Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-18

buI here comes MS grace carriage, II
| mistake not
As L. spoke great heavy yeilew
coach. drawn 10y six 6reanl-colored FEM
ish mares. dashed down the road, and
came swiftly towards MS. Two mounted
lackeys salioped in front and Two others
all in light blue and silver lveries rode
on either side.
Ills grace is not within, else there
had been an escort behind, said the
farmer, as We refined our horses aside to
let the carriage pass. AS they swept by
he shouted out a question as to whether
the duke was at Badminton. and received
nod from the stately bewiggel coach
man in reply.
We are in luck to catch him." said
Farmer Brown. He's as hard to find
these days as a CralIe in Il wheattield
We should be there in an hour or less.
| must thank YOU that | did not take Il
fruitleSS journey into Bristol. What did
YOU say your crrand waS?"
| was again compelled to assure
him that the matter was not one
Of which | could speak with a
stranger, an which he appeared TO be
huffed, and rode for some miles without
opening his mouth. Groves of trees lined
| the road on either side, and the sweet
smell of pines was in our nostrils. Far
away the musical pealing of bell rose
and fell on the hot close summer air.
L Ht SutIttE Oh the UEducHeS WAS IlSaNanf,
for the sun was very strong. blazing
down out of a cloualeSs heaven and rails
ing Il haze from the fields and valleys
a" lis the bell from Chipping Sodhury."
said my companion, at last wiping his
ruddy face. That's Sodbury church yon-
| der over the brow Of the hill. and here
on the right is the entrance of Badminton
park"
High iron gates with the leopard and
griffin. which are the supporters of the
Beaufort arms, fixed on the pillars which
flanked them, opened into a beautiful dc
main OF lawn and grass land, with clumps
of trees scattered over it, and broad
sneetS Of water, thick with wild fowl At
every turn as we rode up the winding
avenue some new beauty caught our eyes.
all of which were pointed ont and ex-
pounded by Farmer Brown, who seemed
to take as much pride in the place as
though it belonged to him. Here it was
| rOckery where 4 thousand bright col
ored stones Shone out through the ferns
and creeperS which had been trained over
them. There it was a pretty prattling
| brook. the channel of which had been
| turned so as to make it come foaming
| down over steep ledge of rocks Or
| perhaps it was some statue of nymph
| or sylvan god, or some artfully-built ar
| Dor overgrown with roses or honeysuckle.
| nave never seen grounds so tastefully
laid out. and it was done. as all good
work in art must be done, by following
| Nature SO closely that ii only differed
from her handiwork in its profusion in
so narrow Il compass. A few years later
| our healthy English taste was spoiled by
| the pedant gardening Of the Dutch, with
| their straight fiat ponds. and their trees
all clipped and in line, like vegetable
grenadiers. In truth. | think that the
Prince of Orange and Sir William TEN
pie had much 10 answer for in working
this change; hut things have now come
round again. l understand. and we have
ceased 10 be wiser than Nature in our
pleasure grounds.
As We drew near the house we came on
| large extent of level sward on which a
| troop of horse were exercising. who were
raised, as my companion informed me.
entirely from the dukes own personal at
tcndants. Passing them, we rode through
grove OF rare trees and came out on a
broad space of gravel which lay in front
of the house. The building itself was of
great extent built after the new Italian
fashion, .dther for comfort than for de-
Tense; but on one wing there remained, as
my companion pointed out, a portion of
the old keep and battlements of the
feudal castle OF the Botelers, looksrT. as
out of place as a forthingale of Queen
Elizabeth Joined TO a court dress fresh
from Paris. The main doorway was led
"a
flight of marble steps. on which stood a
group of foOtmen and grooms who took
our horses when we dismounted. A
Sray-haired steward or maior-domO in
qulred our business, and, on learning that
we wished to see the duke in person. he
told us that his grace would give audi
ence to strangers in the afternoon at half
after three by the clock. In the mean
time he said that the guests dinner had
Just been laid in the hall, and ii was his
masters wish that none who came TO
Badminton should depart hungry. My
companion and | We're but too glad to ae-
cept the stewards invitation, so having
visited the bathroom and attended to the
needs of the toilet. we followed a foot
man. who usherCd rs into a great room.
where the company had already as
Sembled.
The guests may have numbered fifty
or sixty. old and young. gentle and sim
pie, of the most varied types and appear
ance. | observed that many Of them cast
naughty and inquirlng glances round
them, IN the pauseS between the dishes,
as though each marycled how he came 10
be member of so motley crew. Their
only common feature appea red to be the
devotion which they showed 10 the platter
and the wine tiagon. There was little
talking for there were few who knew
their neighbors. Some were soldiers who
services Of the Kings lieutenant: others
were merchants from Bristol, with some
proposal or suggestion aDent the safety
of their property. There were two or
three officials OF the city, who had come
out to receive instructions as 10 its de-
Tense. while here and there ] marked the
child of Israel. who hal found his way
there III the hope that in times of trouble
he might find high interest and noble
borrowers. Horse dealers, saddlers, ar
morers. surgeons and clergymen com
pleted the company who were waited up
on by staff Of powdered and liveried
servants, who brought and removed the
dishes with the silence and dizziness OF
long training.
The room was a contrast to he bare
piainness OF Sir Stephen Timewell's din
ing hall, al Taunton. for il was richly
panelled and highly-decorated all round
The floor was formed Of black and white
marble, set in squares. and the
walls were Of polished oak, and
bore n long line Of paintings Of the
Somerset family. from John Of Gaunt
downwards. The ceiling, too, was taste
fully painted with flowers and nymphs,
50 that a mans neck was stiff ere he
had done admiring it. AT the farther end