OUT-OF-TOWN PLACES 



ground to the north and west, and its excess 

 of water leaked away by an indecisive and in- 

 termittent flow through the pasture land 

 marked P. Under the old regime— as will 

 be seen by recurrence to the drawing of the 

 farm at time of purchase — this pasture served 

 as "meadow," and produced its annual quota 

 of bog hay. Beyond the marsh and the high- 

 lands which skirted it to the northeast, was an 

 extremely pretty view of a range of low moun- 

 tains, some two miles distant, in the lee of 

 which were to be seen a spire and one or two 

 tall chimneys. But the unkempt, slatternly 

 marsh-land in the foreground ruined the scene. 

 It might be planted out indeed; but an effec- 

 tive planting out would interfere somewhat 

 with some of the most picturesque objects in 

 the distance. I advised a slight excavation of 

 a portion of the marsh so as to show a little 

 lakelet, over whose farther arm a rustic bridge 

 might be thrown — the bridge serving as a 

 portion of the barrier between the area of 

 plaisance ground around the pond and the pas- 

 ture beyond. By this device and adroit dis- 

 position of shrubbery, the whole area south 

 of the high-road would appear from the win- 

 dows of the mansion to constitute but one en- 

 closure, within which the pet Alderneys might 



310 



