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Page 8:-
established on one pair of trestles, one board, and one
sun-blind. With the renowned phrenologist from London,
begging to be favoured (at sixpence each) with the company
of clients of both sexes, to whom, on examination of their
heads, he would make revelations "enabling him or her to
know themselves." Through all these bargains and blessings,
the recruiting-serjeant watchfully elbowed his way, a thread
of War in the peaceful skein. Likewise on the walls were
printed hints that the Oxford Blues might not be indisposed
to hear of a few fine active young men; and that whereas the
standard of that distinguished corps is full six feet,
"growing lads of five feet eleven" need not absolutely
despair of being accepted.
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Scenting the morning air more pleasantly than the buried
majesty of Denmark did, Messrs. Idle and Goodchild rode away
from Carlisle at eight o'clock one forenoon, bound for the
village of Heske, Newmarket, some fourteen miles distant.
Goodchild (who had already begun to doubt whether he was
idle: as his way always is when he has nothing to do), had
read of a certain black old Cumberland hill or mountain,
called Carrock, or Carrock Fell; and had arrived at the
conclusion that it would be the culminating triumph of
Idleness to ascend the same. Thomas Idle, dwelling on the
pains inseparable from that achievement, had expressed the
strongest doubts of the expediency, and even of the sanity,
of the enterprise; but Goodchild had carried his point, and
they rode away.
Up hill and down hill, and twisting to the right, and
twisting to the left, and with old Skiddaw (who has vaunted
himself a great deal more than his merits deserve; but that
is rather the way of the Lake country), dodging the
apprentices in a picturesque and pleasant manner. Good,
weather-proof, warm pleasant houses, well white-limed,
scantily dotting the road. Clean children coming out to
look, carrying other clean children as big as themselves.
Harvest still lying out and much rained upon; here and
there, harvest still unreaped. Well cultivated gardens
attached to the cottages, with plenty of produce forced out
of their hard soil. Lonely nooks, and wild; but people can
be born, and married, and buried in such nooks, and can live
and love, and be loved, there as elsewhere, thank God! (Mr.
Goodchild's remark.) By-and-by, the village. Black,
coarse-stoned, rough-windowed houses; some with outer
staircases,
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