15 
taining the valuable requisites for successful 
microscopical work. A well mounted specimen 
of the Osprey or Fish-Hawk, with wings spread, 
and a goodly size fish in his talons, rested, as 
though just alighting with his quarry on a 
rocky ledge. Cocoons of the silk worm moths 
festooned the window-frames, while a large hor: 
nets-nest hung from the ceiling in the center of 
the room. A substantial oak desk well covered 
with notes and manuscript occupied a central 
spot in the “den;” and an easy chair and a 
student’s lamp were proof that the hermit 
burned “midnight oil” in securing that surest 
means of earthly happiness, a well stored mind. 
Two oil paintings hung on the south side of 
the room ; these works of art riveted my admir- 
ing gaze. One was the portrait of my hermit 
host executed by a master when the subject 
was a young man. The other was a picture of 
the most charming womanly lovliness I had 
ever looked on; it also represented youth, but 
portrayed in virgin beauty and innocence. 
Never can that marvelous face be banished from 
my memory. While I was intently gazing at 
this handiwork of some master’s skill my host 
re-entered the “den.” 
He stood for a moment, following, with his 
intelligent glance, my admiring gaze, then with 
a hardly audible sigh, he drew a chair to the 
fire-place beside me, and there, in silence, he 
sat for awhile, as though reluctant to disturb 
my attention. After some minutes, he arose 
