We Took An Omnibus To London Bridge; From
Thence We Proceeded By Railway, And In A Few Minutes Were In
Greenwich.
We entered the magnificent old Park, and wandered about
for a long time, to our hearts' content, among the venerable old
trees, admiring the graceful deer that were enjoying themselves all
around us.
At last we came to the top of a charming hill, where we
sat down to rest and look at the river. Several of the sailors had
arranged spy glasses of various sizes for the accommodation of
visitors, and for the good to themselves of a few pence. We
patronized one of these, and then descended to the Hospital, which
is the main object of interest. It was just time for the old
sailors' dinner, and we went into one of their dining rooms, where
there were about three hundred seated at an excellent meal, plain,
but wholesome and plentiful. A very pleasant sight it was; they were
chatting, telling good old stories, and laughing merrily, and
evidently enjoying themselves highly. There were, at that time, more
than seven hundred of these veterans in the building. Those who
chose carried their dinners to their rooms.
The place for the sailors' sleeping rooms was a long hall, with
small rooms on one side and large windows on the other. The rooms
were just large enough for a bed, a bureau, a little table, and, I
think, two chairs. There were shelves around the room, except on the
side that looked into the Hall, where was the door and a window. On
these shelves were ranged little keepsakes, books and various
articles of taste, often beautiful shells; there were hanging up
around the rooms profiles of friends, perhaps the dearest that this
life can give us. I could not help thinking that many a touching
story might be told by those silent but eloquent memorials. We were
much amused with looking at a card put in one of the windows of
these little comfortable state rooms, on which was written these
words: "Anti-poke-your-nose-into-other-folks'-business Society. 5000
Pounds reward annually to any one who will really mind his own
business; with the prospect of an increase of 100 Pounds, if he
shall abstain from poking his nose into other folks' business." We
returned to London in a steamer.
Now you must suppose you are walking with me in Paris, on a bright
Sunday morning in spring. We will go first to the Place Vendome. It
is an oblong square with the corners cut off. The buildings are all
of the same beautiful cream-colored stone, and of the same style of
architecture, - a basement story, very pretty and simple, and upper
stories ornamented with Corinthian pilasters and gilded balconies.
There are high, pointed roofs with pretty luthern windows. The Place
is four hundred and twenty feet by four hundred and fifty. Two large
handsome streets, opposite to each other, the Rue de la Paix, and
the Rue Castiglione, open out of the Place; these alone break the
range of handsome buildings that surround this beautiful spot. In
the centre is the magnificent column, made in imitation of the
column of Trajan, and surmounted by a bronze statue of Napoleon in
his military dress. At first he was placed there in his imperial
robes; but when he fell, so did his statue, and it was melted up to
help make an equestrian statue of Henry IV. In 1833, the present
statue was erected; and the people are very proud of the Little
Corporal, as they call him, as he stands up there, looking over
their glorious city, as if born to lead men to conquest, and to
govern the world. Inside the column is a spiral staircase by which
you ascend to the top of the column. You are well paid for the
fatigue of mounting these one hundred and seventy-six steps, when
you get your breath and look down upon Paris glittering in the
sunlight. What pleases me most, however, is the scene immediately
below. All the people are in the streets. Sunday in Paris is a
holiday. Whole families leave work, care, - all their troubles, - and
come into the public places to enjoy themselves. There is no
swearing, no drunkenness, no rudeness, no noise; the old folks seats
themselves in chairs, and the children run about. Some have been to
mass, and some have not, but all are in the spirit of enjoyment.
Nothing can be more enlivening than the aspect of the French people.
You cannot resist their cheerful looks. The appearance of the Place
Vendome is truly enchanting.
Now let us go down, and take a nearer look at what is going on
below. At the foot of the column you will see a group of children
collected round a man with a large basket of little tin carriages
which are constructed in such a way that they will go with the wind
on a smooth place. For some distance round the column is laid the
asphaltum pavement. These little tin carriages run well across this
wide platform; and you might imagine that the tin horses carried
them. It is a pleasant thing to see the delight of the children, and
a lesson in good nature and good manners, to see how carefully all
the passers by turn aside, so as not to interrupt the progress of
these pretty toys.
Look up at the beautiful bas reliefs in bronze, on this noble
column, giving the history of so many fierce battles and so much
bloodshed, and at the military hero on the top, and then at these
laughing, merry children at the foot, running after the tin
carriages that go with the wind. Is it not a strange and moving
contrast? Does it not tell a story that all of us hope may be one
day true; when war shall belong only to history, and when peace
shall possess the earth?
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 9 of 12
Words from 8181 to 9182
of 12178