The record-union., 1893-07-01

NANAh4byg luOuRH smut OUT Ol SOIlt DN lUG
wary masters. The SCHOOL seeming
most suitable as prototype of them all,
from the personal of its savage owner
and his family, with wild and desolate
physical surroundings in keeping with
the hopelessness of the school-lite of the
place itself, was the Dotheboys Hall, still
standing in Bowes = hardly a stones
throw from the ancient Unicorn Inn, the
house being occupied by 'old man Bons-
field" husband of the veritable Squeers'
daughter, Fanny Squeers, known in life
as Mary Ann Shaw-where Nicholas
Nickleby," his protege in misery, the
wretched 'Smike," and scores of other
helpless young lives, are depicted as hay-
ing undergone an almost inconceivable
life OF servitude, starvation and cruelty.
Investigations showed that the horrible
picture drawn was not an eXaggeration,
and bore out Dickens own statement in
the original preface that MIR. Squeers
and his school are faint and feeble pict-
ures OF an existing reality, purposely
suDdued and kept down lest they should
be deemed impossible" This, Dickens
second, and in some respects his greatest,
novel, was begun in April, 1888, and lin
lshed in october, 1889. At the appear
ance OF the first part he ran away from
London, as he always did, to remain in
hiding until distinct measure of public
favor or dlsiaVor was shown. In the case
of Nicholas Nickleby'' torgivable skulk-
ing was of short duration. The first days
sale OF the first part exceeded $4,000 cop
les. Not six months had passed before
the torture and cruelty to helpless schol-
ars in these remote prison-pens were
abated, and before the last chapter of
Nicholas Nickleby" had been read, pub
lie feeling, which, in many portions OF the
country, barely escaped expression in
riot, had annihilated every child-hell of
the DOtheboys Hall variety in England.
If you came from London to Bowes
over the same coach road as did Nicholas
N1ckIeby, when, nearing the end OF his
dreary Journey, sat about O'Clock that
night, he and Mr.. Squeers and the little
boys, and their united luggage, were put
down at the George and New Inn," you
would have come'by the old coach road
from London TO Edinburgh and Glasgow.
On leaving the ancient city of \ Nork you
would have struck into highway 2,O00
years old. Masses of Roman legions have
swept, tide on tide, back and forth over
the same stone road. Stern Agricola, the
courtly Tacitus and Emperor Servius
himself, have ridden towards the uncon-
querable North upon it. The latter left
$4,000 OF his army dead among the Scotch
mlsts and mountains, ana with his face
set towards Romea and home, only reached
York to die of his wounds and chagrin.
1t is the great Roman road of England
Waiting, or Waithling street, it is called.
Away in the north of Yorkshire, few
miles above Catterick Bridge, one stem of
this highway goes on through Durham
and \ northumberland, and thence to Ed
iuburgh. The other swings around to
the westward traversing Westmoreland
and Cumberland through Carlisle to the
great Roman Wall, which once protected
Britain from the Caledonian hordes, and
thence, in a more modern coach road,
winds through the lovers haven, Gretna
Green, to Glasgow. On this western
stem, between the Rivers Rees and Greta.
at the eastern edge OF Stanemoor, nearly
surrounded by desolate moors, and in the
northwest corner of Yorkshire, lies what
is lett of Dowes.
1t is difficult not to wander away from
description of the old Unicorn Inn at
Bowes, among the literary and antigua
rian things of interest in its neighbor-
hood. The inn itself must not be con-
founded, even under its Old name of the
George, with the George Inn of Greta
Bridge, six miles nearer York, now used
as a corn mill. To disguise the exact To-
cation of Dotheboys Hall, Dickens made
Squeers Shaw travel with young
Nickleby three miles from the George
Inn at Greta Bridge TO the supposititious
hall, F." followed by the carload Of in
tant misery" What they really did was
to dismount all together from the York
and Carlisle coach within the inn-yard
Of this very Unicorn, and then shiver
along the crooked, cobbled single street
of Bowes, until they arrived at the
"long, cold-looking house." little way
beyond TO the west, and "a tall, lean boy
poor Smike) with a lantern in his hand
issued forth.''
The Unicorn, which seems to have COM
pletely escaped the attention of English
antiquarians and travellers, is not only
remarkable from its associations In haV-
ing been the most important inn near the
border, between York and Glasgow and
Edinburgh in olden times, but in also be-
ing the largest of those ancient English
roadside hostelries still extant, which were
called into existence by the necessities of
travel in the old coaching days.
At its very door the royal mail began
the ascent over the Great North Road of
weird, dreary and vast Stanemoor, peo-
pied only by witch and warlock. silent
ever save from bowling tempests, and
with no semblance OF humans upon it.
save at its desolate top, where William the
ConquerOr and Malcolm of Scotland
fought dreadfully and long to decide the
boundaries of their respective Kingdoms,
and then wisely stopped and feasted, SEN
sibly deciding that on the very spot
should be raised the great Roi now Rere)
Cross, or Gross of Kings" on one side of
which was craven the image of William,
and on the other that of Malcolm, but 500
years have eaten these old faces away,
and none others will be seen until Kirby
stephen, nesting in the valley, on the
other side towards ancient Penrith and
Carlisle, is reached, all of which gave
travellers cheer at the Unicorn a special
zest not unmiXed with q tinge OF dread.
Its form is of a double quadrangle,
each fully 100 feet square. The one next
the street has its entire front open to the
great inn-yard thus formed The two
l1., Oh, H.
spectlvely the inn proper-a long, two
stored and garreted stone structure, with
a perfect maze of curious old rooms ap-
preached by outlandish stairs, entries and
landings, and rendered additionally be-
Wllderlng by countless inches, cupboards,
alcolves and blind panels, and the other
a huge brew-heuse, with dozens of gra-
neries and storerooms behind. The side
opposite the street provided offices and
sleeping accommodations for guards, post
boys, whips and all those inn-helpers
concerned in working the coaches, or
dealing with the tired cattle OF the many
travellers on horseback, merchandise pack
ers and wagoners passing between Eng
land and Scotland a century ago.
Ia this quadrangle are also many open
stone sheds, with tiled roofs, stone feed
boxes, and neat, slanted cobble-stone
floors, where private vehicles and wag-
oners could find temporary shelter in
great mum bers, and in the center of this
quadrangle, set about with stone drink
ing troughs, is the most tremendous an
cient pump l have found in England,
still creakingly serving the scanty uses of
the present degenerate days.
The quadrangle behind the inn-yard is
formed by what remains of the ancient
stone stables, where scores OF pairs of
post-horses could have found comforta-
ble quarters and as many more carriers
and packers cattle have good shelter and
care. In the hostel proper the huge old
kitchen must have quite equaled the IA