Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-01-07


In the heart of that loyelest and grand
at RI gion of England, the Lake District
NJ cumberland md Westmoreland. fair
Is dream of beauty and repose, lie the
ale. the lake and the hamlet Of Gras- {
mere.
Towards the north trails the ever as
.endlng highway to Dunmai Raise, where
more than thousand years ago the
krst Edward crushed the kingdom of
Northumbria and buried the slaughtered
monarch. DunmaA, beneath the cairn or
Raise of pebbles which stands as he
eff Il to this day; while the Striding
Edge Of lordly Helyellyn rises dark and
ieree beyond.
To- the west wind the lofty, serrated
.dxcs Of Steel Fell aud Helm Crag like
lali.suned mighty castle walls, with the
Aatk, coue-like Langlale Pixies behind;
and Shutting In this vale of peace in the
.ast are the heights of Seat Sandal,
sairheld and Nab Scar. The lake Of
Grasnere, blue md deep and still, and
specified by one emerald isiet, rests rip
plcless and shadowless between.
Where its dreamful waters curve TO the
aolitt towards shlmmering Rydal Water
and Royal Windcrmere, on the hamlet
siie d the lake a round, high hali-Inoun-
Iisin (which the peasants call 'tho holt
provincial dialect for the peaked bill
JUS gut boldly from Nab Scar. Ii is for
esl Crowned and dark with centuries-old
trees. The coach road now winds around
md below It beside the lake. The ancient
lirlfway to rose-embowered Amh,eside,
which once with Umbrian stubbomness
3ushed straight across the height, is still
gorn bare. brown and smooth by valley
folk IN haste, by cupid-teased swains and
FLUSHING lasses. by wandering artists and
poets seeking the hannts of Wordsworth,
southey and Colcrdge, and by all those
tourists from far-off lands who ever
owed enough to love to dream again be-
side a hahowed shrine OF love.
JUS there at TIE top Of the hill where
Silence is soundless. where the trees in
ferlnce above the old highway like the
massive arches Of some splendid cathedral
have, the sunshine Hoods in rs through
An oriel window, through whicl again,
,crpss meadow, mere, valley and noun
lain sides, IN uttermost lOngings with the
ferlerest visions of human eyes, the
fef9 peaks of heaven through centuries
QFe been seen. For tlere, famous In
Hng, romance and song, stands Eng
31d's tenderest of all love shrines, the
hclcnt umbrian Wishing Gate
A At noontide Of an August day next
|oefore the day Of Its patron saint, Gras-
mere hamlet lay snug and sunny at the
head of the mere beside its most venerable
u English parish churches, gray old st.
peFald's. This good saints festnl day
talls on the 9th OF August Almost from
the dawn Of Christianity IN Britain it
hns been celebrated at Gransmere on the
Sapirday nearest ST. Oswalds day, by
mat elsewhere nearly obsolete ceremony,
Isessurcd by umbrian folk wifi some
Thing akin to fierce affection, from even
paRnn times, of rushbearing or sfrew-
hF tLelr sacred temples with rushes and
with flowers
The MONDAY the ancient village seemed
1Mnhinsly half waking from centuries Of
repHe. The tiny church windows stood
open There were wreaths upon The
rraves of Wordsworth and Hartley Cu.e-
,nuTf. wLltehnlrcd sexton, beautl-
kM young woman and n stalwart Young
man were leaning over the churchyard
WALL as If listening to the melodies OF the
URpthay stream below. A few mountain
carts stood at the doors Of white cot
.tnges ldden VIII green PUSHES, ''sieves
tne peasants call them, gathered from
the breezy upland fells. a "vagrom"
crew with carts and vans had halted at
the sillage edge. and were wlummeling
Pthcir carts, lettering their cattle. turning
loose their frowsy children, and disposinE
one gagged ends Of a Punch and Judy
booth and a patched and splptered meie
~ rq- round. Sweet slaves Of hymns and
Of dioral evc' ngs were waited from
unseen PAGES. The little inns were being
'laglly put TO rights. From some far and
glnotL cred retreat foatcd understandable
NOTES Of the village band, tuning anew the
fmnrfal strains OF Jenny Dawsons Rush
peanng march, which in olden times
ffIed from the strings of Jenny Daw-
rf4's fiddle; and full in the drowsy sun
E.t'It, on the old inn porch where Southey.
Moflsworth, c5!eridge, De Quincy gad
Scott once sat in loving converse the
"IItNN Lalred ravens OF the ancient ham
tF..Rt and sasclv o1wed and crndked.
iutse were Christopher or Cnrsty.
4 nHFrls, Jenny Railton. Willy Ben and
lltu1Ay Bamthet; all serving men to the
WeNnoreland country gentry IN thel-
umf4 and now Datriarchal Grasmpb
tcntktF who met Mt each others ingle-
neukA at the public house. or whprever
the san of village hospitality or Of heaven
ehone warmest, there to plant upon the
iaehless present times or to purr and
Groom over the brave and Draw old days
carsty Harris had Just Joined his com.
panions., He sat down petuantly al
The end Of the stone b,uch IIi'
shaggy brows were drawn tightly: and
nAs bps were grotes0uelv purspl: ths
corners OF tue under lip being strained
y BY some unusual inner emotion alnosl
to The bottom OF his chin. His old
ffifnds knew this was a portert an,
omen and they kept silence for Il ne
interchangiug sly nudses Of mute an ex
pcetant prophecy. Soon Willy Benz
said softly
TN aud toune Is toonin' m n bitq''
"Oh, aye: tn mornn's rusbbearin', =
ventnred Johnny Ration.
"AR ST. Oaswrli's eNeat." nine
Y Tommy Bamthet. with wink at Jen
and WIN, lis boyle meet on tn holf 81
The NVush'u Geat. Whaen nrli,te
Cnrsfy Harris holp t'lay til ghaist "a
tnoffer neet2
tNahuiAyi" retorted Crrsty so sava e
y bat his three crones gave three Gu
tfp starts and uttered three "Lans-a
tn4reies"' together.
~ ahuddy! he repeated with yt.hn
HNuce. ma MAR o III Wrsh'n Gea
t.*R for CurstY Harris. Whlts van
dH4ih / kna nit: but IN clap ecs NJ
on ghaists j this leef Il l can hol
htery one 10 the lovely valley know q
t,lt pozle, ghost Or spirit. Of the W shin
@nN II had appeared every rnshhrif
!Nf plght for a dulrtar Of a centnry
~ apparition was thar q white