, and oblige, with many thanks, one
of your subscribers.

L.D.H.

* * * * *

London, England.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: We are traveling in Europe for a short time, and
I thought, perhaps, you might like to hear a short account of our
journey. First, we went to Chester, one of the oldest cities in
England. It is inclosed by a wall two miles around, which was built
1800 years ago. The "Rows" of Chester are very strange and
interesting. They are rows of stores in the second stories of
houses--with a sidewalk in front, supported by pillars and covered
overhead. One may walk out on a rainy day and do a great variety of
shopping without being at all exposed to the weather. The sidewalks
below these rows, and on a level with the middle of the street are
dingy and shabby, lined with forlorn looking little places inhabited
by the poorer class.

There is an old house standing in an alley, in the garret of which
one of the earls of Derby was hidden for three months.

A small part of an old church, which was built 200 A. D., still
stands, and is one of the curiosities. There is also a tower where
King Charles II stood and saw his army defeated, only, that was
before he became king. Next we went to Stratford-on-Avon, where we
saw Shakespeare's house, and I sat in his chair.

We lunched at the Red Horse Inn, in the room which Washington Irving
had when he was there. I also sat in his chair. In the afternoon we
went to Shakespeare's other house and gardens. He had two homes, but
he only lived in one until he was seventeen years old.

We are now in London, and have been to see a few of the principal
places. Westminster Abbey is one of the great sights. We saw a
sitting figure of a duchess who died from the effects of lock-jaw,
caused by pricking her finger with a needle, while at needle work on
Sunday.

We also saw St. Paul's Cathedral, where there is a whispering
gallery, so called, because, if you whisper on one side of the
gallery, it may be heard on the other side as distinctly as if you
were over there.

The South Kensington Museum contains a great many curiosities, and
some of the things which Doctor Schliemann has dug up.

The National Art Gallery contains a great many beautiful pictures,
and one room is devoted to Turner's painting