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Article COLLEGE MUSINGS,* ← Page 4 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
College Musings,*
his way along the valley . For five miles we rambled along , unconscious of the gathering dews of a midsummer ' s night-fall ; and still fresh , aud our spirits not at all flagged , we arrived at my friend ' s domicile . 1 shall never forget the rapture I felt on surveying its situation . The house was humble enough , certainly , in its structure—but then its situation ! Embosomed in woods , it peeped out of a small but well-stocked orchard . On one side was the lane bwhich we had advancedwindingwith
y , , gentle ascents ancl descents here and there , through hedges decked by the wild rose ancl honeysuckle , which grew in profusion . On the other side , the ground sloped down in pasture-meadows to the margin of a rapid mountain stream , ivhich flowed lower clown the valley . The rear was protected from the north-west winds by a steep acclivity , tufted thickly with wood , from portions of which some of the prettiest views imaginable were to be seen . The view in front was completely
intercepted by a sudden turn of the lane lower clown . After taking this hasty survey of my friend ' s abode while dinner was preparing , my reader may justly conclude that my appetite enabled me to do more than equal justice to tlie hospitable cheer within . In the science of gastronomy I am but a poor proficient : all I can say is , that I know how to enjoy a good dinner ; ancl I think the habitual flavour of my palate would enable me to detect a good from a bad bottle of wine . But 1 can lay no charge
of deficiency in either against my worthy friend . His dinner was like himself , little and good , and his wine was a bonne bouche . 1 certainly went to bed in better health and spirits than I had enjoyed for previous months . The next day being Sunday , I accompanied my friend to his little unique mountain church , and heard an excellent sermon from him
on the virtue of contentment . The singing , as in most of the northern churches , being congregational , was particularly good ; and the extreme neatness of the building , ancl the primitive manners of the Christian flock , charmed me excessively . Plis residence being three miles from the Arcadian lane , we occupied the interval between the services by a stroll through the woods on the opposite side of the river . Some parts of this wood are cut through by very agreeable paths , fitted up with benches , the work of the proprietor of the adjoining inn ; and the weather being fine
, and the atmosphere warmed by the beams of a July sun , we sat and mused in a very philosophic mood . I shall never forget that afternoon . On the left gleamed through the foliage of the trees Crummoch-AVater , backed by stupendous cliffs ancl hills . Right before us stood the little rustic sanctuary , the clang of its solitary bell coming on the breeze to summon us to afternoon service . The right was shut in by a mound of trees , and at our feet lay a gentle declivity , covered with underwood . My friend
having looked at his watch , we quitted our seat , and soon overtook some of his honest-looking parishioners , on their way to unite with their brethren in prayer and thanksgiving to Him who made the sea , the land , the lofty hill , and the level plain . The duties of the day finished , we returned to his retreat , —spent a calm and tranquil evening together , planning our week ' s tour , and retired earlto restthat ive miht our limbs for the following
y , gprepare morning ' s march , Somnus having refreshed our bodies by pleasing slumbers , the carolling of the birds awakened us to the splendour of a bright summer ' s morn in the heart of the mountains . Having partaken of a substantial breakfast , we left my friend ' s cot , and commenced our ramble to Keswick , which lay some miles on the other side of the fells to our left . I must not omit in recording these desultory and by-gone
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
College Musings,*
his way along the valley . For five miles we rambled along , unconscious of the gathering dews of a midsummer ' s night-fall ; and still fresh , aud our spirits not at all flagged , we arrived at my friend ' s domicile . 1 shall never forget the rapture I felt on surveying its situation . The house was humble enough , certainly , in its structure—but then its situation ! Embosomed in woods , it peeped out of a small but well-stocked orchard . On one side was the lane bwhich we had advancedwindingwith
y , , gentle ascents ancl descents here and there , through hedges decked by the wild rose ancl honeysuckle , which grew in profusion . On the other side , the ground sloped down in pasture-meadows to the margin of a rapid mountain stream , ivhich flowed lower clown the valley . The rear was protected from the north-west winds by a steep acclivity , tufted thickly with wood , from portions of which some of the prettiest views imaginable were to be seen . The view in front was completely
intercepted by a sudden turn of the lane lower clown . After taking this hasty survey of my friend ' s abode while dinner was preparing , my reader may justly conclude that my appetite enabled me to do more than equal justice to tlie hospitable cheer within . In the science of gastronomy I am but a poor proficient : all I can say is , that I know how to enjoy a good dinner ; ancl I think the habitual flavour of my palate would enable me to detect a good from a bad bottle of wine . But 1 can lay no charge
of deficiency in either against my worthy friend . His dinner was like himself , little and good , and his wine was a bonne bouche . 1 certainly went to bed in better health and spirits than I had enjoyed for previous months . The next day being Sunday , I accompanied my friend to his little unique mountain church , and heard an excellent sermon from him
on the virtue of contentment . The singing , as in most of the northern churches , being congregational , was particularly good ; and the extreme neatness of the building , ancl the primitive manners of the Christian flock , charmed me excessively . Plis residence being three miles from the Arcadian lane , we occupied the interval between the services by a stroll through the woods on the opposite side of the river . Some parts of this wood are cut through by very agreeable paths , fitted up with benches , the work of the proprietor of the adjoining inn ; and the weather being fine
, and the atmosphere warmed by the beams of a July sun , we sat and mused in a very philosophic mood . I shall never forget that afternoon . On the left gleamed through the foliage of the trees Crummoch-AVater , backed by stupendous cliffs ancl hills . Right before us stood the little rustic sanctuary , the clang of its solitary bell coming on the breeze to summon us to afternoon service . The right was shut in by a mound of trees , and at our feet lay a gentle declivity , covered with underwood . My friend
having looked at his watch , we quitted our seat , and soon overtook some of his honest-looking parishioners , on their way to unite with their brethren in prayer and thanksgiving to Him who made the sea , the land , the lofty hill , and the level plain . The duties of the day finished , we returned to his retreat , —spent a calm and tranquil evening together , planning our week ' s tour , and retired earlto restthat ive miht our limbs for the following
y , gprepare morning ' s march , Somnus having refreshed our bodies by pleasing slumbers , the carolling of the birds awakened us to the splendour of a bright summer ' s morn in the heart of the mountains . Having partaken of a substantial breakfast , we left my friend ' s cot , and commenced our ramble to Keswick , which lay some miles on the other side of the fells to our left . I must not omit in recording these desultory and by-gone