MY REAL ESTATE. 9 



another's. I have written an essay before 

 now, and at the end been more or less in 

 doubt where to set the quotation marks. 

 For that matter, indeed, I incline to believe 

 that the whole tract of woods in the midst 

 of which my little spot is situated belongs 

 to me quite as really as to the various per- 

 sons who claim the legal ownership. Not 

 many of these latter, I am confident, get a 

 better annual income from the property 

 than I do ; and even in law, we are told, 

 possession counts for nine points out of the 

 ten. They are never to be found at home 

 when I call, and I feel no scruple about 

 carrying away whatever I please. My treas- 

 ures, be it said, however, are chiefly of an 

 impalpable sort, mostly thoughts and 

 feelings, though with a few flowers and 

 ferns now and then ; the one set about as 

 valuable as the other, the proprietors of the 

 land would probably think. 



In one aspect of the case, the lot which 

 is more strictly my own is just now in a 

 very interesting condition, though one that, 

 unhappily, is far from being uncommon. 

 Except the pines already mentioned (only 

 six or eight in number), the wood was en- 



