FORDING. 17

Her mother pointed towards the house. It
seemed to be pretty far off on one side of the
valley, far above where they were. ‘They could
not see its situation very distinctly, because it was
so nearly dark; but it appeared to be on an
elevated table of Jand, with high mountains be- -
yond it.

“There are three houses there,” said Lucy.
“T can see three.”

“ No,” replied her father; “those are the barns,
I presume; however, we must drive on.”

He accordingly drove on, Lucy watched the
house as long as she could. It was not very large,
and was painted white, and there was an enormous
elm hanging over it, like an umbrella. The barns,
which Lucy thought, at first, were other houses,
were very large; but they were partly hidden by
trees, so that she could not see them very distinctly.
And presently, when the horse drew near the
shore, the tops of some large pine-trees, which
grew upon the bank, came in the way, and they
lost sight of the house altogether. When the
horse reached the opposite bank of the river, he
walked up the ascent, and then came to a smooth
and pleasant, road, through a level. mowing field,
with groves of trees upon one side aleng the bank
of the river. The level field did not extend very

Q*