290 A SURPRISE. 



may be no ripple upon the water ; it may be moveless and 

 smooth as a mirror, no breath of air may sweep across its 

 surface, and yet in the old forest among the tree-tops, there 

 is always that low ceaseless murmur, a soft whispering as if 

 the spirits of the woods were holding, in hushed voices, com- 

 munion together. We had retired for the night under the 

 cover of our tents. My companion had sunk into slumber, 

 and I was just in that dreamy state, half sleeping and half 

 awake, which constitutes the very paradise of repose, when 

 there came drifting across the lake the faint and far off_ 

 strains of music, which, to my seeming, exceeded in sweetness 

 anything I had ever heard. They came so soft and melo- 

 dious, floating so gently over the water, and dying away so 

 quietly in the old woods, that I could scarce persuade my- 

 self of their reality. For a while I lay luxuriating as in the 

 delusion of a pleasant dream, as though the melody that 

 was abroad on the air was the voices of angels chanting 

 their lullaby into the charmed ear of the sleeper. Presently, 

 Smith raised his head, supporting his cheek upon his hand, 

 his elbow resting upon the ground, and after listening for a 

 moment, opened his eyes in bewilderment exclaiming, as he 

 looked in utter astonishment about him, "What, in the 

 name of all that is mysterious, is that ?" 



Spalding and the Doctor followed, and their amazement 

 was equalled only by their admiration when 



" Oft In the stilly night " 



came stealing in matchless harmony over the water, 



