The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-25

Precisely as in Wordsworth's time,
outside the Cumbrian cottages you will
find the shade OF sycamores and "tall
fir through which the winds sing when
other trees are leaaess q little orchard |;
an ample herb bed a near rill or spring.
spout with its ceaselees wimple; a come
~ garden; comfortable stone out.bui1d.
ings for grain and for water housing Of
the COWS and the tiny but hardy Cum.
brian sheep; and always the shed for the
hives OF bees which distil from the noun.
tain heath the darkness, but ever the
sweetest honey in the world. Standing
in the door OF any one, your eyes may
again trace, in the antiques OF utensils
and furnishings. complete museum oil
rustic household evolution from the
stone age to our own age OF Brummagem
and brass; for you will find the quern,
old as Aryan life, the ancient Celtic
neither or drinking cup, the rudest and
earliest make OF the spinning-wheel with
delft q the frst English kilns varied By
many faulty bits of "Wedgewood,"
brought here from Stafordshire by
hawking Gypsies; and mingled with
these, various tRwdry household orna.
ments and utensils OF the present time,
Cumbrian peasants are as rule
"house. proud"; and in years OF wan.
dering among the lowly OF European
countries have never come upon any
rustic folk the interior Of whose habi-
tations were such shining examples OF
homely comfort and restiulness. There
arc OF course exceptions. Now and
then you will find settlements like Wat.
endlath, hid among the fells between
Borrowdale and Thirlmere, where may
DO seen all the sodden fqualor occasion.
ally met among the Scottish west.cosst
crofters and in the Irish west-Coast fish.
ing villages. Their houses are dark and
dirty, the floors uneven, the furniture
crazy, tho men clad in ragged fustian
and the women in coarse wool and
wooden clogs. These are sheep. herders
under a later sort OF ieudalism. In
every euch case the history is that
their fathers before them sold their
little estates" to the encroach.
ing land.grabbers. and their
children are consequently to-day in pre-.
cisely the wretChed serfdom wrought by
landlordism in the Scottish Highlands
and in Ireland. But with the habita-
tons Of Statesmen" the interiors are
charming. The floors usually are Of the
same huge States IS those covering the
roof. They are scrubbed and cleaned
until they shine like dusky mirrors,
frequently you will tind them, particu.
larly near the door and Fireplace, deco.
rated with white, ochre aud vermillion
chalk in figures and scroll work em-
bodying strange fancies in rustic art.
The living room, or fire house," as it is
called, Is always very large for a cottage,
often from eighteen to twenty-five feet
square, low, but with the richest OF old
and polished beams in the ceiling. In
deed old oak may be found 10 profasion,
The long, solid table with benches at the
side, where the Statesman" his family
and all servants sit together at meals; the
"long SETTLE" or two.yard long
seat at one side OF the fireplace,
and the ''sconCe" or bench on the
other under which the nights fuel,
called ian elden," is placed; the chairs,
huge and high and requiring strong
arm to move them; the high, narrow,
sprawling.legged bureaus; the many
iron or braFs bound chests; the beds
huge and strong enough to hold giants,
for these Cambrians are Citen tremend-
Gus in stature, are all Of oak, curlously
carved and ofttn wondrously polished.
All this Is sometimes varied by pieces Of
mahogany almost as unique % can be
found among the peasant homes OF
Brittany. From this large, cleau "tire.
house" or living.roon, there is in all
directions inviting vistas through wide,
low doors and cosy stone "leAntos," per-
haps each built in a different century, to
tiny.paned windows, splayed like tur.
ret windows, white with inner curtains,
and in summer, ablazs with outer bud
and blossom.
The dialect Of the district, which I
can only touch upon is very curious, and
contains many pure Celtic, Morse, old
English and foreign words. The atIix
"nent", Ia in constant use, providing
addedquantity or emphasis, Ointment"
thus becomes o collection Of dirt, and
"BhRmement' increased contempt in
the expression otshame. Abull "beels,"
instead oil bellows. Anything crooked
is Canned" "Sad" is heavy, and a
'sad. cake" is one made without "rising,"
and is all lie name implies. A
road is "wad !" and young pig, instead
OF boy, Is called an "urchin." A
"haddery" day is a DRILLING day. A
dancing.night 10 3 "tsnsy;" no doubt
from the German tanE. One whose &C.
tons make him bywoId Is q ubysen,n
and short, thiCk-set man 10 "botcuy.h
"rofeR" ia to fare, or to arrange. "DAi"
Is the expletive form OF "The Devill'
but "donnet" Is the devil himself, OF
one no better than the devil. When one
is over.tired from labor he is "theWed."
To "saunter" ia not TO straggle or daily,
but TO mediate; and II YOU are "bog.
gart-owned" you are destined or fated
to be given over to some evil spirit, Bad,
lettering boys are "Driving.sneevil'l
that is oil no more account than i
driving snails; and poor ''bandylan'
is an unfortunate lass "banned from the
land" or driven from home fellowship
"a cope" is jockey dealing in worth
less horses; "baggin" 10 food; aud the
singing hinny' Ia hot cake baked fol
tea. Arriving at ones house is '!anding
hoame.H A "scEowmolly o. eggs" is Z
dish Of scrambled eggs. lfyou accident
ally overheard your peasant host speak
ing Of you to his wife as a terrible" Of
''teariul sonsy mon, nit would only NEAR
q compliment: but II he spoke Of you a
q "bonny pistop you could understand
yourself TO be regarded "a an alran
kneye.
Village and home life are very simpl,
and uneyentiul. Each little community
is sufficient unto itself because Of the an
broken custom OF never "hiving Of.
The younger shoots Of the family grow
up beside the old. Entire valleys or
found peopled by "stateSnenp Of tn
same family and name, pronounced &c
qniremsnt, ply steal peculiarly, or loca
ion Of habitation, such rs "toek tn
Russler" (Wrest.er(, "Padish.tnop (pol
ridge-tubl Ben" or "Dick o. tn Rigg,