The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-03-03

'> ~ 'N'"N oatoNe tley EGlulneu IN yorkshire, mad
now Increased to such degree to have submerged
many o. the fields and orchards that lay at very
short distance from the Hall ''Wiars, - with Ital-
ian fronts and little green houses at the side, took
post all along the road, and from the open windows
sounded IN summer evenings the Battle Of Prague, or
God save the king, that you walked amidst per-
petual music, for no house was 80 ungentee rs 10
be without piano. Surbridge Hall tselr ran a great
risk of becoming suburban villa at no distant time;
and Mr. Wilkins in some hopes that his family
would allow him to consider himself an inhabitant o.
London once more, and no longer doomed him to the
cold nothingness Of squireshp and gentilty. But
whether they might have reened in this respect can
never be known; for while he meditating re-
newni Of his acquaintance with his tate purtner and
an occasional dive into Riches Court, he changed his
bed at the Hall for the family vault (nevly builD in
Surbridge church, and his great coat and rding-whip
for Roman toga and long gilt baton, with which ne
pointed to heaven from the top Of splendid monu-
ment near the south wall Richard now succeeded
to the family honors; and as he had married Miss
Gliugham- "A name which he preferred to the an
cesral appellaon; he did her tho hoBsr take it to
hmselfsnd duly enrolled in the list Of Justice as
Wilkins GIllinghum, Esq. His son was sent to
Christ Church. and his three daughters to n fashiona
BILE boarding school, His mother and sisters retired
to Tunhridge Wells, and they all begin to persuade
themselves that Surbridge had been in the family
from the time Of the Conquest. BY way Of strength
enng their claims TO county consideration, it was
wisely determined oppose the building invasion rs
powerfully rs they could. Several farms and fields
bought, plantations were skruily placed two
three feet added the height Of the walls an
round the property; aud it was hoped that im-
preston made in the advancing architectural en-
emy for in the speculative year Of 1919, dozen or
two Of builders removed to the QUEENS Bench,
and whole rows Of houses left looking up to
heaven, in vain expectation Of roof Wilkins Gil.
lingham served tho office Of High Sheriff, caught
sureit in entertaining the Judges. and in few weeks
give place To his heir. Augustus had passed two
years at Oxt0rd-hud then married a beauty-,he
daughter Of country surgeon by the name Of How
ard and he inherited his fathers taste along with
his property, he changed his family name and poor
old Widow Wilkins, who still survived, envened
the table Of the Wells with anecdotes and descrip-
tionsof her grandson, Gjliinghan Howard. Death
seemed entirely have forgotten the original Will
kns She stood ike an ancient pillar to point out
where the budiug il once belonged TO was placed:
and was looked upon by her descendants pretty nuch
Is a native American looks upon a venerable squaw,
Of some Indian natisn-the connecting link between
New York and the woods. The widow wns tie sole
part Of union left between Surbridge Hall and Riches
Court. Whether her grandson did not relish the
"reminiscences, from what cause no one can hazard
more than guess, certain it Is that the death of
hs wife, who left him with two daughters, four or
five years old, he did not summon his venerable an
from the Wells, but installed of her daugh
ters Aunt Susannah-in the Temporary charge of his
house. BY some secret arrangement, into the
of which we have time to inquire, such change
took place in Aunt Susannuh, that though she left
Tunbrdge, having secured her place in the inside of
the coach in the Of Miss ;. wilkins she was
brought from London in Mr Howard 3 carriage in
the of Miss 5. GiInsham; and there
person ofthe of Wilkins in the whole CT the
establishment. Aunt Susannah not person
hesitate long as to change Of name. II had been
the whole object Of her life, till fve-and thirty years
Of disappointment had almost made her despair of
succeeding in her object by the help Of specinI IL
cense or vulgar banns and she accordingly
made scrupe in adopting the more euphonious
Dillingham;, and sinking all meRtion OF the other Mr.
Gillingham Howard followed the example Of his pre-
dcsessors. He was a bona tide county gentleman,
with the drawback his otherwise stupendous
specability of being the greatest drawer ofthe long
bow since the days Of Mendez Pinto.
lie added two feet TO the height of
the boundary wall, and bought all the disposabIe land
round his estate but if he had transpanted couple
Of miles, of the Chinese wall to Surbrdge he could
have kept off .ie intrusion of the barbarian
villa builders than the Ceestals have been able
shut the pushing, busting, active energetic
undesirable individuals from the Flowery land. Ar
chtecture went on, and now the gigantic city had
struck her majestically either hip that
of her elbows actually came into contact with the
park of Surbrdge Hall. There gentle eleva-
tOnLn those fiat regions honored with the name Of
hilI-whch lay at one side Of the Surbrdge lands -
It was a beautifully wooded little property Of thirtyor
forty acres which it had always been the ambition OF
the 5urbridgs to buy; but it was so involved
with lawsuits doubtful titles that 1t had hitherto
been impossible TO get possession of it for love or
money. The upper part Of it rose high above the
glades Of SuTbridge park, and the cump of on
the summit formed a very fine object in the view
from the drawing room windows. It was all laid
down in the richest pasture, and would have formed