The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-09

da,npacss of that sea-blown isle wrung out
of it, exhaled in the quiyering blue vault
overhead, or passing as dim wraiths in the
distant wood, and ali the long-natured
growth Of that great old garden vivitied
and made Respondent by the fervid SUM-
The ashes of dead and done flarvests, even
the dust of those who had for ages wrought
in il, turned again and again through in
cesSant cultivation, seemed TO move ard
live once more in that present sunshine.
All color appeared TO be deepened and
1neIlowed, until even the very shadows OF
The trees Were as velvety as the sward
they fell upon The prairie-bred Potter,
accustomed 20 the youthful caprices and
rxtravagan of his own virgin soil. could
not help feeling the influence Of the ripe
restraint OF this.
AS he glanced through the leaves across
green sunlit space to the iyy--clad ruins of
Dcrncsday Abbey, that seemed itself a
GipE-th of the very soil, he murmured 10
himself: Things had been made mighty
comfortable for folks here, you bet'' For
gotten books he had read as 4 boy, scraps
OF school histories, or rarer novels came
back to him as he walked along and peo-
pied the solitude about him with their
heroes.
Nevertheless, it was unmistakably hot-a
heat homelike in its Intensity. Yet of a
different effect, throwing him into languid
reVeTfe. rather than filing MS veins with
fire Secure In his secIuson il the lcafy
chase, he took off his jacket and ranbled
on in his shirt-sleeves. Through the open
.ae, lie presently saw the Abbey again with
the restored wing where the noble owner
lived for two or three weeks in the Year,
but now given over TO the prevailing soli-
tude. And then, issuing from the chase,
he came upon a broad. mosss-sIrown ter
race. Before him stretched tangled and
,ria nf low
ers, darkened by cypress and cedars of
Lebanon; its dim depths illuminated by
dazzling white statues, vases, trelliseS and
paved paths. choked and lost in the trail
Ing growth of years of abandonment and
fo!getfulness. He consulted his guide-book
again. II was the odd Italian garden
constructed under the design Of a famous
Italian gan5ener by the third Duke, bat
its studied formally being dispieasing TO
his successor. il was allowed to fall into
picturesque decay and negligent profusion,
which were not however. disturbed by lat
or descendants. A fact <1eplored by the
tistic Nriter of the guide-bnok who mourn
fully called attention to the rare beauty
Of the marble statues, urnS and fountains,
ruined by neglect. although one or two of
the rarer objects had been removed 10
Deep Dene Lodge, another seat OF the
present Duke.
1t is needless 10 say that Mr.. Potter con-
&c artistic enthusiasm OF the critic. and.
plungilsg into the garden, took a mischiev-
Gus delight in its witness and the VIC
tnrious struggle Of nature with the for
1naljty Of art At every step through the
tangled labyrinth he could see where pre-
cision and order had been invaded. and
even the rigid masonry broken or up
heavcd by the rebel!ious force. Yet here
and there the two powers had combined TO
offer an example of beauty neither could
have effected alone. A passion vine mad
ovefrun and enclaSped a vase with per
feet symmetry no sculptor could have
achieved. A heavy baiustraGe was made
ethereal with a delicate fretwork of vege-
tation between Its balusters like lace
Here, however. The lap and clrgie of va
ter fen gratefully upon the ear of the
perspiring and thirsty Mr.. Potter, and
turned his attention to more material
things. Following the sound he present.;
came upon an enormous ohlong marble ba-
sin containing three timc-yvorn fountain ms
with grouped figures. The pipes We're
empty, silent and choked with reeds and
water plants. but the great basin Itself
was filed with water from some invisible
source.
4 terraced walk occupies one side Of the
long i,aralleiograin. and at intervals
along the opposite bank. ilalf-shadowed
by willows, tinted marble figures Of tritons,
fauns, and dryads arose half-hdden in the
reeds. They were more or less mut!lated
by tine. and here and there only the
empty moss-coyered pltnths that had once
supported them could be seen. But they
400 % ufeliEe in their stIbdued co1ors In