Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-03

TEFHS-
80, land points. that rushed thirstily. with
all their freight OF trees. down into the
brown water.
IL liz lonely road, that hard. white.
winding. dOwn-hll way, that leads from
Windermere village to sweet AmbleS.de.
A low stone wall binds the road on either
side. and behind II are steep hil'sides ana
fields. tawny with haf-ripe wheat. Long
lines Of beech and larch trees line either
side tn stone walls and cast Pickering
I Destry OF sunshine and shade across
the path. while overhead the long, green
branches knit together in pleasant tan
giles. y rms grew IN every sreHlce or the
rock walls and or the edge teatrery
array of purple foxglOve and long
stemmed. Wild marigods dainty as the
broidery on a silken gown.
The long twilight was gray and chill.
and a believing wind came down from
tn fells-from the gloomy hrOws Of The
Old Man." from the Langdale Pixies. Ling
moor. and Loughrigg. Lcaiy perfumes
came ont from the bosky groves; the
lake lay like full brown moon. caught
on the hills. and a bird In hedge sang
his goodnight song 10 the qui skies.
The driver pointed across the water 10
Invisible COnistOn. where les Brentwood.
the home OF Ruskin. To the right OF
the road he showed us n great stone
gabled hotel called Low wood and just
beyond H. up among the trees. he told
us there is iower-hidden cottage, call 4
the Doves Nest. that was the home ~
that forgotten poet Mrs. Hem1ns. And
after a while. we COM into narrow,
quaint street. with dark stone houses.
leaning their gray gables over the road
a late twilight ms stery OF homes ana
hotels and churches. under dark trees.
and We know that We have come at last
TO Ambles.de.
As We sat in our dimity-draped room.
over cup OF tea ana some smok ng
hot oat-cakes. | asked that beloved she
who Is my guide philosopher. AID friend
II she had not b tier register US.
BEG pardon, maam. but ! have done
the same for YOU" said the Whitc-capped
maid who was closing the curtains and
pulling the dressing bureau back 20 It's
absurd place, in front Of the only win
dow.
l thanked her and wondered to. my.
self how In the mischief She had found
out our names-iry body might have
guessed we were from America-lnd 50
next morning / took care 10 look IN the
visitors book, to see IL we were down
all right.
we were. on two lines was inscribed
this legend. Mrs. smith Premier. MISS
Smith Premier. L. s A." She. too, had
been having look at that coal-boN.
Sweet Ambl side, Shall ever again we
find so beautiful spot? Like biid-nest
caught In the fragrant branches OF some
lonely forest tree. you lie IN all your
untarn.ehed lovsliness among your tarns
and fells, AS the great four-and-siN horsr
coaches came slashins up % the door
u the Salutation Inn. II almost seems
that one must see Harriet Martlneau IN
her white shawl aud brown fr0ck come
striding over the old mill bridg'-that
beautiful, lazy. m0ss-grQwn, mllI-Wneei
that has turned such a cycle OF rounds
since first it swept the waters Of the
StOck-to SEE who had come TO get mr.
mail.
II might have been yesterday that poor,
dazed Coleridge wen, So ng.ng down the
hillside over IN stolping-sfOnes that cross
the trimming bed - chatterlng Rothay.
on his way 10 Grasmere. and his com
fOrter-Dorothr Wordsworth. II might
have been yesterday that thn-faced. sad
eyed - Quincy went by, hurrying home
- that fatal cup that chcerei him. II
was Yesterday that famous Dr. Arnold
wandered through the village some oi
his Rugby boys M his heels. or accom-
panied by that stiliy-starched schoiar-his
son, Matth W
Ambleslde. the very heart OF the lake
district. Ii 5 IN the tiny green valley or
the small river ROthay. The pasture-like
slopes Of Wansfell are at it, mead, N.
glorious purple crags and softly wooded
sides ~ LOughricg nj its feet The tp-
nd Of Windermere Lake o. nearly a mile
away. and the only waters are the tiny,
hlbbling Stock and that fllrer stream.
R0thay. that winds its way like a scarf
through the meadows at the lower end
fl kLt tDNH
The houses line thu narrow streets that
wind over the hills Ike so many c1irng
Of grim stone. Everything Is built OF
gray. yellow. and purple slatestone-the
nat slabs simply being neatly pied on
on the other SO that the houses have
a curiousy piebsld look that would not
be pretty II all their tall walls were
not covered with tn rich mantle Of Eng
fish ivy. Steep gables 'front.' the street
and over the peaked pOrche5 CHAMBER
-. Il - \ fFf fHs. an
square windows that are far pretuer
than bOw-windows. and more cheersoine-
standing up straight and tail ana falr 70
see. like ladies at 4 court drawlnS-IDou'
are rows OF damask roses holding m thelr
sweet hearts memories and promises OF
love at midsummer time.
IL il the chimneys OF these houses that
give N m a Characteristic beauty. In
America the chimney gets scant attention
from the architect. In England II Is 10
the home what the castellatcd tower is
to the castle. Nothing could b more
quantly charming than these queer West
mOreland chimneys 4 huge square chin
ney. almost a tower rises from the back
~ each gable. and IL will be surmOunted
by three round columns. made Of a small
mosaic OF slatestOne often the scarlet
trumpet-yine or ivy twists its leaves and
long tendrils about the columns, ana
birds build their n SITS there IN the warm
hooks. Gabled stone houses. rising above
llflE dIiOl1s VIII Al4'Ak IT Al-l-N 'tN'A.AttN+
chimneys clustering In graceful symmetry
ana floating thin, gauZy pennons OF
smoke-those royal standards that an
nOunce love 10 be AT homemade beautl-
ul all this nesting land OF lakes.
on the hill centre OF Anbleside are
all the hotels In a group, and b re, too,
are the coaching offices whence coaches
start every morning 70 Keswick and
COnistOn and Grasmere. A winding road
leads away from the shops. filled with
these trihes so dear 10 the tourist heart.
down 10 the fine--toO fine-GOthic church,
designed by Sir Gilbert Scott. but which.
nevertheless, IS beautiful with its ornate
tower. and about its feet the slabs of
graves trailing Ike a stone garment.
whose edges are lost among the cloveis
ami slky-pctalled buttercups
II was late SATURDAY evening, and the
villagers had already been 10 the church
yard with their wreaths Of remem-
brance. when We started forth on our
first walk. 4 narrow path went IN the
shadow OF IOughrigg until Il stOppti 81
the brink OF Rothay. Across the brook
that babbl s garrulously on its way are
set up a path OF big, square stones. IKE
stones the poets stepped on their way
u WordswOrth's hom,. and just beyond
them. on the steep hillside. IN PIC
turesque house called the stepping stones
live two Of his granGs0ns.
We climbed the winding road and IN
threw ourselves down In bed oi terms
10 rest. Behind US rose the wooded mn IL
irs seeming the air us larches leaning
IN ir long branches away 80 that some
rough. purple rocks might assert their
own claims.
The bright sunlight hecked the long
grusses. ana stirred tne beds Of wild
dover bloom, 80 that they seemed exc
cutting fairy dance. COol rprays OF
wild honeysuckle and travellers Joy LAY
along the huiging walls that banked In
the path. ana whose rugged rocks were
scaled with pale pink and gray lichens.