The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-27
And all the silvery gossamers
That twinkle into green and gold.

That twinkle Into green and gold.
"Calm and still light on yon great plain
That sweeps with all Its autumn flowers
And crowded farms and lessening towers,
To mingle with the bounding MAN,"
Highdown, Freshwater, at the
western end of the Isle of Wight,
where the beacon will stand, is part
of the Manor of Farringford, Tenny-
sons home after 1858. The end OF
the island is here cut off in the shape
of peninsula, and the high down on
which the monument will stand thus
seems almost an island, and stand
ing 500 feet above the sea, it forms a
striking feature in the seascape OF
Wight. The view from the summit
is magnificent, commanding the
Solent from Portsmouth to Wey-
mouth, and inland far beyond the
New Forest.
The sides of the down are covered
with furze among which may be found
orchids and shy violets in spring and
the summit itself, the objective point
of the poets daily two hours walk, is
the home of sea birds and presents a
panorama, perhaps unrivaled of its
kind in the world. Below on lower
hill, is Danish barrow" probably,
as the poet was wont to say, the grave
of some Danish leader.
The greatest length of the Isle OF
Wight is nearly % miles and its great
est width about 13 miles, the "Back
of the Island" breaking in series OF
sheer, bold cliffs presenting an abrupt
a-front, "stooping grandly" to the
English Channel, while its outlook is
upon the pleasant shores of England
Eight or nine rugged chasms and de-
files or "chines" as they are topo-
graphically called by the inhabitants
of the island, are within seven OF
eight miles of Freshwater and add
immeasurably with their picturesque
ravines, shelving rock and tufted
shrubbery, to the romantic scenery
Before Tennyson's fame drew trave-
1ers from all parts of the world to the
Isle of Wight, the island from its pc
culiar situation and the difficulties OF
travel on it was quiet and specially
suited to a poet. But in late years
the increasing number of tourists and
excursionists were often trial to the
poet and he found in his home in
Surrey, in which he died, more con-
genial, because more quiet place.
But it is with the Isle of Wight
that Tennyson's fame in the maturity
of his genius is specially associated
and this fact combined with his love
of the sea, makes the Farringford To-
cality eminently the fittest one fol-
the memorial.
At first to many it may have seemed
strange that an Iona Cross was chos
en- as the form of the memorial. But
Tennyson was always interested in
everything pertaining to early Celtic
history and especially in the religious
history and legends of Iona, and it is
said, he at one time meditated writing
a poem based upon thelegends of the
monastery of "The Holy Isle" Fur
thermore, the form chosen is said to
be especially satisfactory to the Ten
nyson family as being a memorial
such as the poet himself would have
desired. 1t is graceful act of inter
national courtesy by which England
and America thus unite in honoring
England's laureate. The monument
will bear this inscription: "To the
memory of Alfred, Lord Tennyson
this Cross, a Beacon to Sailors, is
raised by the people of Freshwater
and others desiring to honor him in
England and America"
CHICAGO, July IL.