Calais.—English Channel Experience.—Reaching the Pier.—Going Ashore.—London.—The Fog.—Show Lights.—British Museum.—National Gallery.—The Tricky Monkey.—Westminster Abbey.—The Tower.
he next point of interest to be visited was London, England; so early one morning we took the train at Cologne, traveled all day, and arrived after dark at Calais, a town of France. At this point we left the railway and went aboard the steamer which conveys passengers and mail across the Channel to Dover, a distance of perhaps twenty-six miles.
There is a fine harbor at Calais, but owing to the darkness of the night we were not able to see it then. There was not a moment of time to lose, for the steamer was ready to start back on her return trip to Dover. There were but few passengers on board that evening, and down deep in my heart I wished we had been among the number who had wisdom enough to remain on shore. But one is not always able to see the danger which may be ahead, and must therefore suffer the consequences.
As soon as the steamer left the harbor we felt very sure a trying time was in store for us; but it was too late to turn back, so we tried to make the best of the situation by making ourselves comfortable. The English Channel is affected very much by storms on the coasts, and at such times the waters become greatly troubled; so much so that ships are wrecked and many lives lost. On this particular day a very severe storm raged; it had started on the Irish coast and by the time the Channel was reached there was a genuine cyclone. The wind blew a gale and the breakers dashed against the steamer until the little thing rolled and pitched shockingly. Truly we were in dangerous waters, and we were made to feel it more keenly after hearing an order given to the sailors to "take down the life-buoys." Never before in our journeyings by sea had such an order been given in our hearing; so you may believe it made me sick at heart. Seasickness did not trouble us, strange to say, though the steward came to us often, thinking perhaps we should need assistance; but there was nothing needed excepting a quiet sea. Each time the man came around husband asked, "How are we getting along now? Shall we soon be over?" and the reply came, "This is a very bad night, sir; but we hope to make the pier."
Seasickness would have been a small thing to endure compared to the distress which followed, for by this time my nerves were unstrung and I was in agony. Nothing could be done but bear the distress, and silently I groaned prayer after prayer to the Father above. Very few were my words, for I remembered the Lord did not hear us alone for our much speaking, and in such a perilous situation one does not stop to choose the words he may utter. Again and again I groaned, "O Lord, keep thy watchful eye upon us; and I pray thee keep thy children from the dangers of this angry sea." We placed ourselves in the hands of the Lord, and oh what a feeling of security there was; and in the words of the Psalmist we were able to say, "The Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God, in him will I trust." Yes, even though our bodies trembled, our hearts were strong in him, and we trusted. The Lord had been especially good to us, not because we were deserving, but perhaps because he wanted us a little longer on the earth that his servant—my husband—might have a longer time in which to tell of the "truths of God's Word."
We read that "they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing," and in my Christian experience I have found the blessings were beyond my hope. "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." He desires boys and girls in his kingdom. Will you seek him early? Remember Samuel; he was but a child when he "ministered before the Lord." And then think of Daniel; what a good young man he was, for we read that he had an excellent spirit and "he was faithful; neither was there any error or fault found in him." That was a good recommendation; but we learn more about him; he prayed, and was not ashamed of it either; for we read of a decree which had been signed by king Darius and sent out. It said, "Whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions." Daniel no doubt felt badly when he heard of the decree; but nevertheless he went three times a day and prayed as had been his custom. The result you know.
My young readers, do you want good examples of Christians? then pattern after these boys of whom I have written. The Lord watched over them; he delivered Daniel from the lion's den into which he had been cast for praying. Do you know he will help you to bear the scoffs and jeers of your comrades if you should forsake them and follow him? You know "Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not"? And to you he says the same. Will you think of these things?
In thinking over the experience on the Channel I call to mind a sound which, though far away, proved to be soothing in its effect. I imagine you say, What was it? So I'll tell you that while lying upon my couch that night I heard a sailor off in a distant part of the steamer hurrying around performing his duties; and while doing so he whistled in a cheery, joyful tone. The waves were breaking high then, and perhaps the sailor never thought the sound would reach the ears of any one except his comrades who were rushing around near by him. But a current of wind brought the music to me and from now till I leave this world I shall never forget that whistling. For a few minutes self was forgotten and my nerves quieted, and then there came an end to the whistling, for a voice called loudly, "She is fast;" and that meant the pier had been gained. But joy did not come then, for the next thing we knew we were steaming out to sea again, rolling and pitching as hard as ever.
Twice the attempt was made to gain the landing, but each time the heavy breakers washed the vessel away. The third attempt was made and success crowned the effort, when immediately after came the order, "Make haste and go ashore." This order was given to the passengers, and as soon as possible we all undertook the difficult task of getting to the passageway which led to land. The breakers dashed furiously over the side of the steamer and great banks of water poured down upon Our heads and backs, for we stood still with faces turned from the direction of the breaking waves. We scarcely knew how to reach shore without help, for the water came with a dash at regular intervals, making it almost impossible for us to walk. Thinking the sailor might assist us in landing I ventured to ask him, saying, "Oh, will you not help us over the passageway?" but the answer came, "No, madam, I dare not." There was nothing to hinder him from helping us while upon the boat, so taking my hand we hurried along over the deck until the inclined passageway was gained, when he left me to stumble on in the dark. Rain cloaks were of little service that night, for the salt sea water went through them, and consequently the clothing was dripping wet.
Land was gained at last, and immediately we entered the cars which were waiting to carry passengers and mail on to London. After getting our breath we looked around, and to our utter surprise found that the seats and floor had been drenched with water which had entered through the windows, which had been broken by the waves dashing against them while the cars were standing upon the pier. The admiralty pier is a massive structure extending out into the sea; and during the storm some of the immense stones were washed out and carried away. Papers of the following day gave full accounts of the storm, and the record of shipwrecks was enormous. It is said the like of such a storm had not been known for many, many years. I think the memory of it will abide with me while life shall last, and I shall always feel that the Lord watched over us and heard our prayers.
Twelve o'clock that night we reached the great city of London, and it was in a drenching rain. We were taken to a hotel a long distance from the depot, which place we called home for three weeks. When my health allowed me, I accompanied my husband to places of interest, but there were very many days when I was not able to bear the noise upon the streets, so remained within the cheerless hotel room. All large cities are cheerless and disagreeable in rainy weather; but it seemed to me the city of London was the most disagreeable one of all, for there was a great deal of rain and much foggy weather at that time. The fog becomes very dense sometimes, and those times it is quite dangerous to be upon the streets. The city is well lighted, and yet when the fog comes down the lights seem to be of but little use. Teamsters call out, "Show lights! show lights!" and as soon as possible the people place lights in every window of their houses. People who are out walking are unable to know when a horse is near them, and no doubt many are trampled under the horses' feet.
We visited many places of great interest while in this large city, and though I shall not be able to tell of all the attractive objects seen I will briefly mention a few of them. The British Museum was only a few blocks from our hotel, so much of our time was spent there looking at the relics which had been collected from all parts of the world.
There is a "National Gallery" in London, and there you find paintings of noted artists on exhibition. Almost every day in the week it is open to the public free; so a great many people spend hours looking at the beautiful work of man, which is done either with pencil or brush. Many of the old artists took much pleasure in painting the "Madonna and Child," and that means Mary and Jesus; and in almost every instance the face of the mother is wonderfully beautiful; the child is plump in body and has a round, full face. Joseph and his brethren, John the Baptist, and other Bible characters were there, for it seems that noted artists of long ago spent their time in putting on canvas what they imagined the saints of old looked like; and most of them are represented as being fine looking men.
It is impossible for me to write you a description of all the interesting pieces of art on exhibition there, so we shall leave the Gallery and visit the Zoological Gardens, for it seemed to be an attractive place for old and young people. Animals of all countries may be seen there, and who is it that does not desire to see animals of foreign lands? We spent one afternoon there, and in our wanderings saw the rhinoceros and hippopotamus—both natives of Africa. Then there were the great, clumsy looking elephants, some of which were allowed to walk about without chains. One of them had a large platform fixed upon his back, and for a certain sum of money any one who desired could have a ride up one avenue and down another. There was a man to lead the animal, and you would be surprised to know how many boys, girls and middle-aged people took the ride. We watched them, but got no closer.
Children enjoy looking at monkeys, and on the afternoon we were at the Gardens there were numbers of them at the monkey cages throwing in crackers, apples and cakes; and oh how the little folks laughed when a monkey hung by his tail from the perch, or undertook the task of scratching his neighbor's head. They are wonderfully tricky; so every one is cautioned to keep away from the cages, to not get too close to the wires. Here and there were printed cards which said, "Persons with spectacles keep away." You see the monkeys had a habit of snatching off the glasses, and that accounted for the warning.
A young girl with her lover stood close to the cage that afternoon. She was decked in the height of style, with an immense bunch of flowers upon her hat; and over her face was a thin vail. One of the tricky fellows quick jumped up, ran his thin paws out between the wires and in an instant had the little face vail in his paws; and jumping on the perch sat there and tore it in shreds, while occasionally shy glances were cast at the young girl whose crimson face told of the embarrassment felt, for all eyes were upon her. Every one around laughed, and the children could hardly forget the cunning little monkey.
If one of these little fellows saw you put your hand in your pocket, he was sure you would bring out something for him; and if you gave him nothing there was a look of disappointment.
The lions, tigers and hyenas were visited next, and we found them growling, and prancing back and forth. It was feeding time, and the keeper gave them great chunks of raw meat, which they devoured ravenously. But evening was drawing near, so we left there and went to our hotel, reaching there in time for dinner,—the evening meal.
Westminster Abbey is a church, and it is a sacred place for the English people, for in it are to be seen the tombs of kings, queens and other noted people. In looking around one is impressed with the thought of age; and no wonder, for we read that the Abbey had been destroyed by the Danes, and re-erected by King Edgar in the year 985. But it seems to have been "entirely rebuilt in the latter half of the 13th century by Henry the Third and his son Edward the Fifth, who left it substantially in its present condition." The Abbey seems almost like a graveyard, for as you pass up one aisle and down another you behold large monuments erected in memory of noble men who fell in battle.
How strange it seemed to be standing by the tombs of kings and queens of whom we had read when school children. There in a vault were the remains of Charles the Second, William the Third, and Queen Mary his wife. And further on was the monument of Queen Elizabeth. I might go on and write many pages of what we saw there, but must leave the gloomy, dismal place. I wondered how people could worship in a place where there is such a grand display of monuments and tombs.
The Tower of London is said to be the most interesting spot in England. It is found outside of the bounds of the ancient city walls. It has four entrances,—the "Iron Gate, the Water Gate, and the Traitor's Gate." These gates are on the side next to the river Thames. The men who act as guards are called "Wardens or Beef-eaters." I think every one of them is a very old man. The strange term beef-eater is explained as being "a nickname bestowed upon the ancient yeomen of the guard from the fact that rations of beef were regularly served out to them when on duty."
In the Tower is the armory, where may be seen implements of war and torture, figures of horses almost as natural looking as life, and soldiers seated upon their backs equipped for war; a good representation of how the warriors of the time of king Charles First and William the Conqueror looked when ready for fight. There we saw the beheading block, axe and mask which were used in the dreadful work of sending people into eternity.
There is a chapel which no visitors are allowed to enter, and in it are buried celebrated persons who were beheaded. In the year 1535 the first person was executed, and in the following year, 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was beheaded upon the green; and we stood near the spot where the bloody deed was done, for a marble slab marks the place. When looking at the beheading block we could not help but think of the untold agony it could tell were it but able to speak. Many noted people, both men and women, were at different times imprisoned in the Tower, placed there to await the time of execution. But sometimes one of them would be murdered there, while others again were tortured and then taken away to be burned as heretics. Those were distressing times, and innocent people suffered.
There are on exhibition in the Tower the crown of Queen Victoria and many solid gold vessels. Among the collection were beautiful golden saltcellars. One of them was made in imitation of a large castle and is beautifully studded with precious stones. There were staffs and scepters which sparkled with diamonds as they lay in the sunlight. Policemen guarded well the case which contained them, for not every person is honest who looks at them, and attempts have been made to break through the case.
Days seemed to go by rapidly, and three times Sunday came while we were in London. It was usually a quiet day for a city, as only a few teams passed on the street in front of our hotel. 'Bus horses had a season of rest then, for they run on half time. Stores were closed, and even the hotel employees had rest, for only two meals were allowed the guests. The whole city had a restful air which made one think the most of the inhabitants had gone to some place of worship.
There is a house of worship called the "Temple Church," and Dr. Parker is the minister; so we decided to go to hear him. The church was crowded with people, for it proved to be the day of their harvest home meeting,—something entirely new to us. We were favored with a good seat and not far from the stand where the learned doctor stood. Upon this rostrum was a mass of flowers, fruits, vegetables and bread, all arranged tastefully; yet they did seem to be very much out of place in a church. However, we overlooked that when we found that each article there was a free-will offering for the poor and sick, given by any one, and presented to those who were in need of them. Sick people were the recipients of flowers, and the bread and vegetables went to the poor and destitute.
At the close of our harvests we sometimes gather together and have a harvest meeting; but we are not thoughtful enough to bring an offering of the fruit of our land, as did the English people. If we are blessed with an abundance would it not be well to divide with less favored ones?
Well, Dr. Parker preached an excellent sermon, and his prayer was so comforting. Willingly would we have remained longer in the church, but that was out of the question; so we passed out with the crowd into the street, and to the place we tried hard to call home. Each Sunday some place of worship was attended, but we rather preferred Dr. Parker to any other minister.
Time seemed to pass rapidly away, and by and by we bade adieu to London, crossed over the Channel and found ourselves safe in France. The English Channel was rather smooth and the steamer crowded with passengers who had been waiting for the storm to cease. The passage was delightful, and I enjoyed the trip as much as a person with shattered nerves might expect to enjoy it. After riding in the cars three or four hours we reached the city of Paris, and that you know is the capital of France, and a very large city. We were there four weeks. Each day we visited places of interest, such as public buildings, palaces and cathedrals, public squares and cemeteries. Of the last named there is one called Pere la Chaise. It contains one hundred and six and a half acres. It is laid out in avenues and seems almost like a city, with its grand tombs, large enough to hold many, many people. We noticed that illustrious personages were buried there, for we saw the names of lords and ladies. Poor people were not able to buy lots there, so were content to place their dead in less beautiful places. It is the custom in Paris for persons to take off their hats on meeting a funeral procession, whether in the country or in the public streets. That seemed like an odd custom, but one gets used to many strange sights when abr
The sewers of Paris are spoken of very highly, and it is said they are four hundred and forty-one miles in length. Some of the sewers are wide enough to allow boats to pass through them, and at certain times of the year visitors may take a tour through them; but they must first have a special permit. The river Seine flows through Paris, and small excursion steamboats take passengers out, thus giving a good view of both sides of the river and landing them at small towns outside of the city limit.
There is no use for me to try to tell you all we saw in Paris, for each day there were new sights presented to us. Seeing the fashions seems to be the highest ambition of some people, and many of them go to Paris for that purpose. People are able to gratify the desire there, and it is to be hoped they return home satisfied.
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