avations had shown that in the many centuries since it was built the
earth had risen no less than eight feet in the archway and along the
wall. Lincoln Castle, much decayed and ruinous, is an appropriate
feature of one of the public parks. Along the streets leading up
Cathedral Hill are rows of quaint houses, no doubt full of interest; but
a motor tour often does not permit one to go much into detail.

So we bade farewell to Lincoln, only stopping to ask the hostler for
directions to the next town on our way. Generally such directions are
something like this: "Turn to the right around the next corner, pass two
streets, then turn to the left, then turn to the right again and keep
right along until you come to the town hall"--clock tower, or something
of the kind--"and then straight away." After you inquire two or three
more times and finally come to the landmark, you find three or four
streets, any one of which seems quite as "straight away" as the others,
and a consultation with a nearby policeman is necessary, after all, to
make sure you are right. When once well into the country, the
milestones, together with the finger-boards at nearly every parting of
the ways, can be depended on to keep you right. These conveniences,
however, are by no means evenly distributed and in some sections a
careful study of the map and road-book is necessary to keep from going
astray.

[Illustration: SOMERSBY RECTORY, BIRTHPLACE OF TENNYSON.]

The twenty miles to Somersby went by without special incident. This
quaint little hamlet--it can hardly be called a village--is almost
hidden among the hills, well off the main-traveled roads and railway. We
dashed through the narrow lanes, shaded in many places by great
over-arching trees and the road finally led across the clear little
brook made famous by Tennyson's verse. After crossing the bridge we were
in Somersby--if such an expression is allowable. Nothing is there except
the rectory, the church just across the way, the grange, and half a
dozen thatched cottages. A discouraging notice in front of the Tennyson
house stated positively that the place would not be shown under any
conditions except on a certain hour of a certain day of the week--which
was by no means the day nor the hour of our arrival. A party of English
teachers came toward us, having just met with a refusal, but one of them
said that Americans might have an exception made in their favor. Anyway,
it was worth trying.

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