“I am sure Helen will be much obliged to you,” said his mother; “but I am afraid you have undertaken more than can be accomplished in one morning, by such pedestrians as we. What say you to a ride?”
“Oh, thank you! thank you! that will be pleasant!” exclaimed the children; and in a few minutes they were seated by their mother, in one of the convenient little open carriages which are always to be met with in Brighton; Mrs. Ashton having told the driver that they wished to visit the Chalybeate.
“Well,” said Edward, as he sprung from the carriage, “I do not think I have seen any thing so pretty as this little rustic cottage, surrounded with trees, since we have been at Brighton; it looks so cool and shady. But why, mamma, did you call it the Chalybeate?”
“Because, my dear, there is here a chalybeate, or mineral spring, which has been found to possess valuable medicinal properties: you shall taste the water if you please.”
Edward and Lewis did so: it was very cold, but they thought it extremely unpleasant, and had no wish to repeat the experiment.
Their mother told them, that the spring had been found to contain muriate of soda, muriate of magnesia, sulphate of lime, oxide of iron, and silicia, or flint.
When the children had seen as much as they wished of the chalybeate spring, the reading-room, cottage, &c., Lewis took from his pocket the little map of Brighton, and showed his mother that Brunswick Square might be visited on their road home. “But see, mamma,” he added, “here is Adelaide Crescent; will it tire you too much to go there? it is not much out of the way. But what is this circular mark in the map intended for, with the word ‘Dome’ by it?”
Mrs. Ashton told them, that in that spot was situated the Antheum, or Oriental Garden; but that the stupendous dome, she regretted to say, was no longer there: it fell in with a tremendous crash only a few days after its completion. Happily, the disastrous event took place in the night, so that no lives were lost.
This building, which was the largest of the kind ever erected, was intended as a conservatory, for the reception and preservation of the rare and beautiful plants of tropical climates; the interior was very tastefully arranged, and contained a basin for aquatic plants. The dome represented the inverted calyx of an open flower, and was one hundred and two feet larger than that of the Cathedral of St. Peter’s at Rome.
Edward and Lewis, mourned over the fate of the poor conservatory, and pitied the gentleman who had projected it; at the same time hoping, that he, or some one else, would have spirit enough to recommence the undertaking; till fresh objects of interest arrested their attention.