Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-30
MIR, WAKEMAN,S JOURNEYINGS.
At Bowness, England-Ruskfn and Brantwood An English G1Psy Camp-On the Train With Ruskfn Effect of Plain Talk.

At Bowness, England-Ruskin and
 Brantwood An English G1Psy
 Camp-On the Train With Ruskfn
 Effect of Plain Talk.
 BowNEss, England, May 19.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The entire year of 1888 was passed by me in wandering among the peasantry of Ireland, with the exception of few days visit with friends in northern Lancashire, England. Journeying from Carnforth to Diversion, entered a railway carriage in which sat man, muffied to his ears in wraps and rugs.
 My presence and especially my having 1 left open the window of the close com partment made him uneasy. He snorted | and fidgeted for time, conveying by un- deniab1e token his intense displeasure. l Then, making deliberate grab at the win | dow strap, he hurled the sash back in it's place with crash, and, as he gave his wrappings tempestuous swirl to replace them, snarled at me: "Do all Americans live out-of-doors"
 "All;" I responded cheerily; 'save those living in tepees and tents. We haven't time to build houses. We like it. Its our way" My companion instantly shot two spare legs wide apart out of the rugs; leaned | thin body and face far forward as if to make his passionate glare the more effec- tive; and, cutting swift large circle in l the Armament of the musty compartment with the index finger of his skinny right
 hand, piped in vociferous treble:
 | "It is not your way, sir; it is Gods
 way. You Americans would assume the credit of creations cosmic plan. Even if ] you lived as you falsely assert, you would
 be unaware of the dignity you uncon-
 sciously, or impudently, assumed. Su-
 preme intelligence welded to supreme
 simplicity are alone competent to the real
 ization of eternal truth!'
 acceded to all this so quickly and ea-
 gerly that it seemed in a manner to shatter
 my nervous companion. He slid back
 upon his seat in such helpless sort of
 way that at once without apology gath
 cred the man and his wrappings together;
 soothingly adjusted the latter; and was re-
 lieved of some anxiety to find in little
 time, as evidenced by certain rhapsodical
 snorings, that he had passed over, if but : temporarily, into the poppy-hnd of : dreams.
 This gave me an opportunity to gratify
 an almost imperative curiosity. l went so far as to examine his hand-luggage. The plain Roman initials ''J. R." was all 3 found stamped upon anticipated portman- teau and rustier handbag. But over in
 the corner of his seat was a neat brown ] paper parcel which might have held bi' of untouched lunch; and was on this the
 startling legend:
 When John Ruskin awoke we could bott d look out of the compartment window ant g see the tide sweeping in from Morecamb' e bay across the Leven Sands. It seemed t' e please him, and his large gray eyes flashed g brightly under the grisly brows with g light that transformed his pinched fac
 into something like kindly radiance. Bu
 I do not believe it was the face, despit d his imperial fame in the realm of art an Id letters, that had ever stood between tn
 world and happy heart since that lon s ago time when the mystery of his life lief
 him in wifeless and childless isolation. or Some impulse of companionship led hir
 to question me closely and without cert
 mony regarding myself and my then lit
 rary work in Ireland. I answered hil -s honestly, addressing him by his name, an ay expressing regret that Englishmen lil o. him would not do as I have done-vis IVY the lowly of Ireland in every part of 1r
 land with an honest purpose of dlscove
 ing misgovernment and it's deplorable r ssn. suits, and protesting against it in hie places where it would be heard. Tn
 threw him into another paroxysm of rag ds in which he gave vent to language wou
 not care to repeat, the tenor of whit no may be shown by his closing obiurgatio ig- reported again and again:
 no "sGuns, not government, for Ireland" MT. Ruskin, or no MT. Ruskin, l wou
 not sit silent under that, and at all risk cn denounced his barbarous Torylsm lst roundly, pointed out his own inexcusat tie and wholly ignorant malignity with SUI ed daring, and illustrated his lack of huma To ity. while famous before the world as nix prophet of illimitable tenderness al lv- charity, the logical outgrowth of his en 'ne less battle for the worship of natul pld truth and God, with such unsparing rec 4 as lessness, that it's very audacity, or sol the manner of kindly introspection, calm ni- him, just az the train slackened it's spe eft at Diversion. Here when l hastily l' tly the carriage with curt Good day, sil ore he called to me to return. Reaching
 thin hand out to me he gave my own ton hearty grasp, and said most gracious !cn and friendly:
 'lea a "Bear away kinder thought of n +S You have been very plain, sir; but y I Ine have done me good. l am not well, S @ rup sir; not well at all. But I like any m us ,,sh who is not afraid of me. I'll think abc nf Ireland. Come to my home at Brantwo tba any time at your pleasure"
 the The grizzled face had everything hun ,;te ;re and good in it as he spoke. I thanked hi no 'rsr said would come; and hurried away .SSs, the crowd; but with the then many c +o ficting emotions in my mind, 1 said to h,,t welcoming friend at Diversion, as I m dIv toned my ride with the famous Ehgli aas man, of it had not been John RuskiI should have regarded the.man insane" low "John Ruskin!" he added sententioul G 'nil "Oh, everybody up Lancashire way knt ,.;a' he's always been crazy"
 '.o, ., Before could visit Brantwood it <, known to all that the cloud which is .hs dom lifted had dimmed the great mi I'd ' oe intellect. But little time ago the cs '' VI told American people that he had atten
 ed to take his own life. Though his
 invitation had been repeated by otl atest who stand for him at the Aeautiful Il orld. side home, l could not lustlfy It's ac o.. tance. Going to the shell of what pa'S held great spirit and holding sor, solar literary autopsy on it's defenceless rem wing seemed heartless thing to do Yet. olva ing so near him here in the English
 :, region, found myself continually yi i' ing to 8 subtle fascination which impe silk, me to go where the man Ruskin glass dwelt. It is but little walk over the upon from Ambleside Ferry tc Brantwoo erent longer one, but an ever-winsome Il be journey, around by Hawkshead, " con- Wordsworth's early school days light passed, through the little hamlet of iven. teIhead, leaving the town of Coniston n the Coniston Old Man mountain to the l up Thence to the south, along the eae
 shore of Coniston Water, it is hs expe- three miles to Brentwood. The surro ,ustic ings arc of the greatest natural bes our The Coniston Water stretches to the D r dis and south immediately in front, hem. Walnay Scar and Coniston Old Man " re- yond the opposite shore, and grand .rt of lesser scars and fells breaking away ir @ spe- 1owy reaches to the west and south. -tists the north almost beside Brentwood O,
 and eastern shore nestles Tent Lodge, rofes- time the home of Tennyson; and just
 low are the fine seats of Dodgson W ataee. Waterpark and the bold hill of High from thwaite. It on, Brentwood itself, as seen from the action way, seems like single facade of gra 2 was stone, set in 8 hanging wood againsi , pat Yerdure-coY mouutsin aff1neni