Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-10
GRASMERE.
The Grand Scenery of the An
cient Rural Home.
THE MOST ANTIQUE VILLAGE.
The Grammar school of Hawkshead.
Many of the Landmarks Still Re-
main - Typographical and
Literary Divisions.
pecial Correspondence OF the Gazette.


GRAsMERE, ENGLAND, April 2S.-Just as
the present century was coming in. Words
worth, the then political extremist and bud
ding poet, with his sister Dorothy-one Of
the grandest types of those women whose
resistless sympathy and encouragement are
of more benefit 10 the world than the oia-
tant pretensionS of all the female lists that
ever were born, or ever Will be born, into 1t
returned to the English lake region, the
land of their birth. and it remained their
home until their death.
| tramped over the fell from Keswick to
COckermouth, the ancient village in which,
in l71111, the poet was born. The grand seen
cry of the region lies in every direction in
endless change along the winding way To
the east, Heiyellyn and Skiddaw, huge and
dark, are continually presenting new forms
of majesty ana color, or hiding in mystic
rious beauty behind the fleeing veilings of
tender passing clouds. One or another of
the lakes, Derwentwater, Buttermere,
Crummock Water, Enuerdale Water, Loves
Water or Bassenthwaite 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 Toasted
upon. Cockermouth itself is but one of the
many quaint old Cumbrian villages, which
seem as ancient and messy as the rocks out
OF which they We're hewn. Il IS L sweet,
dim dreamful and songful old spot, for the
Derwent river sweeps melodiously by, and
the Cocker river, from which the village
derives its name, is emptied into the Der
went at the village side. Wordsworth's
father, John Wordsworth. was an attorney
here, and law agent TO Sir James LOwther,
afterwards the Earl of LonSdale, who re-
Quilted his services by forcibly borrowing
the earnings of his lifetime, 5000, which
sum, years after the death of both the earl
and hiS viz linn NxnS refI1r.ppt IN the WOris-
worth family. The house is 4 long, two
stored, hipped-roof structure, standing ut
corner of Main street and recessed
alley, and must have been regarded as a
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 "a massive stone wall with wide
coping and monumental projections at regu-
lar 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 DERwEST.
IIawkShead. where the lad Wordsworth
passed his hrSt Years OF school lie, Is IN
the most northern part of Lancaster. where
that shire pushes up into the southern
reach of the lake region. 1t lies midway
between the queen Of the English lakes,
Windermere, and Coniston water, near
which may be found the home of John
Ruskin, and nestles prettily beside the
beautiful Esthwaite water II is by far
the most antique village of the lake coun-
try
"All angles, twists and crooks,
With penthouses and gables over archways.
vents and hooks,
as Gibson oddly sang: while its VIEW trees,
under which many of Wordsworth's earlier
verses were written, are quite as majestic
and far more beautiful than the famous
views of Borrowdale. The Old SchoolhouSe
is standing just as Wordsworth left it. 1t
is noted in literature rs the Grammar
School of Hawksnead,'' and its .'rules.';
in the handwriting OF Archbishop Sandy
of York, who founded the school in
1855, may still be seen. 1t is no
more than tiny stone dungeon, with
wide, low windows, single broad
low door, and a whitewashed schoolroom
interior, where 4 tall man would be in
danger of humping the ceiling beams with
his head. The schoolboy, Wordsworth, cut
mis- name into his desk, and the SCARED old
plank is accordingly priced as a precious
relic. Everyone will remember the good
old dame, Anne Tyson, with whom Words
mother 10 him during his boyhoods days
at Hawkshead. Her cottage is still stand
ing: and
THE snow white church upon the hill,''
made famous in the Prelude y stands as
then in 4 near field. Around it the sheep
aud lambs are grazing. But the old life
went out of Hawkshead with the hand
looms: you will never find a half score of
worshipers at service within 1t: and the
incumbency is so reduced that the village
rector himself rings the chime of bells
which calls the dim old folk that remain to
this
ALL But DESERTED SHRINE
For some unaccountao ole reason but little
of Wordsworths poetical devotion was Civ
en- to his birth spot, Cockermouth, or to his
youthtide haunts at Hawkshead. Seen
ically 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
land, the interest and feeling of the
thoughtful traveller seem 10 parcel the dis
trict into two almost equally fascinating
typographical and literary divisions-the
northern and southern, though both of
these are central These are very near
each other in miles, and tenderly near in
associative interest. The northern district
is geographically dominated by Skiddaw,
Saddleback and Grassmoor. 1t possesses
the beautiful lakes of Bassedthwaite, Der
went, Ullswater and Thirlmere 1t has
Keswick town for central point from
WHICH 10 StSh It's SCcALC SpicuuOfS. WltIe
as distinct area it seems sacred to the
memories Of Coleridge, Shelly and Southey.
The southern, and, all things con-
sidered, perhaps the SUMMER and
more exquisite of the two, is over
Swallowed by the mountain monarch of
the whole lake region. Helvellyn, by High
street, by Sea Fell and Bow Fell, and BY
Coniston Old Man from the old British aid
maen-hin of stone. The enhancing
lakes of Coniston, Windermere, Rydal and
Grasmere silver its noble dsles and Wales;
in the hamlets of BownesS, Ambleside
Rydal and Grasmere cluster its sweet old
Cumbrian homes. and their neighborhood
is chiefly rife with memories OF Martineau.
Hemans, Arnold, Christopher North
DE QUINCY AND WORDSWORTH.
The latter first intended to build his home
at Applethwaite, on How Gill, lovely spot
on the southern slope OF Skiddaw, within
sight of Southey's Greta Hall and keswick,
and within hearing of the chimes of old
Crossthwaite church The land was n gift
to him from Sir George Beaumont OF Col
erton, and still remains the property of his
descendants. But on his permanent return
TO the lake region ne made the ancient vii
lage of GraSmere his home. This hamlet
is on the main coach road, traversing from
north 10 south the central and most beauti-
fui portions of the Lake district. and is but
three miles from Rydal and five from Arnble
side which lie to the south. Here he resided
for three years--firSt at Dove cottage, aft
erwaid occupied BY DeQuincy, and now
forming a portion of the outbuildings of
busy inn: next i'll Il roomier but less COM
Portable house at Allen Bank. and again in
= he parsonage OF the ancient Crasmere