Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-20
JENNY LrNDs HOME.
The Swedish NightingaIe's Retreat at
winds Point England.
To~Ion uorTg

A~v-ttttN WNfeLs
Since Jenny Lind-GOldschmidt left
Wimbledon she has resided more or less
at Malvern, and in the summer Of last
year she bought the house at Burstner's
Cross, which was erected a few years ago
/ by a Capt. johnson. who blasted away
the rocks which be hurled down the great
gully which forms the southeastern de-
Tense of the great camp of the Hereford
shire Beacon. The house is built in this
rocky quarry. Fine shrubs grow around
it. There are pleasant walks, sheltered
from the bleak north and south winds.
which here, some thousand feet above the
sea-leyel, swirl and rave at will. From the
house can be heard at times the innocent
revelry at Peter Pockets humble hostel
~, so well known to tourists. The climb
ers over the old ramparts can look down
on this pleasant house with its green
verandas. The students Of the earth's
crust, the incipient MurchisOns, Sedg-
wicks and Lyells look wistfully at the
rude pillar of dark stone left by the quar-
Tymen in the grounds; for it is the core
Of the hills-a specimen of Laurentian
gneiss, a relic of the primeYal land, the
oldest stratified rock which has been up
heayed by the eruption which formed the
PlutOnic ridge which forms the Malvern
chain Of hills. 1t was cOnsummate taste
that led our nightingale to this nest. There
Is no place in England where such scene
~, such surroundings and such assOcia-
tons can be found blended in one har-
mOniOus whole. The Weald OF Kent
might vie with the eastern view; but you
have to 90 further atield to match the
western slopes. From the Forest of Dean
to the Black Mountains, from Robin
Hoods butts to the far-Off SalOpian hills,
is the orchard land Of observation-disclosures OF
land, washed and escarped by ancient
seas. AS you gaze on this scene from the
almost CyclOpean famparts, you are re-
minded that at your feet a golden crown
was found. lost in some combat for the
possession Of these heights. On the
slopes in the mid-distance Prince Edward
LOngshanks escaped from his captOrs af-
ter the battle of Lewes. You can see the
site Of Wigmore, where Mortimer, Earl
of March, awaited him. You can see the
line of his march to circumvent the great
Earl Of Leicester, as well as the Green
Hills Of Eyesham, where the father of Eng
lish Parlaments lost his life On these
hills lurked Owen GlendOwer in the lat
ter years Of his life. Through this pass
in the hills marched Edward of York to
fulfill his vow made on yOn victorious
field at MOrtimer's Cross. The little
church peepng through the trees has yet
some of the relics of that VOW. That
church, too, has history: and in the
house adjacent are preserved the travel
ing trunk and some Of the garments of
| Catherine of Arragon. 1t seems strange
that they should have found a home here,
for only few miles further Wolsey him
self was a chaplain to the Nanfans, and
be fell under the course of the shadow of
| the RaggedstOne Hill" At the reforma-
ton the little priory below was given to
the Russell who had attended Catherine
at himbOlton, as reward for his SER
vices; and the Queen gave him, as a
token of remembrance, her coverlet, her
trunk, and her 'wig-boX." Had this lat
ter article anything to do with the Refor-
nation!
What a broad expanse greets the eye of
Jenny Lind as she chances over this old
ledtiled church tower! She can see the
scene of another Queens misfortune, for
the "bloOdy meadow" of pewkesbury,
and TeWkesbury itself, are conspicuous
~ visible, where Margaret of AnjOu met
the GROWING sorrow of her life. Beyond
are Gloucester. and Cheltenham, with the
whole range of the COtswOlds with their
outlying OOlitic islands of Bredon and
Neon. By these Shakespeare's Avon
meanders, and we get a glimpse of the
Warwickshire Vale. Even the beacon
tower that gave forth its lurid light to tell
the anxious Parliament in London that
Charles had not been victorious in the
fight at Edgehill is seenat fitfuI moments
from hence. 1t was the first battle of the
cIyil wars-the last was fought, within
sight, at WOrcester-and on that fatal Sd
Of September a belt of fire burst forth
from a woody ridge which fringes the
faithful city," and the Second Charles
fed with a few companions to the old
forest OF BrewOOd, to return disguised as
groom by that Neon hill we can see,
with Lady Jane riding behind him.
A burst of melody comes through the
trees from the NIghtingale's Nest. We
sare at once removed from the past to the
present; yet one conjures up as many
memories as the other. With pure air,
pure water-With "half kingdom bathed
in light" as Mary Hewitt sings, lying at
her feet-we leave Jenny Lind at home,
with every prospect of happiness in the
autumn Of her days.