Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-11-22

- coast of Northumber-
land, he sprang with a leap oft Of per-
fectly smootlI sea into a perfectly cloud
less sky. and If there were, as generally
happens. certain fogs. mists, clouds and
vapors lying about the moors and fells
among the Cheyiots. they were toe far
from the town Of Warkworth for its peo
pie to see them The long cold spring
was over at last; the walltlower on the
castle wall was in blossom; the pare prim-
roses had not yet all gone; the lilac was
preparing to throw out its blossoms; the
cuckoo was abroad; the swallows were
returning with tumultuous rusl, rs If
they had had quite enough Of the sunny
south and Ionged again for the battle
ments of the castle and the banks of Co.
quet; tho woods were full Of song; the
nests were full of young birds, chirping
together partly because they were always
hungry partly because they were fcjoic-
ing in the sunshine and all the living
creatures in wood and field and river were
hurrying dying, creeping, crawling,
swimming. running. with intent to eat
eacll other ont of house and home.
The eye of the sun fell upon empty
streets and closed houses-not even a
poacheI, much less a thief or burglar. Wis
ible in the whole of Northumberland; and
If there might be here and there gyp,
sizes tent the virtucus toes Of tho occu
pants peeped out from beneath the can,
vas. with never thought of snaring
hares or stealing poultry Even in New
castle, which, If you come to think of it,
is pretty well for wickedness the night
watchnen slept in their boxes. lanterns
long since extinguished, and the wretches
who had no beds. no money and slender
hopes for the next days food slept on the
hunks and stalls about the market. Moth
ing stirred except the hands of the church
clock and these moved steadily; the quar-
ters and the hour were struck But for
the clocks the towns might have been SO
many cities of the dead. each house a
tomb each bed silent grave The
Nofthumbrien folk began to get up-a
little later than usual because it was Sun
day first in the villages and farm houses.
next in the small towns; last and latest,
| in Newcastle, which was ever lie abed
city
Warkworth is quite n small town and
great way from Newcastle It has only
one street, At one end Of it is the church
and at the other end is the castle The
street runs UP Hill from church 10 castle
In the year 1861 the castle was more RUNE
GUS than it showed in later years. because
the keep itself stood rooiiess, its stairs
broken and its floors fallen ina great
shell, eehoing thunderously with all tho
winds As for the walls the ruined gate
ways. the foundations of the chapel. the
yawuing vaults and the Quilted towers,
they have always beea the same since the
destruction Of the place The wall flow
ers ard long grasses grew upon the broken
| battlemcnt3. Glacsberries and elder bushes
occupied the moat; the boys climbed up
to perilous places by fragments Of broken
steps the swallows dew about the lofty
keep. the green woods hung upon tie
slopes above the river, and the winding
Coquet rolled around the hill on which
the castle stood-a solitary AID deserted
place Yet in the evening there was one
corner in which the light Of fire could
always BE seen It came from a chamber
beside the great gateway-that which
looks upon the meadows to the south.
Here lived tie fuglemaa He had fitted
small window in the wall constructed a
door, built up The broken stones, and con.
stituted himself without asking leave Of
my Lord Of Northumberland, sole tenant
of Warkworth castle
When the first corners had looked up
the street and down the street, straight
through and across the other and exam
ined tho sky and Inspected the horizon,
and obtained all possible information
about the weather, they gave each other
the good morning. and asked for opinions
on the subject of hay Then one By one
they went back to their houses-which
are of stone. having very small windows
with bulls eye glass in 1eaden easements.
and red tiled roofs.
/ After breakfast. for two hours by tho
clock they fell to strolSing of stubby
chins and to wondering when the barber
would he ready This could not be until
stroke Of ., at least, because he had to
comb, dress and powder irst the Wears
wig for Sunday Heaven forbid that tho
( ShAi I'll oAiOtAAb 10 tttt vi With ATTY lli4ifB
short Of wig newly combed and newly
curledl And next tho wig Of his wor
ship, Cuthbert Carnaby, Esq. justice of
tho peace, and second cousin to his lord
ship. the Earl Of Northumberland. newly
succeeded to the title. When this was
/ done the barber addressed himself to the
chins and cheeks of the townsfolk, and
this with such dexterity and dispatch
4 that before the church bell began he had
them all dispatched and turned of And
j then their countenances were glorious.
and shone in the sun like unto tho face
of mirror. and felt as smooth to the en-
amored finger as the chin and cheek OF a
maid. Thus does art improve and cor
rect nature The savage who wcareth
/ beard knows not this delight.
4 1t was day on which something out Of
the common was to happen, day on
which expectation was en- tiptoei and
when at 10 O'Clock the first stroke of the
/ church bell began, all the boys with one
and tho same design turned their steps
4 slowly at first, and as if the business did
not greatly matter, yet should be seen
+ into-toward the churchyard They were
/ sll in Sunday best; their hair smooth,
/ their hands white, their shoes brushed
aad their stockings clean; they moved as