MAT. 221 



were carved out of marble stood there alone, the mere sym- 

 bols of charms that no longer existed. 



The village children, who formerly assembled here to gather 

 bouquets of wild roses, red summer lilies, and the sweet scent- 

 ed pyrola, that grew up like a nun under the shade of the 

 deep woods, came often since the improvements, but searched 

 in vain for their favorite flowers. They no longer saw the 

 squirrel upon the tree or the nest of the sparrow upon the 

 vine-clad walls. The grounds, that seemed once to belong to 

 them as well as to their rustic proprietor, now exhibited some- 

 thing in their aspect that made them feel like intruders, as 

 soon as they set foot within their borders. These old woods 

 and pastures, now that they were metamorphosed into park 

 and lawn, had lost their charms for them, and they turned 

 away with sadness, when they thought of those delightful 

 arbors that would shelter them no more. 



But the children were not the only sorrowers. The ladies 

 of the mansion were grieved when they found that the rural 

 deities had fled from the very objects which Avere erected for 

 their shrines. The cause of their flight was a problem they 

 could not explain. Why would they no longer dwell in 

 their ancient abodes that seemed now so much worthier the 

 residence of beings of a superior nature ? Could not the 

 beautiful green lawn that had taken the place of the weedy 

 pasture ; the commodious park which was once a tangled 

 wood ; could not the charming flowers of all climes which 

 had been substituted for the inferior wild flowers ; nor the 

 marble fountain with its graceful spray, nor the neat spread 

 gravel walks induce them to remain ? More than all, could 

 not the beautiful statuary that represented them in material 

 shape, please them and retain them in their ancient haunts ? 



At length they began to suspect that there was a too en- 

 tire absence of rustic scenes and objects in their present ar- 

 rangements : and forthwith to appease the deities, rustic 

 arches and bowers, made of rude materials, were erected and 

 placed in diff'erent parts of the grounds. A summer house 

 was built of the rudest of logs, shingled with the rough bark 

 of trees, and rocks were introduced for seats and covered with 



