Belle Skinner Journal Sunday, August 28, 1887
XLIV
Sunday, Aug. 28
Our first day in London. This morning we went to the Foundling Hospital Church and were immensely interested in every thing. The Foundlings were seated on either side of the organ, the girls on one side, the boys on the other. After service, we went to the girls dining hall and watched them come into dinner two by two, all stand with folded hands while some one of them said Grace aloud, and then climb over the long wooden bench, each to her own seat. The tables were set with a knife, fork, cup and piece of bread for each. No table cloth. The meat was served at the heads of the tables by matrons and was passed around by six of the largest girls. We stayed here a few moments, then looked into the boys dining-room, exactly the same, and then went through their Art Gallery. After this we went through the Dormitories. Everything was painfully neat and clean, but very interesting.
This afternoon Father, Queen and I went to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Queen and I could hardly “grasp” its tremendous size. Canon Liddon preached, but we were unable to hear a word of either the sermon or service. The crowd of people there was enormous. The singing was beautiful. Coming out of the Cathedral we walked around to Newgate Prison, and saw the place were executions were formerly performed. Then we went on farther, and saw the house were Dr. Samuel Johnson used to live and also the old Cheshire Cheese Inn he used to frequent. Then we came back to the hotel quite tired out.
