166 AUTUMNAL LEAVES. 



us on past cottages garlanded by roses and 

 trailing Ivy, and turns and winds through the 

 straggling village, now gently rising, now de- 

 scending. Under the deep shadows of Oaks 

 which, on either side of the way, filter the sun- 

 shine through the leafy screen of their branches, 

 we pass out and away from the village and, ere 

 long, reaching the limit of enclosures, again come 

 upon the open forest. Coming soon upon a road 

 running to the right and to the left, we turn to 

 the right and for a short distance pursue a level 

 way. At a point where two stalwart Oaks, grow- 

 ing from opposite sides of our path, commingle 

 their branches over our heads the road makes a 

 general and sweeping descent, and, at its lowest 

 part, rises again through the forest until, in the 

 far distance, it appears almost to touch the sky. 

 Arrived at the top of this distant hill our road 

 falls once more, and again rising with a graceful 

 sweep leads into Lyndhurst, whose houses can 

 now be seen embowered in trees. 



