Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-07-27


Noah's dove. and scroll-work in ochre and
vermilion chalk M universal homeside
custom among the lake district peasantry.
The chairs were huge and high and OF
oak. The bureaus and dressers quantity
decorated with shining pewter and strange
old bits of chinaware, were high, narrow
audsprawling-legged, and Eli Of mahogany.
The beds-for one for the house master
occupied corner OF the room--were high.
huge and strong enough for the repose OF
giants and were of strangely carved oak;
Out from this ample living room extended
inviting vistas through low-ceilinged lean
tos," each one doubtless builtin different
century, and each provided with many
tiny windows with deep easements, through
which could be caught CLINT of blossom,
spray of foliage, or the lichened gray OF
some ancient structure the whole dream
OF sweet old age, centuries.old roofing 10
the very rocks of the hills, endless content
and unbroken repose. No wonder IS 1t
that the heart OF the wanderer, when
coming upon scenes like this, for the
moment thrills with longing TO end his
pilgrlmings, and bioo for aye where the
bitter struggle of life may no more come
within such winsome, storm-defying walls!
This picture of a single peasant home at
ancient Bowness- on Solway is one of even
tone with thousands of others, from the
Scottish border down through the noun
tain dalesi and passes of the grand lake
district. across Cumberland and Westmore-
land, past Morecambe bay, almost TO the
River Lime, in Lancashire. Its peasant
owner was Statesman" That one word
is the key to his spleadid self-poise, his
simple, strong nature, and to the ample
comfort and fixedness of his environ
ment. 1t is true of them all. These
statesmen" are peasants absolutely pos
sessing the soil which they till. There Is no
tuft-pulling, head-ducking or knee-cringing
among sucn as these in England or any
other country. in the ancient feudal
times the barons were often in sore stress
to repel the Scottish border incursions, or
to make equally barbarois forays of their
own. To provide retainers who would
fight to the death for these barons as well
as for their own mountain-side, rock
hewn cabins. it was found wise thing to
parcel out the lands In tiny bits to hire.
lings; and these villein retainers were in
! time enfranchsed They were only
| service in defence. When feudalism
passed away the yillein landowners re-
manned freeman and possessors in fee Of
the little estates" hence Statesmen"
the noblest peasantry Of all Europe, and q
wondrous though singularly UNDECIDED ex-
| ample to the remainder OF Britain in its
endlessly perplexing agrerian problems,
In no other portion OF England, unless
| 1t be in the quaint old stone-built villages
among the Malvern and Cotswold Hills,
has there been so little change as in this
| English Alpine region. But two faint
| arteries of travel thread through it. One
| is n railway from ancient Penrith to
| Workington on the Irish Sea. The Other
is the most picturesque coach road in
Britain. 1t leads from Keswick where the
shrine of Southey is found. past lordly
| HalvollufY tho tait .Vfasa rHh raf thu
region. and mystic Dunmail Raise, through
Grasmere where DeQuincy lived and Hart
ley Coleridge and Wordsworth sleep sid,
by side, on past Rydal Mount and quaint
old Ambleside with its cherished memorie.
of Haryiet Martineau. christopher NORTH
and DR.. Arnold to Windermere and tn,
little Bowness of Westmoreland, whert
the kindly face of Mrs. Hemans Seems
pressed against every rose-emboweret
window.pane. So, but little wall
through any mountain-pass away from
these thoroughfares and you will come L
the ancient stone-built ''statesmen's'
homes. and nearly the same manner o
peasant mountain life as existed hundreds
Of years ago. Wordsworth was bori
among this folk. He engagingly speak
in this wise of their mountain side habita
tions; Hence buildings, which in thei
very form call to mind the processes o
nature do thus, clothed in part with
vegetable garb. appear to be received in,
the bosom of the living principle of thing
as ii acts aud exists among the woods anC
fields"
You will seldom find a detached an
isolated habitation. From half dozen ;
a score will crocodile together in som
pockety dell, huddle beneath the frownin
height OF dreary scaw, nestle along tn
| side of foaming ghvll, crouch closely tc
! gether in the tangled verdure of som
narrow pass, or stand like a clump O
NOISY rocks beside some shadowy uplan
/ tarn. Wherever found, many Of thei
! pecnliarities are common TO all. You wi
always find them beneath the Shade G
4 lofty sycamore trees; and when the leave
Of these are gone, there is always near th
I cottage the green OF the tir-tree TO gladde
, the eyes in winter. do not believe ther
/ is peasants home in the entire lake di
i trict where the whipping sound of mes
running water is not endlessly heard. III
] orchards are large and bountiful. tn
! stout.walled gardens are splendidly keE
q and fruitful. There are always comfor
q and covered sheep folds to withstand tt
d most pitiless mountain tempests; invari
Il bly, tidy stone shed for the many hiv,
T. of bees which distill from the mountai
s heath the sweetest "hinny" in Englani
E and in summer time every cottage wall
!. mass of flaming roses. Everyone
Z, these habitations Is museum Of anciel
n house utensils. The Oldest one known
!, man, the quern, is here: all implements
!, the hand weaver and spinner are here; Il
a antique "fulling" boardspare here; and
J, have as often found in these habitatiol
d the neither, that most ancient of Gael
1t and Celtic drinking vessels, as ! have con
/, upon them in the cabins Of the Hebrid
or the west of Ireland
- AL -.
h have so steadily Tended all change, tn,
Ia usually furnish most interesting studies
5, their daily lives, customs and folk.lor
ID and yet these people are singularly lackil
D. in any strongiy.Inarked picturesouenC
lt aside from that found in their unyleldil
ID tenacity to the home and actual ownersh
a. Of the soil, their universal thrift and i
vi tegrity, and their almost soddenness
ID calm and repose They were never a DO
u ferrous, registering folk, and to this day t
Ne dalesinen of one valley may have no
IN quaintance with or knowledge of those
al another valley, unless the huddled hon
Id of the latter happen to lie along I
II, mountain road leading to the nearest mi
ket town. Partly accounting for this is
rs unbroken custom of never "hiving of
he People of the same blood and family mai
". occupy entire districts, and are sufficie
re unto themselves. This occasions grotesQ
IL nomenclature In identification. One
Nj known as Jack o. Z Scaw; another. Jem
ii. 4 Rigg; another, Myles O. T. Beck anoth
re- Barrow back't (bent- backed) Boab anoth
he | Fratchin (quarrelsome) Ned, and 81
as another, Byspel lmlschievous) Billy. Tn
IN are all likely to be heads of families a
ir- grave old men. The names came alo
nv with them from boyhood and everyc
nj accepts his neighborhood designation
Elm he does his increase of children or ioC
he and herds, in dignifed though pride
Tx. content.
It'll Some other distinctive ancient custo