Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-05-19


tropolis. The situation Of Wiudermere is /
enhancing It is stately In splendid inns I.
and surrounding country seats similar 70 I.
the grand mansions along she Hudson. |
The place with it, modern suggestions and |
countless arriving and departing coach /
loads Of tourists sinks out of sight beneath
the giant forest trees when you have
climbed 70 the summit of Orrest Head,
where the prospect is still grander than
that from Brant Fell, behind Bowness,
for YOU are nearer the head Of the vale
Of Wind .ere. where the encroaching
mountain walls are highest and the noble
lake itself makes the broadest expanses.
But near as this is to the steam whistle
and coach horn, the undertones are even
here. From Orrest Head, the haunts Of
every poet or prose writer Of the region,
save those Of Coleridge and Shelley about
Keswick, are again visible. Windermere,
with its glorious foreground Of foliage, is
seen in its entire length Range after
range Of lake mountains rise beyond 1t 70
the west. The valley Of Ambleside lies
like a half defined glen of purple TO the
north, darkening at its edges, changing 20
livid green along the higher ranges, the
crags Of Helm, Fairfield and Nab Scar
forming great peaks Of sun kissed splendor
above mass Of mountain tops and
misty passes lies toward Ullswater in the
northeast Along the ridges, toward the
Yorkshire moors, one purple furrow shows
where was laid the plot OF Robert Els
mere" in Longsleddale. Besides, here are
the woods and waters Of Elleray. No Um-
brian home ever held a bigger frame, a
greater heart or a loftier and tenderer soul
than the mansion of Elleray. The place Is
now just as it was when it WAS "Christo-
pher North's" earthly paradise, with ''sev-
eral roofs shelving away there in the luster
Of loveliest lichens, each roof with its own
assortment Of doves and pigeons preening
their pinions in the morning pleasaunce;"
and the giant sycamore, of which Professor
Wilson himself said, Not even in the days
Of the Druids could there have been such
another tree" still shelters Elleray with
its mighty arms.
But six miles 70 the north Of the village
Of WIndermere lies Ambleside, more an
cient, in hat il was once an important RO-
man station, than any other village Of the
lake region. 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 pictur-
esaue old water mill in England. Here in
a few moments walk one comes TO the IA
nous Stock Ghyll 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 sum-
nit grander prospects meet the eye than al
Bowness or Windermere Get with all the
enhancing excursions among the scenic
glories roundabout more pilgrims come &c
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 il
a life Of absolute faith No one need grievI
for her views" when they resulted in &
grand and diligent a life No woman evel
lived who accomplished more actual liter
ary labor, or in that labor did more for th'
worlds progress and humanity at large
Her old home, THE Knoll" is not "A stonei
throw from the highway, but is so imbed
ded in foliage as TO be invisible from it
| Just few steps through "A massive gate
way, over a drive shadowy from laurel
hawthorn, beeches and holly, brings you Il
/ a sunny terrace alame with flowers; anS
then facing about, the outlines Of the housl
are gradually traced through masses o
| ivy pushing 70 the very caves. The graz
old Westmoreland stone can only here an'
there be seen. The large bay windows ar
half hidden by jasmine, climbing roses Ant
| passion flowers And the huge chimney
and gables hint of the houses of Elizabeth
time The older villagers say the light o
Ambleside went out when they bore Han
net Martineau's body TO its grave in tn
old cemetery at Birmingham. But IL seem
TO me her good and kindly face must sti
be shining there with the blossoms froI
those great bay windows.
Just before you reached Ambleside yo
could turn aside few steps from the higl
way and see, in Dove Nest, the former HON
of Mrs HemanS Immediately opposit
The Knoll, where lived Miss MartineaI
though hidden by the majestic trees whic
line the banks OF the Rothay river. is al
other fine old mansion. Fox Howe, whel
the great DIR. Arnold passed the happie'
hours Of his life. Then 20 the right {
the highway, not a mile from The Knoll
is Rydal Mount, Wondsworth's home, d
scribed in the preceding article A httl
beyond, almost at the edge of Rydi
I Water, haunt Of the herons, standing clo'
against the highway beneath the shadow
Of Nab Scar, is Nab Cottage, where Har
lev Coleridge dwelt. Then Grasmere lax
shut in by Fairfield. weird Dumnail Raj
and the mighty pixies Of Langdale
spread before you, and in the sweet o
, village of Grasmere you will find q
. former homes of Wordsworth and |
! Quincy, and the tombs Of Wordswori
, and Hartley Coleridge in the graveyard
/, Grasmere church.
, Il is in this church, dedicated to
: Oswald, so old that British antiquaria
: cannot fix its origin, that the curious al
ancient custom Of "rushbearing" has be-
= continued from the mists Of antiquity
4 the present time. Traces Of rushbearii
|. may be met in some Of the northern looa
a ties Il has been revived at Amblesic
: But this is the one sacred edifice in all
a rope where tie custom has been continuo
n from time immemoriaL In very ancie
4 times rushbearing seems TO have formed
i portion Of the Feast of Dedication, and I
4 professional bearing Of rushes for the
: newal Of floors, whose place they OFT
4 wholly supplied, was attended with mu
: pomp and ceremony. Many OF the remc
!. early English churches had no other uo'
l. than the bare earth, with now and thel
Il line OF rude flags along the aisles, and q
"A church Of St. Oswald's was provided vi
I -. a. rr,Iv a. lafn ue