Lake country sketchesRawnsley, H. D. (Hardwicke Drummond)
General
Lake country sketches
Rawnsley, H. D. (Hardwicke Drummond)
Lake District (England); Wordsworth, William, 1770-1850 -- Homes and haunts -- England -- Lake District
Joseph grew up strong and lusty as a shepherd should grow, and
together with his brothers, took to wrestling as all shepherds in
Cumberland ought to do; but the lads, as they grew up, became so fond
of the sheep and so devoted to their father, that as soon as he,
seeing that they were likely to be drawn into the ring, and to lose
some of their interest in the Herdwick sheep, begged them to give up
the wrestling, they gave it up; and henceforth these brothers' one
aim in life seemed to be how they could most help their father to
improve the Herdwick breed, and maintain his honour as a shepherd.
In 1869 the family migrated from Uldale to the secluded farm on Col.
Watson's estate, between Lonscale and Saddleback; and what success
the Hawells, father and sons, obtained {153} as breeders of pure
Herdwicks can be seen by any who will call to-day at the Farm, and
ask to be shown the prizes and cards that literally cover the walls
from floor to ceiling.
The old man, who had struggled with storm on Skiddaw through his
laborious life, failed in health, suffered as shepherds often do from
terrible rheumatism, and was troubled with asthma. At last he felt
obliged to leave the ingle-nook and take to his bed upstairs; but his
love of the shepherd's life was still so strong upon him that a few
days before he died he insisted on seeing one of the prize Herdwick
rams, and the sons had a tough job to get it to 'clim' the 'stee' and
stand in the presence of the dying man. The old man felt death
coming upon him shortly after, but he told those who watched they
need not trouble to fetch the doctor, as he knew his hour had come,
and he was ready to 'gang' home.
I wrote this sonnet at the time of his death:
The sheep are bleating in the fell-side field,
The kine call sadly from the homestead near,
But thou art far away, thou dost not hear.
A greater Shepherd, for thy feet, doth wield
{154}
The rod that thro' the vale of death can yield
Sole comfort. Round thy bed and round thy bier
The trophies of thy hand in letters clear,
Speak; but we speak not: grief our lips has sealed.
Farewell, where Glenderaterra pours apace
Rich music from her thousand upland springs!
Thy name, old friend, the Lonscale streamlet sings;
King-Shepherd thou of Skiddaw's fleecy race;
And still in memory we behold thy face,
Lined by laborious morns and evenings.
And on the headstone in Greystoke churchyard, that records Edward
Hawell's burial, may be seen the following lines:
Here lies a simple shepherd, one who strove
To leave behind a fairer, fuller flock;
Lead him, Great Master Shepherd, in thy love,
To wells of life from the Eternal Rock!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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