{"product_id":"2940012865359","title":"THE VICAR OF WREXHILL","description":"CHAPTER I.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHE VILLAGE OF WREXHILL.--THE MOWBRAY FAMILY.--A BIRTHDAY.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe beauties of an English village have been so often dwelt upon, so\u003cbr\u003eoften described, that I dare not linger long upon the sketch of\u003cbr\u003eWrexhill, which must of necessity precede my introduction of its vicar.\u003cbr\u003eAnd yet not even England can show many points of greater beauty than\u003cbr\u003ethis oak-sheltered spot can display. Its peculiar style of scenery, half\u003cbr\u003egarden, half forest in aspect, is familiar to all who are acquainted\u003cbr\u003ewith the New Forest, although it has features entirely its own. One of\u003cbr\u003ethese is an overshot mill, the sparkling fall of which is accurately and\u003cbr\u003emost nobly overarched by a pair of oaks which have long been the glory\u003cbr\u003eof the parish. Another is the grey and mellow beauty of its antique\u003cbr\u003echurch, itself unencumbered by ivy, while the wall and old stone gateway\u003cbr\u003eof the churchyard look like a line and knot of sober green, enclosing it\u003cbr\u003ewith such a rich and unbroken luxuriance of foliage \"never sear,\" as\u003cbr\u003eseems to show that it is held sacred, and that no hand profane ever\u003cbr\u003eventured to rob its venerable mass of a leaf or a berry. Close beside\u003cbr\u003ethe church, and elevated by a very gentle ascent, stands the pretty\u003cbr\u003eVicarage, as if placed expressly to keep watch and ward over the safety\u003cbr\u003eand repose of its sacred neighbour. The only breach in the ivy-bound\u003cbr\u003efence of the churchyard, is the little wicket gate that opens from the\u003cbr\u003eVicarage garden; but even this is arched over by the same immortal and\u003cbr\u003eunfading green,--a fitting emblem of that eternity, the hope of which\u003cbr\u003eemanates from the shrine it encircles. At this particular spot, indeed,\u003cbr\u003ethe growth of the plant is so vigorous, that it is controlled with\u003cbr\u003edifficulty, and has not obeyed the hand which led it over the rustic\u003cbr\u003earch without dropping a straggling wreath or two, which if a vicar of\u003cbr\u003ethe nineteenth century could wear a wig, might leave him in the state\u003cbr\u003ecoveted for Absalom by his father. The late Vicar of Wrexhill,\u003cbr\u003ehowever,--I speak of him who died a few weeks before my story\u003cbr\u003ebegins,--would never permit these graceful pendants to be shorn,\u003cbr\u003edeclaring that the attitude they enforced on entering the churchyard was\u003cbr\u003eexactly such as befitted a Christian when passing the threshold of the\u003cbr\u003ecourt of God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBehind the Vicarage, and stretching down the side of the little hill on\u003cbr\u003ewhich it stood, so as to form a beautiful background to the church, rose\u003cbr\u003ea grove of lofty forest-trees, that seemed to belong to its garden, but\u003cbr\u003ewhich in fact was separated from it by the road which led to Mowbray\u003cbr\u003ePark, on the outskirts of which noble domain they were situated. This\u003cbr\u003esame road, having passed behind the church and Vicarage, led to the\u003cbr\u003evillage street of Wrexhill, and thence, towards various other parishes,\u003cbr\u003eover a common, studded with oaks and holly-bushes, on one side of which,\u003cbr\u003ewith shelving grassy banks that gave to the scene the appearance of\u003cbr\u003enoble pleasure-grounds, was a sheet of water large enough to be\u003cbr\u003edignified by the appellation of Wrexhill Lake. Into this, the little\u003cbr\u003estream that turned the mill emptied itself, after meandering very\u003cbr\u003eprettily through Mowbray Park, where, by the help of a little artifice,\u003cbr\u003eit became wide enough at one spot to deserve a boat and boat-house, and\u003cbr\u003eat another to give occasion for the erection of one of the most graceful\u003cbr\u003epark-bridges in the county of Hampshire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn one side of the common stands what might be called an alehouse, did\u003cbr\u003enot the exquisite neatness of every feature belonging to the little\u003cbr\u003eestablishment render this vulgar appellation inappropriate. It was in\u003cbr\u003etruth just such a place as a town-worn and fastidious invalid might have\u003cbr\u003efixed his eyes upon and said, \"How I should like to lodge in that house\u003cbr\u003efor a week or two!\" Roses and honeysuckles battled together for space to\u003cbr\u003edisplay themselves over the porch, and above the windows. The little\u003cbr\u003eenclosure on each side the post whence swung the \"Mowbray Arms\"\u003cbr\u003epresented to the little bay windows of the mansion such a collection of\u003cbr\u003eodorous plants, without a single weed to rob them of their strength,\u003cbr\u003ethat no lady in the land, let her flower-garden be what it may, but\u003cbr\u003ewould allow that Sally Freeman, the daughter, bar-maid, waiter, gardener\u003cbr\u003eat the \"Mowbray Arms,\" understood how to manage common flowers as well\u003cbr\u003eas any Scotchman in her own scientific establishment.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47078993920240,"sku":"2940012865359","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012865359_p0.jpg?v=1763573751","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012865359","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}