Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-17
tree," still shelters Elleray with its mighty
A Picturesoue old Water lIiIl.

A Picturesque Old Water Mill.
But six miles to the north of the village
ofWindermere, lies Ambleside, more ancient,
in that it was bnce an important Roman sta
tion, than any other village of the lake re-
gion. Like Bowness, the entire place is
hidden in masses of foliage and bloom.
Numberless tiny mountain streams tumble
through it, and one turns the wheel of the
quaintest and most picturesque water mill
in England Here in a few moments walk
one comes to the famous Stock Ghyl Force;
and to the east and higher still rises the
huge ridge of Wansfell, with "its visionary
majesties of light" as Wordsworth sang.
From its summit grander prospects meet
the eye than at Bowness or Windermere.
Yet with all, the enhancing excursions
among the scenic glories roundabout, more
pilgrims come to Ambleside because one
woman gave its name to the whole world.
That woman was Harriet Martineau.
''Skeptic' some called her. She held that
she had passed the boundaries of skepticism
and dwelt in life of absolute faith. No
one need grieve for her "views," when they
resulted in so grand and diligent life. No
woman ever lived who accomplished more
actual literary labor, or iu that labor did
more for the worlds progress and human
ity at large. Her old home ''The
Knoll" is not a stones throw from
the highway, but is so imbedded
in foliage as to be invisible from
it. Just a few steps through a mass
i've gateway, over drive shadowy from
laurel, hawthorn, beeches and holly, brings
you to sunny terrace ahame with flowers;
and then facing about, the outlines of the
house are gradually traced through masses
of ivy pushing to the very caves. The gray
4 " IL
there be seen. The large bay windows are
half hidden by jasmine, climbing roses and
passion flowers And the huge chimneys
and gables hint of the houses of Elizabeth 5
time. The older villagers say the light of
Ambleside went out when they bore
Harriet Martineau's body to its grave
in the old cemetery at Birming ham.
But it seems to me her good and
kindly face must still be shining
there with the blossoms from those great
bay windows. Just before you reached
Ambleside you could turn aside few steps
from the highway and see in Dove Nest,
the former home of Mrs. Hemans. Imme-
diately opposite The Knoll, where lived
Miss Martineau, though hidden by the ma
jestic trees which line the banks of the
Rothay river is another fine old mansion,
Fox Howe, where the great DIR. Arnold
passed the happiest hours of his life. Then
to the right of the highway, not mile from
The Knoll, is Rydal Mount, Wordsworth's
home described in the preceding article. In
the sweet old village of Grasmere you will
find the tombs of Wordsworth and Hartley
Coleridge, in the graveyard of Grasmere
Church.
The Custom of Rushbearing.
1t is in this church, dedicated to Saint
Oswald, so old that British antiquarians
cannot fix its origin, that the curious and
ancient custom of "Rushbearing" has been
continued from the mists of antiquity to
the present time. Traces of rushbearing
may be met in some other northern local
titles. 1t has been revived at Ambleside
But this is the one sacred edifice in all Eu-
rope where the custom has been continu-
GUS from time immemoriaL In very ancient
times rushbearing seems to have formed a
portion of the Feast of Dedication, and the
professional bearing of rushes for the re-
newal of floors, whose place they often
wholly supplied, was attended with much
pomp and ceremony. Many of the remote
early English churches had no other floors
than the bare earth, with now and then
line of rude flags along the aisles, and this
church of st. Oswald's was provided with
complete floor only as late as 1910. Up to
that time the small rushes which grow npon
the fells, provincially known as "sieves,"
were gathered and brought to the church
from Langdale in carts. Tall poles, often
large holly boughs, were provided for the
bearings" These, curiously decorated with
crosses, harps, wreaths and frequently with
paper-hower serpents twining around them,
were carried about the village, often fol-
lowed by four maidens with a flower
bordered sheet filled with the sacred rushes.
When the rushes were all strewn in the
church, usually on Saturday afternoon,
Jimmy Dawson" the fiddler of Grove
Cottage, struck up 'Rushbearing March"
of unknown antiquity. He headed a pro-
cession forming at the village bridge. After
this had threaded all the streets and wynds
of Grasmere, it returned to the old church,
where the wardens, after an ancient usage,
presented each of the bearers with twopence
worth of gingerbread, paid for out Of the
church collections.
The rushbearing of Grasmere now occurs
on Saturday in the second week Of August.
The procession, still moving forward to the
strains of Jimmy Dawson's March," fol-
lows st. Oswald's banner; and, scattering
flowers and rushes, proceeds around the en-
tire village. Rushbearing hymns and
hymn to st. Oswald are sung. Games fer
children are provided in the rectory field.
Wrestling, ''putting the stone" running
and leaping are INDUCED in by countryside
champions Rushbearihg hymns are chanted
at the church gate. A choral evensong is
sung at Z o'clock, and old-time distribution
of gingerbread, dancing and other rural
festivities are continued until midnight.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.