MR WITHERS. 



201 



the rock to the mouth of the crystal spring, no 

 douht tracing inward the course of the limpid wa- 

 ters into the rocky chambers of the Naiad. We 

 had much conjecture how this tree came to be grow- 

 ing on the bare shelf, and finally concluded, that the 

 nymph of the spring, while she sat there gazing on 

 her beauties, under the varying dimpling reflection 

 of the living waters, her rosy feet bathed by the 

 glassy flood, had been surprised by some rude Celt, 

 and to effect escape from his rough embrace, had 

 been transformed by Diana into a tree. Yet whe- 

 ther of natural or supernatural origin, it was by the 

 people of the glen held of miraculous virtue, and 

 the sickly children were brought to be dipped in 

 the spring after being borne several times round the 

 charm-tree. When torn from its seat, the tree, 

 though sound, and having a level fall (we saw it 

 fall), broke across about twenty feet up, where the 

 stem was about eight feet in circuit ; this ivas owing 

 to the very soft tender nature of the wood, which, 

 although consisting of very large annual growths, 

 was, when sawn out, the most porous insufficient 

 Scots oah ive have ever seen. As this fact may be 

 ascribed to the supernatural, — the heart of the 

 nymph beginning to soften towards the Celt at 

 the time Diana interfered, accounting well for 



