were vastly stronger in numbers to-day than ever before in the history
of the world, numbering at the present time twelve millions.
The speaker showed that the decline of Jerusalem was owing to the
comparatively small number of Jews there in later years, and he strongly
advocated their return.
To quote the doctor almost verbatim: “I may be criticised for
criticising Russia. Some may say: ‘Let each country look after its own
affairs, and it will have enough to do. It is none of England’s business
what Russia does,’ but I say it is the business of every civilized
country, of every civilized man; it is your business and my business; it
affects each and every one of us; it hurts you and me, and it is to be
hoped that Great Britain will lift up its voice and use its influence in
behalf of these much injured refugees.”
If this discourse had been especially prepared to deliver before a
strictly and exclusively Jewish assemblage, it could not have been more
complimentary to their people. One of its “points” was thus worded:
“There must be something wrong with that man’s head--with that man’s
heart who despises the Jews.”
Dr. Macgregor has the title of one of Her Majesty’s chaplains; he is a
member of the Hon. Royal Scottish Academy, and a member of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh, but a self-made man withal. He is not ashamed to
acknowledge that his parents were poor and modest. He may have lacked
early advantages, but he certainly has made the best of his later
opportunities. He is a man of fine intellect; a ripe scholar, with broad
and liberal views. His language is choice, and yet the fine phrases and
well selected words seem to follow each other with great ease. His
diction is neither stilted nor is it too simple but that of an
intellectual man who is addressing intelligent people.
His voice, notwithstanding a certain and unmistakable nasal quality, is
penetrating--and his elocutionary powers are great. I was on the last
bench, with my back against the wall, and I heard almost every word. I
could not follow the speaker quickly on account of his strong Scottish
accent--“murdering” became “mu_rr_de_rr_ing,” with a most decided roll
of the _r_, and “Turks” came to me in two syllables, something like
“Turreks,” while “earth” was changed to “airth,” with the _r_ in the
middle by no means slighted.
The speaker’s facial expressions were a study, and his gesticulations at
times strikingly dramatic. He appealed in tender and pathetic tones to
the hearts of his hearers, with hands uplifted as if in supplication,
and then again he would raise his head and fold his arms across his
chest in a Napoleonic, defiant attitude when combating the arguments of
an imaginary adversary.
In fact, he does not seem to be addressing a large audience, but talking
to and debating with but one person, and each person in the congregation
might imagine that he was that one. He takes both sides in the debate,
and makes both effective, but he carries the day for his own because he
is on the side of right.
Dr. Macgregor closed the service with Hymn 117:
Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!
Put on Thy strength, the nations shake;
And let the world, adoring see
Triumphs of mercy wrought by Thee.
When the moderator is in the pulpit you do not notice that he is below
the medium height; only when he steps down, and when you stand by his
side, do you observe that he is small of stature--not much over five
feet. His eye has a most kindly expression, his voice is pleasing in
conversation, and his manner gracious and gentle. The accompanying
portrait is reproduced from a photograph made by John Moffatt, 125
Princes street, Edinburgh.
On the day I had the good fortune to be present, there were in the
congregation many prominent members of the Archæological Society of
Scotland, who were on a temporary visit to Edinburgh, including the
Bishop of Carlisle and the Earl of Percy, heir to the dukedom of
Northumberland.
After the service I had the honor of being presented to Dr. Macgregor by
a member of this society, in “The Moderator’s Room,” so inscribed on the
door. Upon hearing that I was “from the States,” he immediately
expressed his great admiration for the country and its form of
government. He seemed to be well-informed regarding our people and the
country, and said that one of his cherished hopes was to make us a
visit.
[Illustration]
CROSSING THE CHANNEL.
There are many ways of “crossing” between the Continent and the English
coast, or _vice versa_. The best steamers between England and Holland
are those which go from Rotterdam to Harwich. Harwich (Anglice,
Harridge) is about a two hours’ run up to London. I have tried the
different ways of crossing from the French coast to England--via
Newhaven and Dieppe, Folkstone and Boulogne, and Calais and Dover. The
last route is by far the best. It would be preferred over all others, if
for only one reason, because it is the shortest, the English Channel
being “disagreeable” at least one half the year. The Calais and Dover
boats are advertised to make the trip between the two points “in seventy
minutes,” and they do actually make it in one hour and a quarter. The
other routes are much longer. No small craft that ply on the English
waters are as beautiful in their appointments as our Hudson river boats,
or those for instance of the Fall River line, but they are staunch and
swift, and they are manned by as brave a set of seamen as ever trod a
deck. The English boats are proof against wind and wave, the only danger
being from fire or fog, but as they are officered by skillful and
experienced navigators, and are very carefully handled, the danger is
reduced to a minimum.
PARIS HOTELS.
Paris is not in the least behind other cities in the number of its
hotels nor in the variety of accommodations offered. Your choice must
depend first upon the length of your purse; second, upon the length of
your stay; third, the purpose of your visit. The number in the party and
their individual tastes and requirements must also be taken into
account.
I have not passed near so much time in Paris as in London. The most I
can do is to suggest a few of the choicest hotels and _pensions_ with
which I am acquainted, giving their rates and distinctive features.
For information as to Where to Dine in Paris I must refer the reader to
a chapter further on, entitled “The Restaurants of Paris,” by that
facile magazinist and connoisseur in many arts, Mr. Theodore Child. It
first appeared in a book entitled “Living Paris,” which was published in
London three years ago by Ward & Downey, and is the most complete and
comprehensive Guide to Paris I have ever seen.
THE GRAND HOTEL.
The Grand Hotel is one of the largest and most expensive. It is grand in
size; grand in appointments. It is not a cheap house in any sense of
that term, and possibly for that reason is largely patronized by
Americans. The building occupies a square block facing that magnificent
street, l’Avenue de l’Opéra, diagonally across from the Grand Opera
House. It encloses a large courtyard with fountains and parterres. The
_caves_ of the Grand are ranked as one of the sights of Paris; they are
stocked with the choicest of wines. Rooms from six francs per day: table
d’hôte dinner, seven francs.
HOTEL CONTINENTAL.
The Continental, on the corner of the rue de Rivoli and rue Castiglione,
is opposite the gardens of the Tuileries. Near by are Hotel des
Invalides, the Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower and other interesting
buildings. It is large and elegant--grander than the Grand. The grounds,
with the structure and furnishing are said to have cost a few millions
of francs, and it may be readily believed. Some of the rooms are
palatial in size, furniture and decorations.
The rates at the Continental are a little lower than at the Grand. They
range all the way from five francs to thirty-five francs per day for
room; lights and attendance extra. Breakfast of coffee, chocolate or tea
with rolls, from one to two francs; breakfast proper, or _déjeuner à la
fourchette_, five francs, wine and coffee included. Table d’hôte dinner,
seven francs. At all Paris hotels wine is included in the charge for
dinner, but at the Continental on Sundays, champagne as well as _vin
ordinaire_ is served free, but not, as in the case of the latter, in
unlimited quantity.
HOTEL MEURICE.
Smaller than these two hotels and for that reason thought by some to be
more select is the Hotel Meurice, in rue de Rivoli. It is near rue
Castiglione and opposite the Tuileries gardens, altogether a beautiful
location. Issuing from the handsome courtyard and turning to the left, a
few minutes walk brings you to the Palais Royal and the Louvre
galleries; or turning to the right a few steps bring you past the hotel
Continental, to Place de la Concorde and the Champs Élysées. It may seem
strange to those who have not lived in continental hotels, to note that
the hotel Meurice is scrupulously clean. You observe this in its
beautiful courtyard, in its handsome dining-room and in the neatly kept
bedrooms.
The hotel is patronized by leading New York families and by the best
English society, and it ranks as does the Brunswick or the Victoria in
New York. The _cuisine_ of the house is famous and its cellars contain
rare wines. Hotel Meurice was established in 1815 and its present
proprietor has kept it for more than thirty years. If your stay in Paris
is to cover a week or more, you--and especially the ladies of your
party--will find this hotel a thoroughly agreeable place of sojourn;
Baedeker counsels avoiding the largest hotels if you are accompanied by
ladies. Hotel Meurice has electric light, and new plumbing was put in a
few years ago. It accommodates two hundred guests. Single rooms from
five francs per day; apartments from fifteen to one hundred francs.
Table d’hôte dinner, at six P.M., six francs. Proprietor, H. Schëurich;
address, 228 rue de Rivoli.
HOTEL CHATHAM.
Hotel Chatham is justly famed as one of the most elegantly appointed of
Paris hotels. I have known it for twenty years, and for twenty-five
years it has been the temporary home of travellers of all
nations,--those who demand the best hotel accommodations. Hotel Chatham
occupies a central location, near the Opéra, rue de la Paix, the
theatres, and the best shopping streets. Once inside the house, however,
and an air of tranquility reigns that is in marked contrast to the busy
life of the city, in the midst of which the hotel is situated. The first
feature of the Hotel Chatham that attracts attention is the large,
light, and spacious courtyard, fifty by one hundred feet. It makes an
impression that gains in favor when you see the apartments. The grand
salon, the reading-room and café look out upon this courtyard, which is
embellished with plants and flowers.
The sleeping apartments are beautifully furnished, have plenty of light
and good ventilation. There are elegant suites, also choice single and
double rooms. The decorations are in good taste. In the best apartments
the walls are not hung with paper, but are covered with stuffs--a
mixture of worsted and soft silks. Hot and cold water on every floor.
Two features especially commend themselves to those who are acquainted
with foreign hotels; there are two Otis elevators, and the house is
lighted throughout by electricity--shedding a light in the rooms, not of
one _bougie_, but of twenty. The cuisine represents the perfection of
the culinary art, and the wine-cellars are celebrated for their famous
vintages.
The Hotel Chatham is the home of the best people and many Americans
annually seek its hospitality. The Harpers, for instance, members of the
great publishing house, are among its regular guests. The present
proprietor is M. H. Holzschuch, son of the late owner, under whom the
house acquired its wide fame. Hotel Chatham is at 17 and 19 rue Daunou,
between rue de la Paix and Boulevard des Capucines.
HOTEL BINDA.
Everybody in Paris knows the Hotel Binda, and it is known by a great
many people who have never been in Paris. With New Yorkers the house is
a favorite because it is kept by Mr. Charles Binda who for years was
manager of Delmonico’s, and this settles at once and satisfactorily the
important question of _cuisine_. The house was opened in 1878. It is
solidly built of stone, five stories high, and is an imposing structure.
It stands in rue de l’Echelle, on a corner of the avenue de l’Opéra, the
principal business street of Paris, and probably the handsomest shopping
street in the world. It is most conveniently located for the principal
places of interest--the Grand Opera, Palais Royal, the Louvre galleries,
etc. One minute’s walk brings you to the rue de Rivoli, that wide open
street, one side of which is flanked by the open and beautiful gardens
of the Tuileries.
If in the heat of a summer day in walking to Place Vendome or to the
Champs Élysées, you wish to avoid sunny rue de Rivoli, shade is at your
very door in the narrow but picturesque rue St. Honoré, which, with its
little shops, its hotels, old churches, etc., is a feature of outdoor
life in Paris.
The Grand Opera is at the other end of the Avenue de l’Opéra, a short
walk. But omnibuses pass the door, by which you can reach any part of
Paris at the expense of a few sous. And, for that matter, it is only a
thirty-cent cab fare to the Grand Opera, to the offices of the American
Minister, Whitelaw Reid, in Avenue Hoche, or to the Anglo-American Bank
on the corner of Chaussée d’Antin and rue Meyerbeer. _Cocher_ will go
fast enough if by the course and slow enough (too slow) if by the hour.
Instead of a courtyard such as many hotels in Paris have, and which in
some cases are useless, the space on the ground floor is used by the
Binda for a grand, glass-enclosed reception and reading-room,
beautifully lighted by day and by night. There is also a grand
drawing-room and a smoking-room, which unlike the dingy rooms turned
over to the use of men in some English hotels is, in the Binda, a very
bright and attractive apartment.
All the apartments are comfortably and tastefully furnished, but some of
the rooms are furnished in palatial style. There are baths on every
floor and some rooms have running water. Of course there are electric
lights and an _ascenseur_, Anglice “lift.” But for all its grandeur, one
may live at the Binda at moderate cost.
If you know about how wide you wish to open your purse in selecting
apartments you can tell as precisely as you could in an American hotel
how much your bill will amount to for a stay of five days or five weeks.
Single rooms may be had from seven to twelve francs per day; double
rooms from fourteen to thirty francs. Special rates, lower than these,
are made to guests remaining a length of time. Here is the tariff for
the dining-room: Plain breakfast (tea or chocolate) 1f. 50c., about 30
cents; table d’hôte dinner, served at separate tables, 6f., servant’s
board 6f. per day. No charge is made for attendance.
That Charles Binda is proprietor is guarantee that the table is equal to
the Cambridge in New York, or the Albemarle in London, and these satisfy
the most fastidious. Mr. Binda is famous for his _cuisine_, but he
prides himself most upon the quality of his guests. He demands that
above and beyond everything else his house shall be select, and it is so
in the fullest sense. You may meet crowned heads and princes there. Hon.
Thomas L. James, one of New York’s honored and honorable citizens, with
his charming family, stayed at the Binda while he was in Paris last
summer, and I also saw Judge Dittenhoefer, the family of Vice-Consul
Hooper, and other well-known Americans in the reading-room. Yes, the
Binda is a select family hotel. Address No. 11 rue de l’Echelle.
HOTEL ANGLO-FRANÇAIS.
There are several comparatively small but decidedly pleasant hotels in
rue Castiglione--Hotel Liverpool, Hotel Balmoral and Hotel
Anglo-Français. The last-named is especially to be commended for its
choice location, the comfort and cleanliness of its rooms, its
appetizing cuisine, and its remarkably moderate charges. It is in rue
Castiglione, directly opposite the Continental; two blocks one way from
the Column Vendome, two blocks from the Place de la Concorde, near the
Champs Élysées, and only a few hundred feet from the beautiful gardens
of the Tuileries.
Like the majority of Paris hotels, the Anglo-Français is entered by a
court-yard, but unlike some of them, the ventilation and lighting of the
house are good. It has ample room for more than one hundred guests, and
they can be made very comfortable.
The house is kept on the American as well as on the European plan. If
you adopt the system which prevails abroad, you may hire a single room
as low as four francs per day, or a double room from seven francs per
day; breakfast, three francs; luncheon, four francs; table d’hôte
dinner, six francs. This figure includes good wine in _quantum
sufficit_, as a medical man might say. As at nearly all Continental
hotels, “service” is charged. In this instance it is one franc per day;
and you pay for lights--item seventy-five centimes, about fifteen cents.
But if you wish to be relieved of all this detail and save the bother of
reckoning, you can stay at the Anglo-Français, and your whole bill per
day for board, lodging, lights, wine, etc., will be the moderate sum of
fifteen francs (three dollars), which, considering the appointments of
the house, the excellent table and the attention you receive, is an
uncommonly low rate.
The proprietor is a gentleman of decidedly pleasant and courteous
manners, who, having lived in England for twenty years, is perfectly at
home in the English language as well as his native tongue.
If you desire to mix with an ultra-fashionable set, the Bristol is your
house; if you want to see and be with Americans only, then select the
Grand. The Continental is the place for those who would feast their eyes
on palatial salons: at the Anglo-Français you will get into the company
of good people from different countries, you can be quiet and
comfortable and made to feel at home, as is to be expected in a smaller
house. Moreover, your purse will be lightly drawn upon in accordance
with the figures given above. Proprietor, Paul Vargues; address, No. 6
rue Castiglione.
HOTEL DE LILLE ET D’ALBION, in rue St. Honoré is not a very large house,
but it is ranked among the best, although its charges are quite
moderate. It has baths, lift, electric light and English billiard
tables, its modern contrivances including telephonic communication with
the leading European cities. The sanitary arrangements are said to be
perfect. The location is central for shopping, for places of amusement
and points of interest, being near Place Vendome, Tuileries Gardens and
the Opera. Mail address, 223 rue St. Honoré: telegraph address,
Lillalbion, Paris.
HOTEL BRISTOL AND HOTEL DU RHIN both front on the Place Vendome; you
can’t miss them: they are near the tall and graceful Column Vendome
which pierces the sky from the centre of the square. There is no
question as to the excellence of either of these houses. Both are
patronized by a select class of patrons; the former is the home of the
Prince of Wales when he visits Paris.
HOTEL LIVERPOOL is patronized by the Astors. To Americans this
information conveys more than could be detailed in a whole page of
description. It is situated at 11 rue Castiglione, a wide and
fashionable thoroughfare leading from Place Vendome to the Tuileries
Gardens. The house was recently newly fitted up and has a hydraulic
lift. There are large apartments for families making a more or less
prolonged stay; smaller apartments for transient guests.
HOTEL DE L’ATHÉNÉE. Of hotels just as select as any of those mentioned,
there are a score or more. Among them may be mentioned the Hotel de
l’Athénée, 15 rue Scribe. It was recently enlarged, the whole of the
Théâtre de l’Athénée having been added, and the former dining-room is
now converted into a reading room. There are two bath-rooms on each
floor. The appointments include a parlor, a reading room, a restaurant a
la carte, and two private dining-rooms. There are 180 rooms in all,
which rent from four francs to twenty francs a day, but there are not
very many rooms in the house at four francs.
DES DEUX MONDES.--A comfortable family hotel, newly and tastefully
furnished, is the Hotel des Deux Mondes, 22 Avenue de l’Opéra, facing
full south. The charges are moderate and the table d’hôte good.
PRINCE ALBERT.--If price alone is a recommendation there is the Hotel du
Prince Albert, 5 rue St. Hyacinthe, near the Tuileries. Rooms from 2
francs 50 centimes per day with even lower terms for the winter. The
house seeks American patronage.
HOTEL BRIGHTON, 218 rue de Rivoli. Rooms from 6 francs per day:
breakfast, 2 francs, dinner 7 francs. Proprietor, A. Bastianello.
HOTEL CAMPBELL.--This favorite house with an English name has changed
hands, lately. Arthur Geissler is the new proprietor. It is at 61 and
63 Avenue de Friedland, a pleasant and fashionable location, near the
grand drive of the Champs Élysées. The house is in a healthy condition
and the rates are moderate, Hotel Campbell is easy to find; it is close
to the Arc de Triomphe.
[Illustration]
PENSIONS OF THE FIRST CLASS.
But you are not forced to patronize any hotel, large or small; there are
many very delightful _pensions_ or boarding houses in Paris. These some
people prefer, if their party includes ladies, or if they intend to make
a protracted stay. A few of these _pensions_ are presided over by
American women.
THE LAFOND combines some of the best features of hotel and _pension_. It
is at 14 rue de la Tremoille, near the Champs Élysées. It is called “a
comfortable American home,” and is made all the more comfortable by
having a lift. Rates for two persons in one room, with three meals per
day, 18 to 30 francs per day; single rooms, 10 to 15 francs per day;
children and servants, half rates. These figures include all charges;
the American plan. If you prefer the European plan, these rates
prevail--breakfast, two to four francs; luncheon, three francs: dinner
at 7 P.M., five francs. Cable address, Lafhotel, Paris.
HOTEL DE DIJON is situated in rue Canmartin, between the Opéra and the
Madeleine. It is a family _pension_, and the charges range from 7 to 10
francs per day, according to rooms. Soirées are held every Friday with
music, singing and dancing. The table d’hôte is good; there are reading,
smoking and bath-rooms.
THE VAN PELT PENSION at 69 Boulevard St. Michel is kept by Mrs. E. L.
Van Pelt, a Philadelphia woman who took with her to Paris the best
American references. This place has many features which commend it to
the stranger in Paris. Its location, facing the Luxembourg Gardens, is
near the famous art schools and the Sorbonne, where free lectures are
given, thus making this a desirable residence for students. It is within
easy access by omnibus, cab or train to all parts of Paris and environs.
The house stands on a corner, and all the rooms are exposed to the sun
and air. A balcony surrounds the first floor. French is the language of
the household, and a chaperon accompanies ladies to lectures, etc. There
is a separate table for those who prefer to speak English.