The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-08-05
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS
IN THE LAND OF WORDSWORTH,
C0LERIDGE AND S0UTHEY.

Keswick, the Ancient Cumbrian Capital,
And its Dreamful Sort OF Purring
Ecstacy from Material and Spiritual
Content-The Noted Keswiek Conyen-
lions and their Founder Cannon Bat.
tersby.
KEswrcK, England, July 20.-My
first nights experience in this an
cient Cumbrian capital of the Eng
fish lake district was so peculiar
one, that in my pilgrimings in Brit
ain am often drawn back here at
this pleasant season of the year, for
an undesirable sort of contemplation
and rest. / had come over the noun
tains on foot from vagrant loiterings
among the peasantry of Miterdale,
Wasdale, Watendlath, ami Borrow
dale, and striking into the old coach
road from Windemere, had fingered
bit in the mystic vale of St. John.
Resuming my way along the coach
road leading over bold Castle Rigg
into Keswick. being dusty and trav
ell stained and doubtless regarded as
tramp by the hundreds of tourists
passing in their gay coaches, traps,
gigs and wagonettes, saw American
manners abroad illustrated by a mil
lionaire American tourist, whom |
recognized, tossing the remains of
lunch hamper upon my head and
shoulders, at which exploit his dia
mond spangled brood laughed mer-
rily and long; English manners ex
emplified by several gentlemen
whips" attemptin to cut my shout
ders or face as they dashed past; and
Scotch and Irish manners shown by
a delicious old Scotchman and an
equally delicious young Dublin bar
FISHERMEN of account in their sep
arate places, in their vacation time
really seeing the lake country on
their own legs-jogging along to-
wards Grasmere together, contend
ing with amiable ferocity as to which
race had priority in Britain, and
both, as they met me, as yaliantly
insisting on being the first to accost
me and offer me roadside consolation
from their respective TASKS
With these and like engaging di-
versions | trudged cheerily to the
north up Castle Rigg. Reaching its
top l turned for farewell look to
wards the glorious southern scenes
of the lake region. On the one hand
were the seemingly endless fells,
odorous with the new blooming
heath, and here and there masses of
blue from banks of violets, gentle
breeze stirring the sea-like expanse
of color as if with riotous motion
and delight On the other, as if
some misty cauldron fashioned out
OF neither earth, the purple shades
and shadows Of St. Johns Vale: and
above it-below, within and above
the clouds, monarch Helvellyn for
est hung at it's base; cleft and scar
red above; still higher, striped with
far descending torrents like mighty
plumes of white; and it's lofty bro
ken summit and famous 'Striding-
Edge" showing thousands of black
ened almost vertical burrows in the
eternal stone of its peaks and ridges
If here was one of those ravishing
scenes which can never be effaced
from the memory, but a few steps
over the mountain top furnished an
other of equal beauty and impressive
ness. 1t was perhaps an hour before
sunset, and the glorious vale of Kes-
wick or Derwentwater, thousand
feet below, came full and fair in view.
Keswick gray and snug was half
hidden within it's bosom. To the
, right Saddleback and Souter Fell
lay in lofty billowy moors against
the horizon, and the silvery threads of
Greta river wound in and out of the
lush meadows below. To the left
and the west cleaned the upper
/ reaches of Derwentwater with the
, heights of Causey Pike and Grass.
moor beyond, peaks of saffron and
purple in the slant rays Of the sink
ing sun. Beyond the tower of old
Crossthwaite church, where Southey
lies buried, shone the blue bed OF
Bassenthwaite Water. And beyond
the whole lovely vale, where the
farms were spread in checkered
splatches of color between sinuous
threads of hedge and wall, lofty
c Skiddaw stood monarch sublime Of
. the Cumbrian North.
On my lettering way down into
the town l came to quaint, little
u crooked-roof house, trim and neat
s and tidy as clipper old woman al
f a pleasant fair. "Chestnut Hill''
, was the inscription upon the stone
. gate post. A huge sycamore stood
u sentry beside the cottage. An old
y serving man was cropping the hedge
8 by the gate. l stood and looked al
q the place for a little time, for il
seemed to me the house must have 6
history. The old man, observing
my own observance, paused in his
0 toll, drew his horny fingers slowly
i along the hedge shears, and sale
> with an air of proprietary superiority
can we ma weel leuk agin an agin
L neebor." looked and looked agar
8 as hidden, but SO inquiringly tha'
4 the old man, resuming his hedge
n clipping and clearing his throat a,
h if for portentious announcement, con
;, descended to explain:
d "Twas in this vera hoos maiste
'e Shelley lid wi t. babbey wife, lain.
r syne. Tha pleed played an pleed
a an niver wark'd, till t. laird drea'
y n DOT. T. beukish (bookish) folk
!, DALLAS (always) ha' nowt but plee n
Il maunder'n n yewlment (sorrow.
t. Tha be nowte at dover (Fit 70
n nothing.)
h thanked him for the bitter re
minder of great truth, which car
. ried the sad memory with it tina
a this was indeed the veritable cottag
where Shelley brought his school
le girl bride, and where they chase'
r each other like happy children abou
!. its flower beds and little lawn, unit
y the stern Cumbrian landlord chase,
u them both away for lack of rent, an,
70 with this plaintive romance still i
D. mind turned up past Greta bridg
q. into the quiet agh crowded street
of Keswick.
:, The old Cumbrian capital cluster
Oh closely on either side of one lon
" street which turns abruptly at it
d center, and at some distance fror
Z. this begins to straggle away north
/. ward, countryward, to lonely and an
~ cient Crossthwaite church. Facin
is this street, or just removed with
e. curious and often winsome court