The Honesdale citizen. [volume] (Honesdale, Pa.) 1873-1908, 1908-08-20
In the English Lake Country-A Visit to
WIndermsre and the Home Of John
Ruskin-Au Interesting Letter from
Miss Alice 2. Gregory.

In the English Lake Country-A Visit to
Windermsre and the Home Of John
Ruskin-An Interesting Letter from
Miss Alice z. Gregory.
AmbleSide, England, Aug. ?. 1905.
Dear Cousin-Iour letter, with one
FROM Margaret Hitler aud another from
Louise keefer. reached me as | was
breakfasting at Furness Abbey. II was
raining for the first tune when | have
been travelling, but boarded the train
iust the same. Reaching LAkesida Ab out
hAlf au hoIF later | decided, "a IL was
upl raining as hard. TO wait for he sec
otfsf boat, hoping tue mist would clear
before my sail up Windermere. SO. sit
ting iu the slass-protected waiting room
with pretty Windermere covered by
drifting fog, peTsued my letters. They
were certainly a comfort aud you're con
tsined compliment which, from a giri
up, | have heard YOU pby to Miss
Brownsoombe, aud often wished that
III Sht be the posseeeor Of the gift. Suffice
it to say that those letters put me ia al
emoiioual frame OF mind, one just suited
to appreciate the treat In store for me.
Depositinz my luggage in the cabin |
mDuute1 the deck, for l was well cloak
ell aud moisture tad no terrors for ne.
heavy mIs. still huei tue air. aud
lowering clouds yes hung upon the crag-
aud peaks which oordered either side Of
the lake. Shicn at this point is little
wider than a good sized river The PROF.
poets lookei promising, for here and
there through the Veil of mist q little
blue sky would peep, only 10 be obeour-
ell a moment later by the veerlng clouds
Both tanks we're well wooded Ali veg
citation Is fresh aud lnEuriaut here, for
tnev nave much rain. Nery little land
IL cultivated for grain. the principal crop
1 OF England canuoi be mzture1 and cur
| ed in an ordinary summer.
TO proceed. Ga the right was au
| elevation known a. iumm-T- How an
| the LAucNshiTe pNrlarcs, = hiit.l After
| paS-lug few email islands We came to
a pTonoutory knowu a. R,:wiiuson Nab,
meaning nose, Olt | chose to think IL
| 30 namei because IL seemed to rtretcn
out into the water FROM the foot OF the
| hill as II trying to nat the vessel as she
rouided by. On the right hotel could
| be seen apon the hillside among tue
| trees. and q pier With q small obeerva-
tors upon IL jutted out in the lake. just
here the olouis OF mist parted above us,
aud the sun ehone through. II was go
beautiful to zee those great peaks, a. IL
~ere, hoidin: aside the mist. Tne sun
| ~se never zsa:n entirely obscured.
| am cure the toeIery without that addition
/ would never I,av- been naif a. pretty.
/ Tue lights and shadows were marvellous
From the observatory 1 mentionei !,
Scott. Wordsworth, Tennyeon and Others
OF noie, witnessed u regatta held In hoL-
or Of the nrst-named in 1875 Project
ing from the west bank - Iitt lie farther
on is @ rocky headland upon which a
hotel has b-en erected. It, like all the
buildings about here, was built OF an a =
most Oiack stone. 1t is q dark +audstone,
which look, to me as II It had been suo-
lsoted TO more or less OF nieiaD orrhic
action. Mixed with these stones are
lyofteu reddish aud yeilowish sanistones.
.1ving the walls OF the house a moltled
appearance. Tue walls OF the structures
are built of unhewn stones, just exactly
| A. are own fence wail-.
Tue boat then ste-red to the right.
past Belle lsle, the lArges: island III
Windermere (haif a mile long) to BJW
nees. Here left the steamer aid took
an omnibus TO Windermere a mile aud
a half distant, where l followed mar
row lane With a hedge Of frhododendroh-
The lane passed the side OF u large estate
but soon Terminated ia u oy-patL
tnrou Zh u beautiful wool Wnen near
ly to the top. the path turns into pas.
ure, from which opening Que gets Il
view OF the Lakes TO the south. Afiei
passing along a few rods a turnstile l.
reached. GA one side of the wall at TIM
poii.t is IA tablet upon which lis iuscrio Ted
the appreciation of the family who has
dedicated to the public forever Orres
Head, (the peak which / had beef
oiimbiDg.) On the other side OF the wal
on similar tablet are these lines frou
keble:
Thou who hsst given me eyes to see
AMI love this signt so far,
Give me q heart to tnd out Thee,
And read Thee everywheie'"
The spot is furnished with benches, sC
that one may sit down aud view tn,
country round. The whole country l.
spread out in panorams. OF course tin
chief beauty IL the Lake, which curve
at the foot of the hllls, for one can se'
. the ten miles OF its extent To the north
. east are the Langdale Pixies to th'
( right Of them Loughrigg, which IL!
window faces to the left Crinkie Cras
and Coniston Old Man, the mountain
which towers above lovely Lake Conis
ton, on whose opposite shore is BrAnt
| wood, Ruskin's home, almost hidden b!
. trees.
After looking to my hearts content
went down the hill and made my way {,
/ the wharf, where l arrived just in tlm
for boat to Ambleside. Again my 10
fell in u pleasant place. Am lodgin,
with a maiden lady who lives with he
two brothers who are artistic photogTa
pliers, and took the pictures for tn
plates illustrating the new edition o
| e NOThe.
We went TO Coniston by coach on
, day, and two OF The New Jersey girl
and myself hired boat and u man {,
row us to Brant wood. Here We passed
up a walk to the right OF which Was q
/ rose garden with the flowers just In thei
: prime. Ruskin was very fond OF roses
so there were many rare specimens, ant
they were trained most beautifully. bu
then what other could you expect: Tn
l ayAF Ian -
Il overs, but of all varieties. We scre ~ei
up whole lot of Derve and presented
our cards for admittGuce. The maid re
turned, saying Mrs. Severn. was out, bu
she was sure that the lady would ALLOW
us to see the study il sue were there, 8
We might come in. Time and space viii
not permit ne to go ilto detail, but "ar
tistic" defires the house. Both Wlndo vi
Of the study overlook the lake and o
course permit an unobstTucted view o
, Coniston Old Man. | have Ia photograph
of a corner OF the room which l will
show you some day. The maid also tool
us into the dinin: ToOin. She lived wit
, the family five years previous to Ruskin'
death, ard eaid that they still tried tC
follow ont his customs. There wer,
beautiful punches of roses Oh the tabl'
and sideboard and tn. walls were huns
} with rare paintings
Tomorrow l go by coach to Kesvick
, Affeotionately, ALIcR.
| CHARLES F. Llmmis, librarian of tn,