285 



awe with which the inhabitants of the village re- 

 garded the place. Dr. Hastings was desirous that 

 his visiters should see this person, to whose history 

 some interest was attached, as well as the immedi- 

 ate neighbourhood of her abode. They had ap- 

 proached very near to the entrance of her hut be- 

 fore it became visible, so imbedded was it among 

 the trees which grew thickly around it, and which 

 consisted chiefly of stunted birch. The humble 

 roof of old Judith Duncan was placed on a small 

 platform of rock, to which it was necessary to des- 

 cend from the projection of another by means of a 

 rude plank thrown across a chasm, which appeared 

 to have been produced by some convulsion of na- 

 ture. This dark narrow chasm, of which the depth 

 could not be ascertained at a casual survey, by 

 reason of the shrubs which grew thickly down the 

 sides of the rocks, almost made the adventurer 

 pause e'er he passed it. A ravine surrounded the 

 remaining portion of the platform on which the 

 cottage stood, and gave it the appearance of per- 

 fect seclusion. It was in itself picturesque in the 

 extreme. Built entirely of clay and rough logs of 

 wood, the roof covered with a dark thatch, no paint 

 or whitewash disfigured its outward appearance. A 

 small rude porch projected from the front, and two 

 latticed windows were on each side of the entrance. 

 No attempt had been made to cultivate a garden, 

 and except where a path had been worn from the 



