said, 
 the inmates of this house devoted themselves to 
 caring for the stricken ones. The Cathedral, which is 
 quite large, was begun in the twelfth century. Tra- 
 dition says that a Roman temple to Apollo once stood 
 
192 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 on this site. I spent some time in wandering around 
 through this old Cathedral. When I left Chester 
 placed it on the list as one of the most interesting 
 towns I visited. Arrived at Birkenhead at 6 p. m., 
 crossed in the ferry boat to Liverpool, which place I 
 had left three months previous. Took a Lodge Lane 
 'bus and rode through the busy streets to No. — Aspen 
 
 Grove, where lived Mr. D . I was received 
 
 very kindly by him, his wife and her mother — who is 
 
 also the mother of Mrs. P , at Harborn. We spent 
 
 the evening at the home of Mr. M , brother of 
 
 Mrs. P . 
 
 Tuesday, August 21. — Mr. D went with me 
 
 to the office of the steamship company, to ascertain 
 where the steamer sailed from. We then went to the 
 Central Railroad Station, where I booked for Man- 
 chester, and from there to Oldham, a few miles distant, 
 
 to make inquiry about relatives of Mrs. A , a friend 
 
 of mine in America. In conversing with a young man 
 on the train, was informed that .he knew one of the 
 families I wished to see, and he directed me there. 
 From this point was directed to her father's sister, and, 
 like many of the others on whom I called with 
 messages from America, she was so over -joyed that 
 the great tears began coursing down her cheeks, as she 
 said : " It is more than fifty years since my brother left 
 home, and I have heard very little of him since. ' ' Made 
 a hurried trip through the old town, which contains a 
 number of manufactories. I saw a great many men and 
 women coming from the mills ; many of them wore 
 clumsy looking shoes with wooden soles, which made 
 quite a clatter as they brought them down on the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 193 
 
 pavements. On the top of a tram rode back to Man- 
 chester. It is built up all the way, from one town to 
 the other, making one long street, so that you can 
 scarcely tell when you reach Manchester. At the end 
 of every mile, the conductor collected a penny. I 
 asked him how many more times he would collect the 
 fare, and, after informing me, said to him: "L,et me 
 drop the entire amount in the box, as I am going the 
 whole length of the route," but he gave me to under- 
 stand that he would continue to take it on the instal- 
 ment plan. Manchester is a large manufacturing city, 
 with a population of 500,000. Its streets were thronged 
 with people hurrying to and fro, and as it was a fine 
 afternoon, the ladies were out in full force, and 
 had the right of way. Many of the stores are 
 very large and attractive. I went, with a gentle- 
 man whom I met on the tram, through L,ewis' 
 immense store ; it is one of the largest in the city and 
 is run on the same principal as John Wanamaker's. 
 From there I visited the Y. M. C. A., on Peter street. 
 The assistant secretary showed me through their 
 splendid hall ; their lecture-room is very large and is 
 lighted by electricity ; the gymnasium is a very com- 
 plete one. From there enjoyed a ride on the top of a 
 tram, to the great ship canal ; it was quite a long ride 
 through one of the finest parts of the city. Some of 
 the residences were magnificent, showing that the occu- 
 pants had evidently succeeded in gathering a good 
 supply of sovereigns. The canal is worth a visit, and 
 I was quite interested in it, although having only a 
 short time there. I expected to see a great number of 
 ships at the quays, but there were only a few, from 
 
 13 
 
194 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 which cotton was being unloaded. The total length 
 of the canal is 35^ miles; average width at water 
 level, 172 feet, except between Barton and Manchester, 
 where the width at water level is 230 feet ; minimum 
 width of canal at bottom, 120 feet; depth of canal 
 throughout, 26 feet. From there returned to the 
 business portion of the city and went through some 
 parts of the new town hall, which is a large and beau- 
 tiful structure. There are a number of very large, 
 handsome buildings in the city. L,eft this busy place 
 on the 6 p. m. train, arriving at Edge Hill, a suburb of 
 Liverpool, at 7 p. m. On my way to the home of 
 
 Friend D , stopped at a shop, and, while the young 
 
 man having charge was waiting on me, I engaged in 
 conversation with him. He had a strong desire to go 
 to America to seek his fortune, but said : "I can't go 
 while mother is living, for I have to care for her." A 
 very considerate son, I thought, and, whether he ever 
 obtains a fortune or not, his mother has one in having 
 such a boy. There was quite a company invited to the 
 
 house of Mr. M to give me a farewell send-off, and 
 
 I am sure I shall always remember, with pleasure, the 
 last evening spent on the shores of Old England. 
 
My Home Across the Sea. 
 
 (with melody arranged.) 
 
 By Chas. J. Butler. 
 
 I left my dear old native land, 
 
 To sail far o'er the sea ; 
 And as our ship was seaward bound, 
 
 Sweet home, I thought of thee. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 My dear old home across the sea, 
 
 How oft' my heart still turns towards thee, 
 Where e'er in foreign lands I roam, 
 
 I'll not forget my dear old home. 
 
 Out o'er the ocean's dreary waste 
 
 I gaze, and long to be 
 With cherished friends in home, sweet home, 
 
 Across the dark blue sea. 
 
 Faces where kindness sits enthroned, 
 
 I look upon each day, 
 But none that seem so fair to me 
 
 As those far, far away. 
 
 In homes o'er Britain's isles, I 've found 
 
 A welcome at the door ; 
 There's one awaits me in my home 
 
 On old Columbia's shore. 
 
 Written at Sea, 1894. 
 
Homeward Bound. 
 
 EDNESDAY, August 22.— The day 
 for sailing had come at last. We 
 were on the move quite early, for 
 the train left L,ime Street Station, 
 for the docks, at 9 a. m. Mr. 
 
 D came with me to the station, 
 
 and, having a little time before 
 taking the train, spent it in looking 
 at some of the places of interest in 
 and around that locality. During my short stay in 
 Liverpool, found it a much larger and finer city than 
 I supposed when I walked through its streets the 
 day I landed. On returning to the station, was 
 
 pleased to meet Mr. T , of Philadelphia, and Mr. 
 
 F T , wife and daughter, of Pittsburg, whom I 
 
 met on the ship on the voyage across. We reached the 
 docks at 10 a. m., and was soon busy packing my 
 luggage away for the homeward voyage. In pass- 
 ing the companion-w r ay, was utterly amazed to see Mr. 
 
 Newton S , of Camden, N. J., coming up the steps, 
 
 not thinking of seeing any one from home. Seeing my 
 surprised look, he said: "What is the matter?" 
 "Well," I replied, "you are like one rising from the 
 dead." He said : "I am too much alive to be com- 
 ing from that region." We remained at the dock 
 until about 2 p. m., then our noble ship slowly made 
 her way, past the long rows of stone docks, into the 
 river Mersey, and soon the last vestige of the shores 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 197 
 
 of Old England disappeared. My room-mates were Mr. 
 
 W , a Philadelphia lawyer, and Professor P , 
 
 from the northern section of the city. Mr. P 
 
 L , of St. Louis, was to share our quarters with 
 
 us on our arrival at Queenstown. We steamed into the 
 Queenstown harbor through a dense fog, and when the 
 mist rolled away had another good view of Ireland. 
 The tender came out to our ship with quite a number 
 of passengers ; among them was the old man and his 
 wife whom I have referred to as being so much affected 
 when he caught sight of Old Ireland. They greeted 
 us with as much pleasure' as though we were old 
 friends. When Mr. P L came into the state- 
 room the first thing he did was to test the springs of his 
 berth, and said to me: " I'm not pleased with it," 
 and began to contrast the room with the one he had 
 
 coming over. We were anxious to have Mr. N 
 
 S room with us, as we were well acquainted 
 
 with him and he was not pleased with his quarters, 
 so I took the case in hand and had him meet Mr. 
 L ; he invited him to his room in view of ex- 
 changing (I was there to help the thing along), and 
 finally he concluded the berth would be preferable to 
 the one assigned him . Soon I was doing the neighborly 
 
 act of assisting Mr. L in moving, and in the 
 
 meantime Mr. S was transferring his luggage to 
 
 the "bachelors' sanctum" — for not one of the occu- 
 pants of the room had, as yet, found a helpmate, and 
 
 all, with the exception of Mr. N S , had 
 
 been in the world long enough to be styled bachelors. 
 A number of small boats came out to our ship 
 with persons having various articles for sale— black- 
 
i 9 S A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 thorn canes and shelalahs were their specialties. 
 We were greatly amused at the manner in which 
 they came on board with their wares ; the men on 
 reaching the deck would lower a rope with a large 
 loop in it, in which the women seated themselves, and 
 were hoisted on deck ; it looked like a perilous under- 
 taking, but they did not show any signs of timidity. 
 Those that did not come on board would tie their 
 wares fast to a rope and one of their number on deck 
 would see that the customer passed over the cash and 
 received the equivalent. They are pretty sharp in 
 their dealings. A man in one of the boats was anxious 
 to make a sale and held up a shelalah, fixing the price 
 at four shillings. Some of the passengers "guyed" 
 him by offering him considerably less. Just as we 
 were about leaving Mr. T — — called to him and said : 
 " I will give you three shillings for it." " You can 
 have it," was his reply, in a good rich brogue, "if 
 you'll come down and tussel with me for the other 
 shilling." We left with Irish wit on the lead. We 
 were soon on the bosom of old ocean, which a 
 few hours later was being swept by a fearful storm, 
 tossing our ship about, interfering considerably with 
 the comfort of a large number of the passengers. 
 I was the only one in our state-room who was indis- 
 posed and was on the shelf all one day. I made 
 several attemps to show my seaworthiness, but betray- 
 ed myself each time by having to pay my compliments 
 to "Neptune" — something that I did under protest. 
 Tommy, the cabin boy, did his best to keep up my 
 stock, in the way of toast and beef tea, but he finally 
 gave it up, and so did I. Our ship's company was 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 199 
 
 made up of very excellent people, and like those whom 
 I had the pleasure of going over with, did what they 
 could to make the homeward trip a delightful one. 
 
 Among the number was a Mrs. B , a lady more than 
 
 ' ' three score years and ten ; ' ' she was remarkably 
 bright and intelligent and was the favorite of all who 
 had the pleasure of knowing her ; she was in company 
 with her two daughters — one a teacher of elocution in 
 
 Philadelphia, the other a Mrs. H , a noted singer. 
 
 Most of us were anxious to see land, but this old lady 
 said to me : "I am so much in love with the old ocean 
 that I am not anxious to have the voyage end," but 
 as I had turned my face homeward, I was counting the 
 days and wishing for the one that would bring us into 
 the grand old Delaware river. I afforded a great deal 
 of amusement to my three room mates, as I had a 
 
 top birth and Mr. W , who occupied the one 
 
 beneath, was usually awake when I was ready to leave 
 it, and made it rather difficult for me to reach the floor. 
 
 Mr. N S was on hand to assist Mr. W in 
 
 his good work, and I think, if the voyage had lasted 
 a few days longer, I might have been well up in 
 
 gymnastics. Mr. and Mrs. S , a young bride and 
 
 groom from Kent, England, were among our number. 
 They were a very excellent couple and most of the 
 passengers became quite interested in them and showed 
 her a great deal of kindness when old ocean was 
 behaving so badly and she was extremely ill. They 
 were going to Kansas, to the home of their uncle, to 
 begin life in the far west. I saw an opportunity of 
 paying back some of the kindness shown to me while 
 in the British Isles, and invited them to spend Sunday 
 
200 A BACHELOR'S RAMBLES 
 
 with me, as we expected to land on Saturday, and 
 thought the rest over the Sabbath would fit them better 
 for the long journey before them. They accepted my 
 invitation and on Monday I was able to render them 
 some assistance ; as they were leaving Broad Street Sta- 
 tion they said : ' ' We will never forget our first Sabbath 
 in America and the kindness shown us by the people 
 we met in Camden, N. J. The Sunday in mid-ocean 
 was one long to be remembered ; it was one of the 
 most perfect days I ever experienced ; the sea was as 
 calm as it was possible for it to be ; the porpoises, in 
 great schools, were sporting about the ship, some of 
 them anxious to see what was going on in the 
 outside world, judging from the way they bounded out 
 of the water ; we all watched them with a great deal 
 of interest. The usual service was held in the saloon, 
 most of the cabin passengers being present. Some of 
 the familiar hymns found in Moody and Sankey's book 
 were heard ringing out lustily from the steerage, and 
 some one had the spirit of exhortation and was 
 evidently being heard by his congregation, as his voice 
 
 was well 'keyed up. Mr. M and son, and his 
 
 cousin, Mr. C , of Philadelphia, were returning 
 
 from a trip to the Emerald Isle. Mr. M , whom 
 
 I became very well acquainted with (he sitting next to 
 me at the table), informed me he had been on a visit 
 to his home in the north of Ireland to see his mother ; 
 he said : "I shall never forget that parting scene ; 
 when I was about leaving she threw her dear old arms 
 around my neck and wept bitterly, and I had to tear 
 myself away and hurry down the road, not daring to 
 look back." He is a successful business man in the 
 
THROUGH THE BRITISH ISLES. 201 
 
 northern part of the city. The days slipped by, and 
 early Saturday morning, September 1, when I came on 
 deck, found we were steaming up the Delaware bay. 
 That word ' ' home ' ' never seemed so sweet to me 
 before, and the old song, "Home Again from a Foreign 
 Shore," which I had sung so often, never meant so 
 much to me as it did that morning. It was more than 
 sentiment to me ; my feelings were entirely different 
 from what they were three months previous, when the 
 bow of the same steamer was turned seaward, bearing 
 
 a lonely bachelor to a foreign land. Captain K , 
 
 an old friend of mine, who had charge of the govern- 
 ment steamer, which brought the custom house officers 
 to our ship, kindly invited Rev. J S and sev- 
 eral of my friends, to accompany him on the steamer. 
 The welcome which I received from the Captain and 
 those friends, together with the one given me by the 
 members and friends of the Bethany M. E. Church, 
 Camden, New Jersey, is a picture that will hang on 
 the wall of memory as long as the tall form of 
 Butler is in the flesh. So endeth "A Bachelor's 
 Rambles Through the British Isles," in which 
 I have endeavored to have my readers accompany 
 me each day in my journey through the land beyond 
 the broad Atlantic. 
 
EPITAPHS 
 
 Copied from various Churchyards and Cathedrals 
 in England and Scotland. 
 
 RALPH V , 
 
 Died 1799, aged 24 years. 
 Thus death, grand monitor, oft' comes to prove, 
 'Tis dust we doat on, when 'tis man we love. 
 
 WM. J. M , 
 
 Aged 10 years. 
 Silent be all my anxious fears, 
 
 My heart, no more repine ; 
 Since Jesus, in His bosom, wears 
 The flower that once was mine. 
 
 RICHARD H , 
 
 Died 1819, aged 42 years. 
 Ye thoughtless crowds that pass this way, 
 Think on your God while it is day ; 
 For night will come and you will be 
 All in the dust as well as me. 
 
 WM. H , 
 
 Died 1863, aged 63 years. 
 Old age and sickness brought me home 
 To the cold grave, where all must come. 
 Let old and young prepare to die, 
 In hope to live eternally. 
 
 ELIZABETH C , 
 
 Died 1708, aged 62 years. 
 Pale death will hardly find 
 So good a wife so kind, 
 A mother in all her actions was kind, 
 They will not soon slip out of mind. 
 
EPITAPHS. 203 
 
 HARRY S , 
 
 Aged 6 years. 
 A treasure lent not given. 
 
 JOHN V , 
 
 Died 1797, aged 72 years. 
 Polite, ingenious, upright to the best of husbands. 
 
 WILLIAM R . 
 
 Afflicted by our loss we lay you here 
 In silent sorrow, e'en your dust is dear. 
 
 SARAH W , 
 
 Died 1805, aged 53 years. 
 Spectator consider ; death 
 Will take you, judgment, will follow. 
 
 ALBERT D. J . 
 
 While earth-born fades and dies 
 
 In darkness deep as midnight's gloom, 
 The white-winged scales the skies. 
 
 And lives in golden rapture there. 
 
 JOHN R , 
 
 Aged 24 years. 
 A sudden change ; at God's command he fell ; 
 He had not time to bid his friends farewell. 
 Affliction came without a warning given, 
 And bid him haste to meet his God in heaven. 
 
 ROBERT T , 
 
 Aged 34 years. 
 How short and vain are all our earthly joys ; 
 One moment gives, the next perhaps destroys. 
 E'er I in wedlock closed the second year, 
 I saw the ghostly monster, death, appear, 
 Who, with pointed dart did pierce my breast, 
 And laid my feeble body here to rest 
 'Till that great day, when all shall rise again, 
 And place upon a level king with men. 
 
204 EPITAPHS. 
 
 SARAH C , 
 
 In life respected, in death lamented. 
 
 HANNAH H , 
 
 Died 1842. 
 She was — but words are wanting to say what — 
 Say what a woman ought to be ; and she was that. 
 
 JAMES T , 
 
 Died 1826, aged 19 years. 
 Observe my youth, note well the time 
 How death may take you in your prime ; 
 Therefore on earth fix not your love, 
 Prepare to meet your God above. 
 
 JOHN R , 
 
 Died 1847. 
 When at my life's last setting sun, 
 My conflicts o'er, my labor done ; 
 Jesus, thy heavenly radiance shed 
 To cheer and bless my dying bed. 
 
 EDWARD C , 
 
 Died 1787, aged 22 years. 
 Happy the youth who in his early years, 
 Obeyed God's word and shed repenting tears. 
 This fading world no pleasing charms can find 
 To stain his soul or captivate his mind. 
 Such was thy lot, blest youth, while here below, 
 But thou art gone far, purer joys to know. 
 
 JOHN H. M — -, 
 Aged 50 years. 
 Who are so greatly blest, 
 
 From whom has sorrow fled ; 
 Who find such deep unbroken rest, 
 
 While all things toil ? — The dead. 
 The holy dead, why weep ye so 
 
 Above their sable bier? 
 They are blest, they have done with woe, 
 
 The living claim thy tears. 
 
EPITAPHS. 205 
 
 WANETTA S , 
 
 Aged 39 years. 
 The smallest woman in the kingdom ; 
 Only thirty-three inches high. 
 
 ROSE K , 
 
 Aged 21 years. 
 Passing stranger, call this not a place of dreary gloom ; 
 I love to linger near this spot, for 'tis my daughter's tomb. 
 
 SARAH R , 
 
 Died 1822. 
 Here rests my wife now free from care, 
 Removed, I trust, from Satan's snare. 
 She lived in love, in peace she died, 
 I wished her life, but God denied. 
 
 JAMES B , 
 
 Died 1781. 
 O, cruel death, how could you be so unkind 
 As to take him before, and leave me behind? 
 You should have taken both, if either, 
 Which would have been more pleasing to the survivor. 
 
 JOHN B , 
 
 Died 1809, aged 34 years. 
 Stay, passenger, and look upon this stone ; 
 And stand, too, and ponder well where I am gone. 
 Death quickly took my life and sense away 
 And laid me down in this dark bed of clay. 
 Consider of it, and take home this line : 
 The grave that opens next may be thine. 
 
 J F . 
 
 Our life is like a winter day, 
 Some only breakfast and away, 
 Others to dinner stay and are full fed ; 
 The oldest man but sups and goes to bed. 
 Large is his debt who lingers out of day ; 
 He who goes first has the least to pay. 
 
Old England. 
 
 By Chas. J. Butler. 
 
 Old England stands forth firm and strong, 
 With Ocean breaking at her feet ; 
 
 Her arms outstretched to right each wrong, 
 To all will justice kiudly meet. 
 
 Where e'er sweeps Ocean's changing tide, 
 Her white sails to the breeze are flung. 
 
 She walks with progress, side by side ; 
 Men list' and heed her silvery tongue. 
 
 In valleys, and on hill and plain, 
 
 Are found the loyal, true and brave ; 
 
 All o'er her wide and great domain, 
 No shackels bind a human slave. 
 
 The dusky sons of India own 
 
 The sway of England's noble Queen ; 
 
 The Isles have long obedience shown, 
 Though leagues of water roll between. 
 
 Long she has with unwearied hands 
 Held up the Bible, God's great light ; 
 
 Still for the truth she nobly stands, 
 That book, the secret of her might. 
 
 Old England, ne'er thy trust betray, 
 Long years ago God gave to thee ; 
 
 Thy kingdom then shall ne'er decay, 
 'Till Time's great wheel shall silent be. 
 
 Written in Old England, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 The "Southwark," (Poem) 6 
 
 Seaward Bound, 7 
 
 On the Shores of Old England, 26 
 
 My First Night in London, 34 
 
 My Three Weeks in London, 48 
 
 En-Route for Scotland, 86 
 
 A Trip Through Old Ireland, 111 
 
 Back Again to Old England, 148 
 
 My Home Across the Sea, (Poem), 195 
 
 Homeward Bound, 196 
 
 Epitaphs Gathered in England and Scotland, . 202 
 
 Old England, (Poem), 206 
 
•H 313 85 I 
 
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