The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-17

and dwelt in life of absolute faith. No
one need greve for her "VieWs" when they
resulted in so grand and dligeDt life No
woman ever lived who accomplished more
actual literary labor. or in that labor did
more for the worlds progress and humanity
at large. Her old home, 1.-The Knoll" Is
not stones throw from the highway, but
Is so embedded in foliage as to be invisible
from it. Just few steps through mass
i've gateway, over a drive shadowy from
laurel, hawthorn, beeches and holly. brings
you TO a sunny terrace aflame with flowers;
and then, facing about, the outlines OF the
house are gradually traced through masses
of ivy pushing 20 the very caves The gray
old WestmOreland stone can only here and
there be seen. The large bay-wind0ws are
half hidden by jasmine, climbing roses and
passion flowers and the huge ehimneys and
gables hirt OF the houses of ElZabeth's
time. The older villagers say the light of
Ambleside went out when they bore Harriet
Martineau's body to its grave in the old
cemetery 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 few steps from the high
way and see in Dove Nest the former home
of Mrs Hemans Immediately opposite The
Knoll, where lived Miss Martlneau, though
hidden by the majestic trees which line the
Old mansion. Fox Howe, where the great DR..
Arnold passed the happieSt hours OF his life.
Then to the right Of the highway, not mile
from The Knoll is Rydal Mount, Words
wOrth's home, described in the preceding
article. A little beyond, almost at the edge
of Rydal Water. haunt OF the herons, stand
ing close against the hedgeway beneath the
shadows of the Nab Scar, is Nab Cottage,
where Hartley COeridge dwelt Then Gtas-
mere Lake, shut in by Fairfield, weird Dunn
nail Raise, and the mighty Pixies of Langdale
is spread before you, and in the sweet old
village OF GTaSmere you will hnd the former
homes Of Wordsworth and De Quincy, and
the tOmbS of Wordsworth and Hartley Cole
ridge in the graveyard OF GraSmeTe Church.
1t is in this church, dedicated to Saint OS-
wald, so old that British antlquarianS can
not fix its origin, that the curious and an
Gent custom OF " RuSh-bearing has been
continued from the miStS of antiquity to the
present time. Traces of rush-bearlng may
be met in some other northern localities. 1t
has been revived at AmbleSide. But this Is
the one sacred edifce in all Europe where
the custom has been continuous from time
immemOTial. In very ancient times rush
bearing seems to have formed a portion of
the Feast of Dedication, and the professional
bearing of PUSHES 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
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 1870. Up to that time the small
rushes which grew upon the fellS, prOVIn-
cally known as sleeves" we're gathered and
brought to the church from Langdale in
carts. Tall poles, often large holly bOushs.
were provided for the bearings" These,
curiuuSiy decorated with crosses, haTDS,
wreaths and frequently with paper-hower
seUpents tWiniug around them, were carried
about the village. often followed by four
maidens with OWeT-OOrdered sheet filled
with tie sacred TuSheS. When the ruShes
were ell strewn in the church. usually on
Saturday afternoon, Jimmy Dawson, " the
fiddler of the Grove Cottage, struck up a
" Rush bearing March OF unknown an
tiQulty. He headed procession forming at
tie 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 pence worth OF
gingerbread, paid for out of the church col
lectiOns. The Rush bearing Of Grasmere
now occurs on Saturday in the second week
of August The procession, still moving
forward to the strains Of Jimmy DaN sons
March" follows ST. Oswald'S banner, and
scattering flowers and Tushes proceeds
around the entire village. ush-bearing
hymns and hymn TO St. Oswald are sung.
Games for children are provided 10 the rec
tory field. Wrestling, putting the stone"
running and leRpIng are INDUCED in by
country side champions. Rush bearing
hymns are chanted at the country gate. A
choral even-sOng Is sung at O'Clock, aud
the old-tme distribution Of erbread,
dancing and other rural festivities are con-
tinued IN il N dnight.
"CODyl tght, 1881 EDGAR /. WAKEMAN.