DOVE DALE REVISITED 12J 



and almost fruitless toils on the river, our good 

 landlord volunteered to drive me and my son-in- 

 law over to Hartington. We did not go into 

 the village, but stopped short at the old mill, 

 where they kept so many pigs as recorded in 

 my old volume. 



Jack drove the carriage back home, and we 

 started on our ten-mile walk down the dales. 

 Ah ! what a delightful walk it was for me at 

 least and the others, though they may perhaps 

 have felt the fatigue a little more than I, yet 

 seemed to enjoy it. If the sun did not shine 

 on us, the wind at least had toned itself down 

 to a pleasant breeze : the sky was leaden, and 

 the tops of the precipitous hills, now wood-clad 

 and now bare and rocky, were but dimly out- 

 lined in a hazy mist. 



When I last plodded down these glorious 

 dales, many years ago, it was in the gay summer 

 time, and all their charms were enhanced by 

 brilliant sunshine ; now the scenery has a sober, 

 not to say sombre, aspect. But it has its 

 compensations : then we had to contend with 

 sweltering heat, now we can saunter by the river- 

 side, cool and calm and contented. 



It was with a feeling of delight, almost akin 



