THE DUANES. 83 



sury works, formed a settlement in due time, spent a for- 

 tune, and disastrously ended the experiment in 1849. 



We parsed through the ruins of this enterprise; and our 

 driver fold the story of the Dunnes, as we rode along 

 between the miles of maples they planted by the road-side 

 and the miles of stone fence they built. He pointed out 

 the spot where the old mansion stood, burned mysteriously 

 soon after the elder Duane died, and we saw for ourselves 

 the deserted banis scattered through the meadows along 

 tin- river bottoms, the weather beaten, abandoned houses 

 of the laborers and other subordinates, and the various 

 signs of the life and activity that must once have prevailed 

 there. And we s;i\v a man of slouched figure, in butter- 

 nut .-nil. slovenly and heavily bearded, carrying a scythe 

 on his arm towards the poor, barren meadow. and he was 

 a Duane! This poor remnant of the meat house of Judge 

 Duane bowed gloomily to us MS we passed and ga/ed curi- 

 ously at him. and we left him behind. 



Hut the scene was far ditl'erent so the story went (and 

 it was afterwards corroborated by others) when the first 

 Duane came. He was dashing, rich, gay, aristocratic, 

 high blooded and lie came like a prince. His progress to 

 liis forest estates was a triumphal procession. His house 

 rivalled in luxury the manor of his ancestors, the Livings 

 tons. The work of hewing down the forest went on bravely 

 under many hands, and the wooded hills resounded with 

 shout and ax<- strokes and the rumble of toil. 



Then came the troops of friends and associates from the 

 east, brave men and fair women, for summer and autumn 



