56 STUDIES m THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



to emulate the capricious windings of the stream, in its 

 blue course among the hills. How pleasant when jour- 

 neying, to enter a village by one of these gentle sweeps 

 that gives one -several glimpses of its scenes, in differ- 

 ent aspects, before our arrival. How much indeed 

 would be done for us by nature, if we did not in con- 

 formity with certain notions of improvement, constantly 

 check her spontaneous efforts to cover the land with 

 beauty. 



