The record-union., 1891-05-17

OrfcsI h6du, Wner6 the prospect Is Stll1
grander than that from Brant Fell, be-
hind Bowness; for you are nearer the
head OF the vale of Windermere,
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
keswlck, are again visible. Winder-
mere with its glorious foreground of
| foliage is seen in its entire length. Range
after range of Lake mountains rise be-
yond it to the west. The valley of Am
bleside lays like a half-defned glen of
purple to the north, darkening at its
edges, changing to nvid green along the
higher ranges, the cragS of Helm, Fair
field and Nab Scar forming great peaks
| of sun-kissed splendor above. A mass of
| mountain tops and misty passes lie to-
wards Ullswater in the northeast. Along
the ridges, towards the Yorkshire moors,
one purple furrow shows where was laid
the plot of Robert EiSmere," in Longs
leddale. Besides, here are the woods and
waters of Elleray. No Cumbrian home
ever held bigger frame, greater heart
or loftier and tenderer soul than the
mansion of Elleray. The place is now
just as it was when it was christopher
North's" earthly paradise, with several
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 pleas
| aunce;" and the giant sycamore, of which
Professor Wilson himself said, mot even
in the days of the Druids, could there
have been such another tree" still
shelters Elleray with its mighty arms.
But six miles to the north of the village
of Windermere, lies Ambleside, more
ancient, in that it was once an important
Roman 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 pic
turesque old water-mill in England.
Here in few moments walk one comes
to the famous 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 summit grander prospects
| meet the eye than at Bowness
or Windermere. Yet viii all
the enhancing excursions among
the scenic glories hereabout, more pill
grims come to Ambleside because one
woman gave its name to the whole world.
That woman was Harriet Martineau.
''Sceptic' some called her. She held that
she had passed the boundaries of scepti-
cism and dwelt in a life Of absolute faith.
No one need grieve for her views"
when they resulted in so grand and dill
gent life. No woman ever lived who
accomplished more actual literary labor,
or in that field did more for the worlds
progress and humanity at large. Her old
home, 1.-The Knoll" is not a stones
throw from the highway, but is so imbed-
ded in foliage as to be invisible from it.
Just few steps through a massive gate
n Sh91NTUU Ion
hawthorn, beeches and holly, brings you
to sunny terrace afiame with flowers:
and then facing about the outlines of the
house are gradually traced through
masses ivy pushing to the very caves.
The gray old Westmoreland stone can
only here and 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's time. The older
villagers say that the light of Ambleside
went out when they bore Harriet Marti-
neau's body to its grave in the old ceme-
terry at birmingham. But 1t 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 a few steps from the
highway and see Dove Nest, the
former home of Mrs Hemans, Imme-
Mrs. Martineau, though hidden by the
majestic 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 a
mile from The Knoll, is Rydal Mount,
Wordsworth's home, described in the
preceding article. A little beyond, almost
at the edge of Rydal Water, haunt Of the
herOns, standing close against the high
way beneath the shadows of Nab Scar,
is Nab Cottage, where Hartley Coleridge
dwelt. The Grasmere Lake, shut in by
Fairfield, weird Dumnail Raise, and the
mighty Pixies of Langdale, is spread be-
fore you, and in the sweet old village of
GraSmere you viii find the former homes
Of Wordsworth and DeQuincey, and the
tombs of Wordsworth and Hartley Cole
ridge, in the graveyard of Grasmere
Church.
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 'Rushbearingp has
been continued from the mists ofantiquity
TO the present time. Traces of rushbear-
ing may be met in some other northern
localities. It has been revived at AmbIe-
side. But this is the one sacred edifice in
all Europe where the custom has been
continuous 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 renewal 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 a line of
rude flags along the aisles; and this
church of st. Oswald's was provided with
a complete floor only as late as IS40 Up
IL fFsa hot l. =
upon The feIlS, provincially known as
Il sleyes," were gathered and brought TO
the church from Langdale in carts. Tall
poles, often large holly boughs, were pro-
vided for the bearings" These, curl
ously decorated with crosses, harps,
wreaths and frequently with paper
Hover serpents twiuing around them,
were carried about the Village, often fol-
lowed by four maidens with flower
| bordered sheet filled with the sacred
rushes. When the ruShes were all strewn
/ in the church, usually on Saturday after
noon, Jimmy Dawson" the fiddler of
Grove Cottage struck up "Rushbearing
March" of unknown antiquity. He
headed procession forming at the village
bridge. After this had threaded all the
streets and wynds of Grasmere, it re-
turned to the old church, where the war
dens, after an ancient usage, presented
each of the bearers with two-pence worth
of gingerbread, paid for out of the church
collections. The Rushbcaring of Gras-
mere now occurs on Saturday in the sec
ond week of August. The procession
still moving forward to the strains of
Jimmy Dawson's March," follows st,
Oswald's banner; and, scattering flowers
and rushes, proceeds around the entire
village. Rushbearing hymns and Il hymn
TO st. Oswald are sung. Games for chill
dren are provided in the rectory field.
Wrestling, putting the stone," running
and leaping are INDUCED in by country
! side champions. Rushbearing hymns are