Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-10
WORDSWORTH'S SONG
Came to the World From the Heart
Of the English Lake District.
TIE RESORTS RE LOVED BEST.
Pen Picture Of Rydal Ball with It, Trees
and Musical Cascades.
DREAMING IN BEAUTIFUL IAsDALE

| sue pkescut century Whb ComluS IN WOfub'
worth, the then political extremist and bud
ding poet, with mis- sister Dorothy-one Of
the grandest types of those women whose
resistless sympathy and encouragement are
OF more benefit to the world than the blatant
| pretensions of all the female "ists" that eveI
were born, or ever will be born, into it
returned to the English lake region, the
home until their death.
I tramped over the fell from Keswick to
Cockermouth, the ancient village in which,
in 1777. the poet was born. Tho grand
scenery Of the region lies in every direction
In endless change along the winding way.
To the east. Helvellyn and Skiddaw, huge
and dark, are continually presenting new
forms of majesty and color, or hiding in
mysterious beauty behind the Aeeting veil
ings Of tender passing clouds. One or an
other of the lakes, Derwentwater, Butter
mere. Crummock Water, Ennerdale Water,
Loves Water or Bassenthwsite Water, is
never absent from view, and from the height
of lordly Grassmoor, as from the peaks of
Skiddaw and Helvellyn, the entire lake dis
trict could again be surveyed and feasted
upon.
Dreamful and songful Spot.
Cockermouth itself is but one of the many
quaint old Cumbrian villages, which seem
as ancient and mossy as the rocks out Of
which they were hewn. It is sweet, dim,
dreamful and songful old spot, for the Der
went river sweeps melodiouslv by, and the
Cooker river, from which the village de-
rives its name, is emptied into the Derwent at
the village side.
Wordsworth's father, John Wordsworth,
was an attorney here. and law agent to Sir
james Lowther, afterward the Earl of Ions
dale, who. requited his services by forcibly
borrowing the earnings of his lifetime,
$4,000, which sum. years after. the death of
both the Earl and his victim, was returned
to the Wordsworth family. The house is a
long. two-storied, hipped-roof structure,
standing at q corner Of Main street and q
recessed alley, and must have been regarded
as stately affair in its time. A tier of nine
windows in the second and eight In the first
story face the street. which is shut off BY q
massive stone wall with wide coping and
monumental projections at regular intervals
and at the corners. In the area between the
street wall and the house are several pertly
trimmed shade trees, and the ample garden
in the rear extends TO the banks Of the
lovely Derwent.
A Stone Dung con for . School
Hawkshead, where the lad Wordsworth
passed his first years Of school life, Is in the
most northern part Of Lancaster, where that
shire pushes up into tine the southern reach
OF the lake region. 1t lies midway between
the queen Of the English lakes, Winder-
mere, and Coniston Water, near which may
be found the home Of John Ruskin, and
nestles prettily beside the beautiful Esth-
waite Water. It is BY far the most antique
village OF the lake country
All angles, twists and crooks,
With penthousss and gables over arohways,
a. Gibson oddly sang; while It's yew trees,
under which many Of .Wordswortf's earlier
verses were written, are quite % majestic
and far more beautiful than the famous
yews Of Borrowdale. The old schoolhouse.
Is standing just as Wordsworth left IL. tits
noted In literature as the "Grammer School
Of Hawkshsad," and its "Rules," In the
andwriting OF Archbishop Sandy, Of York,
who founded the school In 1886, may still be
seen. It is no more than tiny stone dun.
geon, with wide, low windows, o single
broad, low door, and o whitswashed school
room interior, where tall man would bo In
danger Of humping the ceiling beams with
his head. The schoolboy, Wordsworth. cut
his name Into his desk, aad the Scared old
plank is accordingly. priced rs o precious
old dame, Anne Tyson, with whom Words
worth lived, and who was 20 much mother
TO him during bis boyhood's days at Hawks.
head. Her cottage 10 still standing; and
The snow white church upon the hill,
made famous In the "Prclude," [" stands a.
then In q near 6eld. Around II the sheep
and lambs are grazing.
Life Went With the Handioon.
But the old life went out Of Hawksbead
with the handlooms; you will never find
half score OF worshi persat service within II;
and this incumbency 10 50 reduced that the
village rector himself rings the chime of
bells which calls the dim old folk that re.
main to this all but deserted shrine.
For some unaccountable reason, but little
Of Wordsworth's poetical devotion was
given to his birth spot, Cookermouth, or to
his youthful haunts ut Hawkshead. Scenic
ally their surroundings would seem to |
prompt the same, equally with the more
central lake region upon which his highest
genius was expended. While all the lake
region is, properly speaking, Wordsworth's
land, the interest and feeling ofthe thought
full traveller seem to parcel the district into |
two almost equally fascinating topograph-
ical and literary diyisions-the northern
and southern; though both of these are cen
trail.
Wordsworth frs! intended to build his
home at Applethwaite, on How Gill, q
lovely spot on the southern slope OF Skid |
daw, within sight OF .Southey's Greta Hall |
and Keswick, and within hearing of the |
chimes of old Crossthwaite church. The |
land was o gift to him from Sir George |
OF Colerton, and still remains |
the property of bis descendants. But on |
his permanent return to the lake region,
be made the ancient village of Grasnere
his home. This hamlet is on the main coach |
road, traversing from north to south the
central and most beautiful portions of the |
lake district, and is but three miles from
Rydal and five from Ambleside, which lie |
to the south. Here he resided for three |
years--frst at Dove Cottage, aiterward oc-
,upied by DeQuincy, and now forming a
portion Of the outbuiIdines of busy inn;
next in roomier but less comfortable house
1t Allen Bank, and again in the parsonage
,f the ancient Grasmere church. In 1913 |
he Wordsworths moved to Rydal Mount,
where the poet remained until his death in
1850, having uninterruptedly lived within
,hree mile radius Of where he now lies in
1rasnere churchyard for upward Of 80
Tears.
A Picture Of Rydal Hall.
II you were wandering north on the main
,oach road from Windermere to Keswick, q
Iteep, wide roadway turning to the right
md east would attract your attention. From
he Enclosures on either side huge beech
rees and sycamores push tremendous arms
.cross the walls and completely cover the
raw It Is M shadowy as twilight here.