The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-10

luxuriant shrubbery of its splendid park.
Higher still you climb, and where the DARK
roadway seems to make a final circle over
the brow of the hill to the left, you pause TO
listen Something like low and hesitant
organ notes is murmuTlng IN minor chords,
while a gay and joyous treble plays IN eX-
ultant tones above. ALL you remember.
These are the voices OF the TWO cascades OF
Rydal. Their songs were sung to one poet
Tor forty happy years.
a step farther, and the bright sunshine
leaps along and through the tree-t0ps, as if
impatient t. flood It's effulgenee upon one
little spot. On that spot stands an ivy-eOv-
cred old house, two stories in height, with
all manner OF angles and patches; with
huge chimneys and wondrous gables; with
windows cut here and there at random, or
pushed outward IN bows and bays; with
doors entering as though made for con-
venience and not appearance; and the
whole with a general air of having
been done at different periods by
various masters, each of whom la
bored leisurely in fond and whimsical
mood. In front is the tiniest of grass
mounds, and wide steps of rough hewn
stones lead this way and that as if to in
visible entrances; but as you see all-gTaSS
mound, steps. half-inciosed terraces, and
the mansion itself facing the south sQuarely
there was never more winSOme picture
set in framing OF laurel, yew, beech and fir;
and never gill you see another home where
the very spirit of peace seems so embodied
in outward material things, giving rapt and
radiant welcome to the endless threnOdleS
of waters and throbbingS of a loving sun.
This Is Rydal Mount, The former home OF
Wordsworth. Rydal Water, to the north,
and the long, dreamful reach of Winder-
mere can be seen from the grass mound IN
the little inclosuTe From every upper
window, mountain, valley and lake
smile back from glorious perspective
upon the bebolder With The poets long,
happy and fruitful life at Rydel, every
reader Of English literature is familiar. But
II seems 10 me precious thing for the wan
derer here to identify ana become ac-
quainted with WOrdSwOrths bestowed
haunJs. Two lines of road. with innGmer-
able pony and foot path reflections into all
manner Of
SUBLIME OR WTTCHING SCENES,
Knew HIM best, just as around the two
villages and lakes of Rydal aud GTasmere,
the memories of the poet are most thiekly
Strewn. One Of these roads is the great
central highway of the lake region, and
winds all the way from BoWness through
the villages of Windermere. Rydal and
Grasmere, over weird DunmaiI Raise,
past huge Helyeliyn over into Keswick,
where COleridge and Shelley were. The
other is the grand old road from AmbleSide
nOrtheaSteTly, past the roar of Stock Ghyll
Force, through kirkStOne Pass to Pat
terdale, GriSdale, Glenridding and all the
glorious fells and glens that lie along
SOmbeT UilSwater between the heart of
the lake region aud the ancient town of
Penrith. Probably the personal enjoyment
OF the poet was greater along the former
way. although the territory beyond Kirk
stone, particularly around the head Of Ulls-
water furnished by far the greater number
OF poetic illusions.
"a Un Ia Of OH Of no IF al
yellyn, was a neyer-e ending feast to him.
be fingered times without number around
NYthburn Church. Thirlmere, TO which
the city Of Manchester has tunneled for
what will prove the finest water supply in
the world, and against the conSummation
OF which Dir. RuSkin, with more regard
for selfish enjoyment Of the lake region than
the needs Of hosts of human beings, fought
long and bitterly, was an almost constant
haunt. Here Wordsworth, in company
with his wife ana his sister Dorothy, almost
daily came in summer. In the earlier
days COleridge would frequently come
over from KeSwick and meet the three
friends from GraSmere. The ladies brought
their sewing and lunch, and the two poets
furnished the soul ambrOsia. Commemora-
tive OF these golden hours the poets had
their names cut upon the Rock of Names at
Thirlmere, and it was TO this rock that
Wordsworth addressed the apostropne:
o thought OF pain.
That would Impair IL OF pr0fane
No fear of that; but the great walls Man
chester is building at the lower end of
ThirlmeTe, tu increase its depth, will cause
the Rock Of Names to be permanently sub
merged. Some future Schliemann will find it.
On the way from GraSmere to Thrill
mere a spot forming the northwestern
boundary Of Grasmere was undoubtedly
WORDSWORTH most frequented and passion
ately loved resort This is Easdale. 1t
is one Of the most accessible though least
visited places in the lake region. It runs
far into the northern hills on the west
ern side of Helm Crag In its upper
reach is a bitteTn haunted shadowy tarn,
which is discharged through the foamng
Sour Milk Ghyll, not q mile from the high
way Of GTasmeTe. Wordsworth loved 10
claim EaSdale as all his Own, and he
was jealous of intrusion here. When re-
siding at Grasmere, a half hours walk
would enable him to penetrate its depths
and he so grew to the place that y hen he
had removed to Rydal. three miles to the
south, nearly every day, rain or shine
found him seeking the companiOnship of its
tender solitudes. The Hottest passages of
the Excursion" were written here; ana it
was the very essence of the poets life to
brood by EaSdale taTn. with an inten-
sity of passion, on those images of nature
which bis noble fancy brought from near and
afar, and nodded into fadeleSS forms for the
measurelesS world of poetic thought.
Copyright EDGAR L. WAKEHAE.