FROM A NEW ENGLAND HILLSIDE. 55 



perhaps a hundred, of all ages and both 

 sexes, gathered from homes where comfort 

 abounds, where friends and books and pict 

 ures and meat and drink can be had when 

 they are wanted, and from homes, some of 

 which can perhaps be identified as such 

 only by remembering the saying that 

 &quot; home is where the heart is.&quot; And per 

 haps in some of these places who knows ? 

 even that redeeming feature may be 

 wanting. But here all were on common 

 ground, and good fellowship, contentment 

 and happiness shone on every face. 



The presiding officer at the simple feast 

 was one still young, from a neighbouring 

 home, who a few years ago, when the en 

 terprise took form, was among the first to 

 accept, rather distrustfully, the invitation 

 of those who had ventured to invade the 

 region. Now, thoroughly imbued with its 

 spirit, he is one of the strongest of the con 

 necting links in this social chain. 



&quot; But,&quot; says my good friend Blondin at 

 the club, &quot; you have convicted yourself with 

 your own pen. You have been lauding the 

 Arcadian life at Underledge and inviting 

 us to leave our comfortable clubs and our 

 municipal experiments and follow you out 

 among the hypothetical shepherds oil your 



