The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14
RUsKIN,s sHEPHERDLAND.
Railroads Soon to Invade the Pic
turesque Region.


If the long projected railway from Green
odd, near Coniston, to Ambleside, becomes
an accomplished fact, it is to be feared
that a district still famed for its primitive
virtues will be delivered over to the mercieS
of the hotel keeper and mining company.
At present Shepherdland, as Mr.. Ruskn
christened the fells and dales near Brant-
wood, is little known to the ordinary tour
list, who keeps to the main roads, and it's
hardy sons who earn their living either by
sheep farming or slate quarrying, still pos
sess those virtues of selt5reliance, unceasing
industry and sturdy independence charac-
tariStic of all mountaineers. A reserved
race, like all northerners, and by no means
inclined to respond promptly to every
casual greeting, travellers from the more eff
fusive South who have strayed among them
have often gone away complaining Of their
rudeness and morOseneSs. And yet by no
race is such condemnation less deserved,
as all those who have penetrated within
those bare, stern-lOoking, gray stone farm
houses and enjoyed the hospitality and con-
fidence of their owners will agree, and GER
tainly nowhere in England do better house
wives exist than those who bear away in
the fell farms and skaters cottages of the
two Langdales
the waste" of the green slate quarries and
are straight-walled, unornamented struc-
lures set in the most sheltered places at
the fell foot, their chief characteristic be-
ing the deep porch, built SO to protect
the kitchen, or ''house place" into which
it opens, from the driving wind and heavy
winter snow The cottages, also built of
waste" are generally pIastered, and show
as brilliant and pleasing patches of daz-
Zling white against the dull purple of the
felside heather and whin bushes. Occa-
sionally the porch will be gay in summer
with the vivid scarlet tropaeolum, that
most capriciouS of plants, which will cover
a wayside cottage window with a curtain
of glowing color, and absolutely refuse to
put forth single bud in some well-kept
garden, to which its kobOld-like mind has
taken exception.
Within both farmhouses and cottage are
alike in two particularS-their SpOtlesS
cleanliness and the beauty and appropriate
in ones goods and chattels, which the
cheap, bad furniture, miserable, jerry-built
cottages and frequent moves necesSitated
by the exigencies of the labor market have
almost destroyed among the Southern la
borers, still exists in all its old strength in
the hearts of the shepherds wives of the
north. Indeed, such is the value set upon
furniture and the pride with which it is
cherished that within the last thirty years
both children and servants stood to their
meals lest the treasured chairs should suf-
fer from scratches made on their rails by
careless feet the result being that no home
in England can show more picturesque
interior than that seen through the open
porch of a lakeland farm home.
Hours are very long in the north, for work
at the uuarries begins at 6. and house
must be astir by if its master be either
slater or farmer, though the mistress will
often be found still busy ver mending or
ironing as late as IL at night. The children.
too, must be started on their walk to school
by 7:30 at latest. and many whose homes lie
still farther from the schoolhouse even
earlier When all have been safely set on
their way homework begins in earnest. The
mistress and her maids feed the poultry,
milk the cows and even look after the wants
of such sheep as happen to be folded in the
intake" near the house Such is the spirit
possessed by the whole race that no woman
shirks her burden and work is done and
children are bred up in honesty and health,
blow the wind never so coldly or lie the win
ter snow never so long.