Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-08-05
Loaded Dice,
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

Some years ago, l made tour
through some Of the southern coun-
ties OF England, with a friend. We
travelled in an open carriage, stop
ping fora few hoars, a day, or week,
as it might be, wherever there was
anything to be seen; and we general
y got through one stage before
breakfast, becauseit gave our horses
rest, ourselves the chance. Of enjoy
ing the brown bread, new milk, and
fresh eggs Of those country roadside
inns, which are fast becoming subjects
for archaeological Investigation.
One evening my friend said, TO
morrow we viii breakfast at t
| want 80 inquire about family
named Lowell, who used to live there;
I I met the husband and wife, and two
lovely children, one summer at E1-
mouth. We become very intimate.
and | thought them particularly in
fteresting people, but | have never
seen them since.
H The next mornings sun shone as
brightly as heart could desire, and
after a delightful drive, we reached
/ the outskirts Of the town about nine
O'Clock.
'oh, what pretty inn said I, as
Awe approached small white house
( With a sign swinging in front Of it
and a flower garden on one side.
/ Stop, John, cried my friend, we
ishaII get a much cleaner breakfast
| Here than in town, / dare sly; and i
| There is anything to be seen there
/ we can walk to it So We alighted
land were. shown into a neat little par
ilor, with white curtains, where an I'M
exceptionable rural breakfast wa:
Isoon placed befd re US
! Pray, do you know anything Of I
family called . oyell9' inquired my
friend, whose n; me by the way, waf
| Markham. M !. Lowell was a cler
lIgy.man.
yes ma m al n Bwerod the girl who
| lattended us, apparently the landlord
daughter, MIR. Lowell is the vicar o.
our parish.
Indeed and does he live ncar
here!'
| yes nam, he lives at the vicar
Iage. 1t is just down the lane op
p@site, about a quarter of a milt
! from here; or you can go Rcross tht
ifelds, if you please, to where yol
l.see that tower. It's close by there.
And which,is the pleasantest road?
Inquired Mrs, Markham.
We'll, ma IN, | think BY the field
/ is the pleasantest, if you don't mint
la stile or two; and, besides, You &c
ithe best view of the Abbey, by go
ling that way
| is that tower We see a part OF th'
| Abbey?'
/ sYes MAN, answered the gin
and the vicarage is just the oth9
side of it.
Armed with these instructions, Q
| soon as We had finished Our breakfast
we started across the fields, and, al
| ter a pleasant walk of twenty min
utes, we found ourselves in an 81
ehurchyard, among cluster of th
most picturesque ruins We had eve
seen. With the EXCEPTION OF th
gray tower, which had doubtless bee
the bellry, the remains were not cor
siderable. There was the outer wa
!. of the channel, and the broken ste
| that had led to the high altar-a an
there were sections df aisles, an
| part of a cloister, all gracefully te;
\ tooned with moses a hd ivy; Will
mingled with the grass sEgrown grave
\ Of The prosaic dead, tbPre e were tn
], massive tombs Of the D.. me Marge
rvs and the Sir Hildebfah hds of NOR
romantic periods All was ruin an
decay. But such poetic ruin-suc
picturesque decay! nd, just be
vond the tall great tower, there wa
the loveIiest, smiling little gardeHl
and the prettiest cottage that lma2
nation could picture. The day va
so bright, the grass So gTeen' e. =
flowers SO gay. the air sd balmy, wit
tbeir sweet perfumes the birds san
50 cheerily in the apple and cherr
;, trees. that all nature seemed rejoi'
ing
AEeI,' said my friend, as|she sea
ed herself on the fragm ment OF a n