ornithological  list,  which,  up  to  this  time  in-
cluded ninety  species,  and  not  one  of  them
a  water-bird.  I  did  my  best,  beating  round
the  edge  and  "  squeaking,"  but  startled  no-
thing rarer  than  a  hooded  warbler  and  a
cardinal  grosbeak.
Next  I  traversed  a  long  stretch  of  un-
broken oak  woods,  with  single  tall  pines  in-
terspersed;  and  then  all  at  once  the  path
turned  to  the  right,  and  ran  obliquely  down-
hill to  a  clearing  in  which  stood  a  house,  —
not  a  cabin,  —  with  a  garden,  orchard  trees,
and  beehives.  This  should  be  the  German
shoemaker's,  I  thought,  looking  at  my  map.
If  so,  I  was  pretty  near  the  top,  though
otherwise  there  was  no  sign  of  it ;  and  if  I
had  made  any  considerable  ascent,  it  had
been  as  children  increase  in  stature,  —  and
as  the  good  increase  in  goodness,  —  uncon-
sciously. A  woman  of  some  years  was  in
the  garden,  and  at  my  approach  came  up
to  the  fence,  —  a  round  -  faced,  motherly
body.  Yes,  the  top  of  the  mountain  was
just  beyond.  I  could  not  miss  it.
"  You  do  not  live  here  ?  "  she  asked.
No,  I  explained ;  I  was  a  stranger  on  the
Ridge,  —  a  stranger  from  Boston.
