THE FLIGHT OF THE WOOD-NYMPHS. 433 



abundantly in these grounds and the neighboring pastures. 

 Many a May-queen has been crowned with the trailing 

 evergreens that abounded in all the wild lands, and cov- 

 ered the meadows with verdure in the depth of winter ; 

 and the children have returned home with baskets full of 

 checkerberries and garlanded with early spring flowers. 



There was something about the whole aspect of this 

 place that was unaccountably delightful. Every one who 

 visited it felt inspired with a mysterious sense of cheer- 

 fulness and pensive delight, that could hardly be ex- 

 plained, as there were in the same region many magnifi- 

 cent country-seats, with highly ornamented grounds, that 

 failed in awakening any such emotions. Here nothing 

 had ever been done to add a single ornament to the face 

 of nature, but in all parts of the landscape there was a 

 beauty that seemed unattainable by art. It became evi- 

 dent at last that these groves and pastures must be the 

 residence of the rural deities, who, by their invisible 

 presence, inspired every heart with those delightful senti- 

 ments which, though not entirely unfelt on earth, are well 

 known only in Paradise. It was the presence of these 

 deities that yielded the place its mysterious charms. It 

 was the naiad who gave romantic melody to the fountain 

 that bubbled up from the mossy glen in the hillside, and 

 spread the hue of beauty over the solitary lake in the 

 valley ; and the dryads, or wood-nymphs, that caused 

 these woodland arbors to rival the green retreats of Elys- 

 ium. 



In these rural solitudes were assembled all those little 

 harmless animals, which by their motions and frolics 

 serve to give life to the inanimate scenes of nature. Here 

 were not only all the familiar birds that delight in the 

 company of man ; but all the less familiar species that love 

 to chant their wild melodies in the hiding-places of the 

 solitary echoes, might also be heard in the season of song. 



19 BB 



