208 THE COUNTRY CLERGYMAN. 



wood of very considerable length, but of no very 

 great depth, and from which some beautiful peren- 

 nial springs, little influenced by the seasons, broke 

 out here and there, and found their way to a trout 

 stream which ran through the adjoining valley. 

 The wood itself was almost entirely composed of 

 beech, with an underwood of holly and box- wood, 

 and was surmounted by a fine and extensive down. 

 In places where the hill was too precipitous for the 

 growth of timber trees, patches of turf might be 

 seen with some juniper bushes growing on them, 

 and lower down were several vast hollows from 

 which chalk had in former times been taken, and 

 which gave a marked character to the scenery. 

 These hollows were now partly filled up with 

 hollies, junipers and other shrubs, which were 

 entangled with wild hops and various creepers. 



The Rectory was near one of these hollows, and 

 at a little distance from the hanging wood already 

 mentioned. It was a low, irregular building of 

 grey stone with two large projecting windows on 

 each side of a porch, which was covered with 

 climbing plants. In front was a lawn which sloped 

 down to the trout stream which flowed at the termi- 

 nation of it, and was kept in the nicest order. At the 

 bottom of the lawn a terrace walk of considerable 

 length was formed along the banks of the river, 

 having a covered seat at one end, and a small 

 fishing house at the other. Here the stream ran 



