The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-26

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mingled with these various tawdry house
hold ornaments and utensils Of the present
time.
Cumbrian peasants are as rule :" house
proud" and in years of wandering among
the lowly of European countries | have
never come upon any rustic folk the in
terror OF whose habitati0ns were such shin
ing examples of homely comfort and rest
fulness. There are, of course, exceptions.
Now and then you will find settlements like
Watendlatb, hid among the fells between
Borrowdale and Thirlmere, where may be
seenAll the sodden squalor occasionally met
among the Scottish west coast crofters and
In tile Irish west coast fishing villages.
Their houses are dark and dirty. the floors
uneven, the furniture crazy, the men clad IN
ragged fustian and the women in coarse
wool and wooden clogs. These are sheep
herders under later sort Of feudallSm. In
every such case the history is that their
fathers before them sold their little estates
to the encroaching land-grabbers, and their
Children are consequently to-day IN pre-
clSely the wretched Serfdom wrought Dy
landl0rdism in the Scottish highlands and
in Ireland. But with the habitatiOns of
statesmen" the interiors are charming.
Tie floors are usually OF the same huge
states as those covering the roof. They are
scrubbed and cleaned until they shine ike
dusky mirrors. Frequently yon will ind
them, particularly near the door and fire.
place, decorated with white, oeher and YER
million chalk in figures and scroll-work EN-
bodyIng strange faneies in rustic art. The
liying-room or "hTe-h9uSr, as it IS called,
is always very large for cottage, often
from eighteen to twenty-five feet square,
low, but with the richest of old and pol
ished beams in the ceiling Indeed. old oak
may be found in pr0fuSlon. The long. soma
tlbe with benches at the side where the
Statesman" his family and all servants sit
together at meals; the "long settle" or
a ri Cf a nj hQ "a
place and the "seonce," or bench, on the
other. under which the nights fuel, called
IAN eden, is placed; the chairs, huge and
high, and requiring strong arm to move
themi the nigh, narrow, Sprawllng-i egged
bureaus; the many iron or brass bound
chests; the beds huge and strong enough to
hold giants, for these CumbrIans are often
tremendous in stature-are all of oak, curl
Ously carved and often wondrouSly polished.
a II this Is sometimes varied by pieces OF
mahogany almost as unique as can be found
among the peasant homes of Brittany.
From this large, clean ''fire-house," or
livlng-room, there are in all directions In
wiling vistas through wide. low doors and
cosy stone "lean-tos," perhaps each built in
different century, to tlny-paned WINDOWS,
splayed like turret-winduws, white with
inner curtains aud In summer ablaZe with
outer bud and blossom.
The dialect of the district, which | can
only touch upon, Is very curious and con-
tains many pure Celtic, Morse, old English
and foreign words. The atfix ''ment" Is in
constant use, providing added quantity or
emphasis.
OINTMENT"
Thus becomes a collection of dirt. and
''Shamement' increased contempt in the ex-
preston of shame. A bull "beeis," instead
of bellows. Anything crooked is '.eammed."
SAD is heavy, and "sad-cake' is one
made without rising" and is all its name
mil a 10 tsfAva1 fg1n mn
pig, instead OF boy, is called an ''urchin."
A ''haddery' day is drilling day. a
daDcing-night is a "tansy" no doubt from
the German tanz. One whose actions make
him byword is "bysen," and short.
thck-set man is ''botchy" ''TO few" is
pletYe form of ''the DEVIL" but ''donHet"
is the devil himself, or one no bet
ter than the devil. When one is
overtired from labor he is ''thewei."
To "sannter is not to struggle
or daily. but to mediate; and if you are
"boggart-owned" you are destined or fated
TO be given over to some evil spirit Bad,
lettering boys are driving sneevils." that
is of no more account than ii driving SnailS :;
and a poor "bandylan" is an unfortunate
lass banned from the land, or driven from
home fellowship. "a cope" is a jockey deal
ing in worthless horses; "baggiu" is food :;
and the singing hinny" is hot cake baked
for tea Arriving at ones house is 'lauding
hoame." A ''scrowmolIy O. eggs" is a dish
of scrambled eggs. Ii you accidentally
overhear your peasant host Speaking of you
to his wife as terrible" or Fearful sonsy
but if he spoke of you as a 'bonny pistol
you could understand yourself to be re-
garded as an arrant kaave.
Village and home life are very simple and
uneventful. Each little community is suffi-
Gent unto itself because OF the unoroken
# N a unr
shoots of The family grow up beside the old.
Entire valleys are found peopled by Estates
men" of the same family and name, pro-
nounced requirement, physical popularity,
or location OF habitati9n, such as Jock the
Russler" (wrester). "Padish-tnop (p0rridge-
tub Ben," or ''Dick O. tn Rgg," providing
ample distinction. Courtship Is carried on
in a primitive and vigorous way that would
shock modern deiicacy, but all manner of
matiDgs remain firm and true. Marriages
provide extraordinary festivals, and, after
the feast, numberless useful offerings from
friends are made TO the bride, who receives
them sitting iii state. The dead are
" watched from decease to burial.
and funerals furnish su6dned diversions
with herulc feasts. CaDdiemas, Curl
ing Sunday, when friends pelt one
another with peas. Good Friday
"Powsowdy night" Christmas time and
all chrlstenipgs are boisterOusly celebrated.
Leaping, wrestling aud running are the
principal amusementS of The youths and
men, VINO excel those OF other English pro
vincial districts, while The ancient custom of
''rush-bearing." which will be described in
a future Article, is still here in vogue. The
severely pious European peasantry seem to
be extraordinarily superstitious. and the
Cumbrians are no exception. Every crag,
dale or lake has its respective demon, while
the universal spook is-the 'Dogle." 1t is a
ghost, goblin, witch, warlock or bedeveling
what not. But the "bogle" is great CON-
fort TO the old women, certain corrective
for ''haddering" children, and brings all
Cumberland folk closer together in the
home glow of their blazing ingenooks dur
ing the long winter nights, when the tent
pests howl among Skiddaw's dreary scars
or thunder along the ''Striding Ridge" OF
mighty Helvellyn. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.