The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-17

oPSohS VI eAC 1CotiCoouCoo VI 9Oulil, Willie
close at hand in the village churchyard we
find the same letters cut in marble telling ex-
actly when the knife or the pen fell from the
stiffened fingers. Being abundantly satisfied
with our mornings labor, we were glad to
release the vicar, who, we fancied, was be-
coming rather FESTIVE in his dark corner
whence his keen eye kept constant sur
VIGILANCE upon our movements. Bidding
goodbye, and taking with us pleasant rec
objection of the vicar and his good lady in
their charming little nest we marched a
quickstep over the hills, without once stop
ping to take breath or look at the pleas
ing pictures, which had delighted us in the
morning, that we might catch the train to
Taunton, whence we were to take fresh
start for Bristol, the centre from which we
could radiate to trace the Gorges. When
fairly settled in Bristol, we deferred seeing
the lions of the city to drive at once to Wrax-
all, the birthplace Of Sir Ferdinando Gorges
This manor houseis one of those retired es-
tates about which cling the associations Of
generations, and which makes a republican
at first sight mourn over the instability of
the homesteads in his own land but this is
fieeting thought, since fair balancing of
the good and bad in both systems. must con-
vince anyone, that for the good OF the great
er part and the longer time, our system has
less evils than that which reserves these
grand old manors for the favored few. The
family church stands in quiet corner of the
park. The mound Of rocks, surmounted by
pillar of rude granite remains, unchanged,
qYQQnt for "a nc of &ba
whice fell by the destructive hands of Crom-
wells army. just inside of the door stands
the rude baptismal font, in which Sir Ferdi-
nando must have been christened. How cas-
lily the imagination could picture him lad,
hurrying to overtake the elder and more de-
mure members Of the household on their
way across the lawn to attend morning
prayers, or later on, when more dignified
and ambitious young man, we might fancy
him assisting in the ceremonies of the church
fetes In very ancient times, the priests,
nuns and villagers made gorgeous process
sions, bearing lighted candles and chanting
hymns as they marched from the church to
perform their vows and offer prayers before
these runic crosses, which originally stood
in every churchyard. In the same days
drive visit was paid to Ashton Phillips or
Long Ashton, which he owned in later life,
and where he was buried. At the time of
his death, the country was distracted with
civil war, when many families were too
deeply concerned with politics, and the well
fare of their estates to erect monuments to
their dead. This is probably the reason why
Sir Ferdinando remains to-day unhonored
by monumental pile. The Mansion house
which was built by Sir Ferdinando, has un-
dergone many changes since his time, but is
still comfortable home for the proprietor
and stands in the centre of rich estate. The
chapel in which he and his children often
worshipped has fallen into sad decay, and is
condemned in its last days to so base use as
a cider cellar.
In Bristol the oldest thing that is pointed
out to the stranger is the Norman tower of
st. Peters church; but to us corner of the
interior was the most interesting part, where
stands monument, grand affair in its day,
to Robert Aldworth and his wife. Like most
of the danes, she is represented as meek
looking woman, SAYING prayers for herself
and her lordly spouse, who is decked out in
gaudy robes and all the paraphernalia of his
mayorship, and is apparently very much
pulled with the dignity of his Office. Be-
meath the figures are his ships and the sun,
moon and north star, to tell the stranger that
his commercial enterprises encompassed the
wide seas, and his navigators were guided
in their course by the heavenly constella-
tons. His mansion is hard by the gate,
very picturesque old domicile, with large
bartizan windows, held up ON the heads and
shoulders of carved men and women, very
Venetian in their character. 1t is now oc-
cupied by the various officials of the NUM-
cipal government, who are engaged in the
of tithes and charities.
One room is preserved as memorial hall
in which the corporation holds its assemblies.
Here the groined and vaulted roof with
many coats-of-arms, and majestic fire place
have been restored precisely as they were
when Mayor Aldworth gave receptions to
his friends or distinguished guests from dis
tant cities, To-day, the river hemmed in by
stone entertainments, flows sluggishly by the
door, and its opposite bank is lined by one
row of granite warehouses, but
in those days when Robert Aldworth sat
with his little ones at close of day, ON his
front stoop, it was a quiet meandering
stream, gurgling on its wilful way through
his meadows to the sea, and beyond his gar
den wall there was nothing to mar his view
over the fowery meads and wooded hills.
We were much pleased with the janitress
Of the Corporation House, whose sphere of
duty was not limited by her contract to keep
the buildings in decent order, but it con-
strained her to reach a friendly hand to the
wherever she could find them.
This motherly woman expatiated with pride
upon the virtues of the seven lads she had at
that time under her wing. They had been
to the reformatory school, where
they were only going from bad to worse;
from here they were sent out daily to work |
Tor three or four shillingS week, from which |
they had to pay back so much for their board |
that they were often reduced and tempted to |
steal. She said, ''now ! find work for them |
and take something for their board, but how |
ever little they earn, always allow them |
'ixpence week for pocket money, to mako |
hem feel respectable and keep them from |
or to buy fresh handkerchief |
Or collar when they want to make good APP |
Dearance on Sunday" She told us that |
rarely did one of these boys disappoint her,
md she had sent out many squads into the |
world to seek their fortune. Sometimes she |
ias chaperoned thirty to Liverpool to ship
hem for Canada, where benevolent people |
ound them good homes.
On one drive we passed the residence
where Miss Hannah Moore died, and in the
suburbs the house, in which for many years
he and her four sisters kept family school
Making one happy family for long life.
inle, in death these sisters were not divided,
IS the five lie side by side in one grave. An
lnecdote is told of DIR. johnson interview