Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-30
THE POET GRAY
At the Shrine and Haunts of
the Famous Elegy Writer.
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
The Poet Traveller Among Scenes Familiar
10 English ReadeFs-Stoke Manor
and The Monument 10
Gray.
oopyrIght, lsaa by Edgar L, wakeman.i


Stoke Poges, England Oct l2, 1889.
II the splendid scenic and historic
environment Of Stoke Poges, the old
home and chief haunt of the poet Gray,
is fine and stirring, the place itself Is
likely to awaken the purest emotions of
contemplation and delight. There are
no more beautiful park and farm land
soapes to he found in England than in
Buckinghamshire, which include the
yelyety reaches and splendid parks and
primeval forests roundabout Windsor
Castle.
But Victoria can nowhere find in all
the sylvan retreats OF Home Park, Mid
die Park and Great Park, at Windsor,
that intense retirement and melodlous
solitude which iostered the pensive aud
gentle spirit breathing from every line
Of Gray's matohless "Elegy.n Peace
and repose seem to brood upon all the
lanes aud fields. II you come, rs most
visitors do, by way of Windsor and
Slough station, you will insensibly feel
this the moment the latter place has
disappeared behind the elms, and you
are alone in the highways between the
fields. Eternal sabbath seems to have
descended upon the entire parish OF
Stoke POges ank the manor Of Stoke
and, whatever the season OF year, the
dangerous hush is always here and ever
close and unbroken.
] often tramp out here from old Lon
don town with any manner of vagarous
excuse for the idling vagabond Journey.
Each time am sure to discover some
new lane or hedge bordered road lead
ing TO the nook and nest seek.
Wherever | may be- when half dozen
miles away | follow blindly only the
general direction towards the tiny gray
old splre which pushes above the soft
bank OF trees TO tho west. and then, be
IL by broad highway, blossoming lane
or by footpath across the fields there
is the same surprising quiet beauty
and changeless atmosphere OF rest
One may only fancy IL, but IL seems
that even the cots upon the highways
are more noiseless here. Cotter and
ploughboy, farmer or grimy potter
from the near kilns, country wenoh or
lassie with rosy cheeks, appear TO move
from house TO house or field TO field, as
Il in pleasant mood, Kline in fields,
dogs at doorways, sheep ia moadows,
all browse or nod as in sleepy solstice
timo; while the birds, though no
less melodious hero, tuno their lays
as II hesitant of breaking, even with
All this, too, is intensified by the pecul-
lar retirement OF the central scene of
tho "Elegym-the Stoke Poges church
and churchyard. Neither Is at tho
wayside rs Is usual with English coun-
try immortal churches. Unless first
rightly directed, you would pass them
many times upon the old north and
south highway from Slough. They lie
to the west of tho road hidden by dense
masses Of trees. Opposite are pleasant
fields, with here and there willow
bordered ruulets OF whipping water
or shaGowy pools, whore, in summer
arc
The kline, breast deep in the shadows at
noon,
When the flushed sun waits in sanrony
skies -
threadings OF lanes and highways with
dainty vistas stretching TO the horizon
between, and, II the trees are wind
whipped enough In autumn time,
glimpses OF the somber brown Of Eton's
embattled walls, with the great Round
Tower OF Windsor, gray silhouette be-
yond
II you know tho way and have come
IN June or July when lawn aud leaf are
richest you can SEQ from the highway
no more than the chimney, or the
caves, or bit Of the roof thing Of
little lodge beyond the gate. Over
arching trees and luxurious crecpors
saut out tho Stoke Park road 10
church and manor house c0m-
pletely' Leaving this, you enter nath
leading over little hlllock thiuN.'a