Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, Vol. 1 (of 2)Wordsworth, Dorothy
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Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Wordsworth, Dorothy
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Diaries; Wordsworth, Dorothy, 1771-1855 -- Diaries; Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850 -- Family
We had been told that the Cartland Crags were better worth going to see
than the Falls of the Clyde. I did not think so; but I have seen rocky
dells resembling this before, with clear water instead of that muddy
stream, and never saw anything like the Falls of the Clyde. It would be
a delicious spot to have near one's house; one would linger out many a
day in the cool shade of the caverns, and the stream would soothe one by
its murmuring; still, being an old friend, one would not love it the
less for its homely face. Even we, as we passed along, could not help
stopping for a long while to admire the beauty of the lazy foam, for
ever in motion, and never moved away, in a still place of the water,
covering the whole surface of it with streaks and lines and ever-varying
circles. Wild marjoram grew upon the rocks in great perfection and
beauty; our guide gave me a bunch, and said he should come hither to
collect a store for tea for the winter, and that it was "varra
halesome": he drank none else. We walked perhaps half a mile along the
bed of the river; but it might _seem_ to be much further than it was,
owing to the difficulty of the path, and the sharp and many turnings of
the glen. Passed two of Wallace's Caves. There is scarce a noted glen in
Scotland that has not a cave for Wallace or some other hero. Before we
left the river the rocks became less lofty, turned into a wood through
which was a convenient path upwards, met the owner of the house and the
echo-ground, and thanked him for the pleasure which he had provided for
us and other travellers by making such pretty pathways.
It was four o'clock when we reached the place where the car was waiting.
We were anxious to be off, as we had fifteen miles to go; but just as we
were seating ourselves we found that the cushions were missing. William
was forced to go back to the town, a mile at least, and Coleridge and I
waited with the car. It rained, and we had some fear that the evening
would be wet, but the rain soon ceased, though the sky continued
gloomy--an unfortunate circumstance, for we had to travel through a
beautiful country, and of that sort which is most set off by sunshine
and pleasant weather.
Travelled through the Vale or _Trough_ of the Clyde, as it is called,
for ten or eleven miles, having the river on our right. We had fine
views both up and down the river for the first three or four miles, our
road being not close to it, but above its banks, along the open country,
which was here occasionally intersected by hedgerows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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