The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-08
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'T1HE sPlEN1DzsTRANeER,

Thirty years ago there were still
stage-coaches between London and
Lowminster; and III the early dusk
Of spring and autumn, in the. misty
darkness Of winter, and in the rosy
western sunshine Of Summertime; the
music of guards horn and the rattle
Of the wheels used to sound cheerily
in the sleepy rural street, where the
upper stories of the quaint old houses
projected over the narrow pavement,
and where, there. sere more steeply-
sloping roots, narroE-peaked gables,
and diamond-paned% easements than
in any other town! III 8 Midlandshire.
In those days the modern builder had
done nothing to disturb the pleasant
air of antiquity that pervaded the
High Street, and harmonized we'll
with the gray old Gothic cross in the
Market Place. and splendid gloom
of the cathedral-a noble pile which
lay little way off the town, and was
surrounded by half a dozen low ramb-
ling dwelling-houses, with queerly-
shaped old gardens shut in from the
outer world by walls so ponderously
built that the brick in their many
buttresses would have served for the
building of a whole terrace of modern
houses. These curious and spacious
habitations belonged for the most part
to the ecclesiastical dignitaries of the
place, whose quiet existence was chief.
y spent under the shadow Of the old
cathedral, and who were regarded as
q superior race Of beings BY. the: hum
bier townsfolk. Altogether, low
minister was a comfortable we'll l-to:do
kind If place i; and for the weary
wayfarer who came thither from the
press and turmoil of buster. scenes,
the sleepy out-ofthe-world air of the
old cathedral town was apt to have a
soothing influence as refreshing as the
cool breath of ocean breezes to the
wanderer from sandy: desert. Be-
yond the town there were low fertile
meadows and winding trout-streanmls,
and narrow lanes where. the hedges
grow high and wild, and where there
was 2 wealth of dog-roses and honey
euckle in the summertime; and, here
and nd there a gray ivy-grown old tam Fl a;
house, or water-mill. with the mil.
ler's comfortable cottage nestling. be;
side it, came suddenly upon: the pc:
destrian, inspiring him with the fancy
that life must be pleasant and peace.
full in these out-of-the-way hooks, and
that time must here glide softly by in
unison with the murmur of the drip
ping water, and the far-away sound Of
the cathedral bells, like poem set to
solemn music.
There Was one particular miller
who lived avery little way out Of the
town, at the end Of a rustic lane: be;
hind the cathedral-a lane that was
Just broad 4 enough for. his wagons, biil
in which two vehicles could not pas
each other without damage to one ot
the hedges The cottage was one o1
the prettiest; in the neighborhood o!
Lowminster, q low white building
with a good deal Of ponderous timbe,
about it painted black, and with rose.
and honeysuckle growing almost as
high as the chimneys. There was 8
rustic porch covered. with: jasmine
and clematis, and opening straight in
to the everyday sitting-room; and
there were many long low diamond:
paned easements, with broad ledges
on which were always jars Of flowers
| Close beside the cottage flowed 8
broad deep stream, quite q young riv
er in its way, in which the great mill
whill went slowly round with a creak
| ing noise in the still summer. morn
ings. Farther off in the meadows
! through which it took: its winding
way this stream. was renowned fol
trout, and MIR. Baxter was in the hab
it Of letting q parlor and bedroom oc
casionally to any. gentlemanly angle!
WIG g g came that that way. The house :lxaa' Il
teo large for the requirement. s e1t of JS0', q
Baxter and his two daughters,7 ~
tie miller was not rich enough + M.to B
indiHerent to any small profit i i ia
might BE- be made IN this manner.
az1sOne mida,umimeerr morning N full thirt!
years yea ago5 ga . ! gentleman came ' to 70, tn
cottage With bis rod upon: bis should