ncient
times, most of the evidences of antiquity have disappeared in modern
progress. It was chosen as the seat of Elizabeth's parliament when the
plague was devastating London. Fragments of the old abbey hall in which
this parliament met still remain and the gateway was restored a few
years ago. Reading offered a stout resistance to the Commonwealth and
suffered severely at Cromwell's hands. Its chief industries today are
biscuit making and seed farming, which give employment to ten thousand
people.

From Reading, a few miles through byways brought us to Eversley, a
retired village five miles from a railway station, where the church and
rectory of Charles Kingsley may be seen. The church is picturesquely
situated on the hillside, with an avenue of fine yew trees leading from
the gate to the door. The building has been altered a good deal since
Kingsley was rector, but the pulpit from which he preached is
practically the same. The rectory, which is directly by the church, is a
very old building, though it has been modernized on the side fronting
the road. It stands in the midst of a group of Scotch firs which were
great favorites with Kingsley. Their branches almost touch the earth,
while their huge trunks form a strong contrast with the dense green of
the foliage. Kingsley and his wife are buried in the churchyard on the
side nearest the firs. The graves are marked by a simple Runic cross in
white marble bearing the names, the date, and the legend, "God is Love."
Eversley and its surroundings are thoroughly typical of rural England. A
quieter and more retired little place could hardly be imagined. One
wonders why the great novelist and preacher spent so many years of his
life here. It may have been that the seclusion was not a little
conducive to his successful literary labors.

Thirty miles farther over main-traveled highways brought us for a second
time to Winchester. Here we stopped for the night after an unusually
long run. An early start soon brought us to Southampton, which is known
everywhere as a port of arrival and departure of great merchant steamers
and which, aside from its commercial importance, is one of the most
ancient and interesting cities in the Kingdom. The most notable relic is
a portion of the Saxon wall, the part known as the "Arcade," built in a
series of arches, being the most remarkable. Close by, in a little
street called Blue Anchor Lane, is a house reputed to have been the
palace of King