only multiplying objects to look at. Richard essayed to remedy the evil with paint, and four different colours were laid on by his own hands. The first was a sky-blue, in the vain expectation that the eye might be cheated into the belief, it was the heavens themselves that hung so imposingly over Marmaduke's dwelling; the second was, what he called, a "cloud-colour," being nothing more nor less than an imitation of light smoke; the third was what Richard termed an invisible green, which he laid on with a belief, that the deformity might be blended with the back-ground of pines, that rose, in tall grandeur, but a short distance in the rear of the mansion-house. But all these ingenious expedients entirely failed, and our artists relinquished the desire to conceal, and attempted to ornament, the offensive member. The last colour that Richard bestowed on the luckless roof, was a sun-shiny yellow;" so called, both from its resemblance to, and its powers to resist, the rays of the great luminary. The platform, as well as the eaves of the house, were surmounted by gaudily painted railings, and the genius of Hiram was exerted in the fabrication of divers urns and mouldings, that were scattered profusely around this part of their labours. Richard had originally a cunning expedient, by which the chimneys were intended to be so low, and so situated, as to resemble ornaments on the balustrades; but comfort required that the chimneys should rise with the roof, in order that the smoke might be carried off, and they thus became four extremely conspicuous objects in the view.

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As this was much the most important undertaking in which Mr. Jones was ever engaged, his failure produced a correspondent degree of mortification. At first, he whispered among his acquaintances,

that it all proceeded from ignorance of the square rule on the part of Hiram, but as his eye became gradually accustomed to the object, he grew better satisfied with his labours, and instead of apologizing for the defects, he commenced praising the beauties of the mansion-house. He soon found hearers; and, as wealth and comfort are at all times attractive, it was made a model for imitation on a small scale. In less than two years from its erection, he had the pleasure of standing on the elevated platform, and of looking down on three humble imitators of its beauty. Thus it is ever with fashion, which even renders the faults of the great subjects of admiration.

Marmaduke bore this deformity in his dwelling with great good nature, and soon contrived, by his own improvements, to give an air both of respectability and comfort to his place of residence; still there was much of incongruity, even immediately about the mansion-house. Although poplars had been brought from Europe to ornament the grounds, and willows and other trees were gradually springing up nigh the dwelling, yet many a pile of snow betrayed the presence of the stump of a mighty pine; and even, in one or two instances, unsightly remnants of trees that had been partly destroyed by fire were seen rearing their black and glistening columns, for twenty or thirty feet above the pure white of the snow. These, which in the language of the country are termed stubs, abounded in the open fields adjacent to the village, and were accompanied, occasionally, by the ruin of a pine or a hemlock that had been stripped of its bark, and which waved in melancholy grandeur its naked limbs to the blast, a skeleton of its former glory. But these unpleasant additions to the view were unnoticed by the delighted Elizabeth, who, as the

horses slowly moved down the side of the mountain, saw only in gross the cluster of houses that lay like a map at her feet; the fifty smokes, that were diagonally curling from the valley to the clouds; the frozen lake, as it lay embedded in mountains of evergreen, with the long shadows of the pines on its white surface, lengthening in the setting sun; the dark riband of water, that gushed from the outlet, and was winding its way already towards the far distant Chesapeake-the altered, though still remembered, scenes of her childhood and of joy!

Five years had here wrought greater changes than a century would produce in older countries, where time and labour have given permanency to the works of man. To the young hunter and the Judge the scene had less of novelty; though none ever emerge from the dark forests of that mountain, and witness the glorious scenery of that beauteous valley, as it bursts unexpectedly upon them, without a feeling of delight. The former cast one admiring glance from north to south, and then sunk his face again beneath the folds of his coat; while the latter contemplated, with philanthropic pleasure, the prospect of affluence and comfort, that was expanding around him; the result of his own enterprise, and much of it the fruits of his own industry.

The cheerful sound of sleigh-bells, however, soon attracted the attention of the whole party, as they came jingling up the sides of the mountain, at a rate that announced both a powerful team and a hard driver. The bushes which lined the highway interrupted the view, and they were close upon this vehicle before they discovered who were its occupants.

CHAPTER IV.

How now? whose mare's dead? what's the matter.

Falstaff.

A FEW minutes resolved whatever doubts our travellers entertained, as to the description of those who were approaching them with such exhilarating sounds. A large lumber-sleigh, drawn by four horses, was soon seen dashing through the leafless bushes, which fringed the road that was here, as on the other side of the mountain, cut into the hill. The leaders were of gray, and the polehorses of a jet black. Bells, innumerable, were suspended from every part of the harness, where one of those tinkling balls could be placed; while the rapid movement of the equipage, in defiance of the steep ascent, announced the desire of the driver to ring them to the utmost. The first glance at this singular arrangement satisfied the Judge as to the character of those in the sleigh. It contained four male figures. On one of those stools that are used at writing-desks, lashed firmly to the sides of the vehicle, was seated a little man, enveloped in a great coat fringed with fur, in such a manner that no part of him was visible excepting a face, of an unvarying red colour. There was a habitual upward look about the head of this gen

tleman, as if it were dissatisfied with the proximity to the earth that nature had decreed in his stature, and the expression of his countenance was that of busy care. He was the charioteer, and he guided the mettled animals that he drove along the precipice, with a fearless eye, and a steady hand. Immediately behind him, with his face toward th other two, was a tall figure, to whose appearance not even the duplicate over-coats which he wore, aided by the corner of a horse-blanket, could give the appearance of strength. His face was protruding from beneath a woollen night-cap; and when he turned to the vehicle of Marmaduke as the sleighs approached each other, it seemed formed by nature to cut the atmosphere with the least possible resistance. The eyes alone appeared to create an obstacle, as from either side of his forehead their light, blue, glassy balls projected. The sallow of his countenance was a colour too permanent to be affected even by the intense cold of the evening. Opposite to this personage, sat a square figure of large proportions. No part of his form was to be discovered through his over-dress, but a full face with an agreeable expression, that was illuminated by a pair of animated black eyes of a lurking look, that gave the lie to every demure feature in his countenance. A fair, jolly wig furnished a neat and rounded outline to his visage, and he, as well as the other two, wore martin-skin caps as outward coverings for their heads. The fourth was a meek-looking, long-visaged man, without any other protection from the cold than that which was furnished by a black surtout, made with some little formality, but which was rather thread-bare and rusty. He wore a hat of extremely decent proportions, though frequent brushing had quite destroyed its nap. His face was pale,