Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-01


| of Felicia Hemans. After passing thu
| head of the lake in a short time We
reached Anbleside nesting in a beau
tiful valley surrounded by mountains
| 1t was dark when we alighted at the
Queens Hotel and were made to fee
at home by a dignified lady in an elab
| crate black silk dress. We were al
once taken to pleasant rooms from
which we had fine views of the village
the mountains. and in the distance
Windermere OF all English hotels
with the exception of one, of which
have forgotten the name, at Sevenoaks
near Tunbridge Wells i'll Kent, the
Queens at AmbleSide stands highest
in my estimation. One could not ask
for better kept, more homelike hotel
AS a rule all English and Continsntal
hotels have an air of privacy which Is
very agreeable to a tired traveller
After the head waiter lad shown us
to our rooms and the boots" had
brought up our things and the cham
bermaids had followed with jugs of
hot water we made ourselves present.
able for table d. hote. We found our
companions at dinner tourists like our
selves, and the air was filled with dis
cuSSions about different excursions in
the neighborhood. A fter dinner we
took stroll up and down the prlnci-
pal street, and before going to bed
spent pleasant hour in the drawing
room.
The next day was Sunday and it was
most ZealouSly kept in Ambleside. The
weather was fine and before dinner we
visited the Stockgill Force. very
beautiful tall about seventy feet high.
The volume of water was not very
great but the surroundings were eX-
quSite, the moss covered rocks. the
trailing vines, the delicate foliage of
the trees. and the airy sprays of the
fall itself We afterwards walked
along the highway to Rydal Mount,
once the home of the poet Wordsworth
The house is quite simple and UMPIRE
tending, almost hidden by shrubs and
trees. Here the poet lived some thir-
ty-seven years and died in his eightieth
year. The view from near the house
down the lovely wooded vale of Rothay
towards Windermere is very beautiful
Nab Cottage is not far from Rydal
Mount. Hartley Colerige once lived
there. He also ut ole time, | believe
lived in IIelSton, Cornwall. On oul
way back to Ambleside we noticed be-
hind the Wesleyan chapel "The Knoll,
once the home of Harriet Martineau
Opposite at the base of Longhrigg Fell
we saw Fox Howe where lived Dr.
Arnold, endeared to all boys by means
of Tom Brown at Rugby" Outside
of the interest which its own beauty
creates the lake district of England is
of great interest through its associa
ton with the lives of famous men and
women.
In the evening ! walked down t.
Windermere again, and on the way
back went to the fine church. There
is in it very fine memorial window t
Wordsworth. 1t rained during the
night, but was dry the next morning
| We had ordered our breakfast for I
certain hour but being very tired haC
! oversight ourselves, and were startled
when the waiter came up and announc
| ed i'll piteouS accents that our break
| fast would be quite cold unless we
| hurried. y after breakfast. and a Saun
! ter down the street we found it was
! time for the arrival of the coach from
| BOwncSS, which was to take us to keS
| wick. We left the Queens with regre
! amidst the thanks and farewelS of the
| prOprlt treSS and her servants. The
| boots" had slowed away our luggage
| and now smilingly stood ready to hell
us to our seat beside the coachman
and to receive his tip" We started
off at a good rate of speed stopping
now and then for letters and papers
and now and then delivering them, fo
| the cOachman seemed to play the role
| OF poStman as we'll. At Rydal vii
lage it began to rain Il little We haC
| soon passed "WordSworth'S Seat" by
the roadside, and were Skirting tn,
banks of lovely Rydal Water Gras
| mere came next, and we passed the ole
churchvard where Wordsworth anC
Hartley Coleridge lie buried. A littl,
| further on was the Swan Inn. w,
were told that many years ago from
this humble but famous little inn
trio of amateur mountain climber,
started ont one morning. The tri,
consisted of Sir Walter Scott, Lore
Byron and Shelley. 1t still continued
| to rain a little. but we were well pro
| tected and SO could enjoy the CRANE
scenery. The mountain tops were fol-
nhe most part covered in mist anC
! clouds. but occasionally we could SCI
| their green, uneven, treelesS tops. AT
| ter leaving the Swan Inn we began the
ascent of the Dunmail Raise, pass be
tween Cumberland and Westmsreland
The country was very bleak and bare
! but at every little wayside inn VT
! found a tourist waiting for the coach
After passing the summit of the pass
which is about 500 feet high, we had ;
! fine view of Thirlmere and the noun
tains, Helvellyn and Skiddaw, eact
over 5000 feet in height. Thirlmert
is beautiful little lake, with much
grander surroundings than Winder
mere. After passing it we came upoI
Il lot of men, boys and dogs, securing
| over the green mountain side, after
| hares. Soon we passed by Castle Rock
| the fairy castle of Scott Bride of Tri
ermain" and in about half an hour we
reached the brow of Castle Rigg anC
| had spread before us the lovely vale OF
| Derwent, the town of keswick, anG
| portions of Derwentwater and BaSSen
/ thwaite. IL was an exquisite scene
| Skiddaw and Bleancathara standing VI
well in the distence. The descent Il
! keSwick was very steep and we made
| it in very quick time. We lunched a
| keSwick Hotel, and spent good part
/ of the afternoon in rambling about
| keSwick in the rain. About O'Clock
| We took the train for Penrith, and
were soon out of the hills and noun
| tans of the beautiful lake district. II
! is too bad 10 think that railways are
each year encroaching more and more
on this Switzerland of England. Mr.
| RuSkin, who lives at Coniston, not
/ far from Ambleside, is doing his best
to ward. them off, but is not entirely
successful.
At Penrith we waited few minutes
| for the Edinburgh train. We were socu
off reaching Carlisle AID passing
! through Gretna Green before it grew
dark. Edinburgh was reached soon af-
| ter eight, and from the language of the
/ cabmen ut the station it seemed as if
| we were once more in foreign lands. 1t
was sometimes hard enough 20 under
stand the north of England people. but
Scotch 'cabbieS' that night might as well
have talked Greek TO US. We drove &c
the Royal, just opposite SCOTS monu-
ment. Princes street and the old town
as seen from our windows were twink.
linu with liuhfs The navt m0rninO