71 
Helm wind would cool his love for the fair Susanna. But love 
laughs at locksmiths and sometimes even mocks at stern parents, 
and Susanna (at least, I fancy so) suddenly remembered a pressing 
invitation from her old schoolfellow, Dorothy, at Great Salkeld, to 
pay a long visit, and went accordingly. The thought that she 
would be a few miles nearer to Dick, poor fellow, might have some 
influence with her in coming to that decision. This, of course, 
was long before the days of rural posts and post cards, but it was 
not long before a little bird whispered in Dick’s ear that somebody 
was at Salkeld, and as Dick, like young Lochinvar, could boast 
that along all the Fellsides “his steed was the best,” he rode off 
“all unarmed and rode all alone.” He had no need to swim the 
broad Eden, even if the flood were out, for Langwathby Bridge 
had lately been finished and opened to the public. (How the 
progress of civilisation does knock romance out of time!) I need 
not tell you how soon our young Lochinvar arrived at Salkeld, nor 
repeat all the soft nothings when there, but I will venture to tell 
that he stabled his steed that night at Carlisle instead of the Gale, 
and returned next day, not unarmed as he went, but provided with 
legal and ecelesiastical authority to wed the fair Susanna, which 
mandate was duly obeyed by the rector, Mr. Archdeacon Nicolson, 
the future Bishop of Carlisle. That must be true you know, 
because the Penrith register says so. If Richard took his bride up 
into the teeth of the Helm wind, he did not keep her there long, 
for the registers in due time inform us of their residence at Penrith. 
Let us hope that the stern parents relented, and received the bride 
with open arms; and, say you, lived happy ever after. Alas, no! 
That is only in story books. The inexorable parish regisfers say 
different. This is what they tell us :— 
1696—July. Susanna, daughter of Mr. Richard Hutton and 
Susanna his wife, baptized. 
1698—February. Anthony, son of ditto, ditto, baptized. Same 
year, November, Anthony, son of ditto, ditto, buried. 
1700—February. Susanna, daughter of ditto, ditto, buried. Same 
year, William, son of ditto, ditto, baptized. 
1701—William, son of ditto, ditto, buried. 
