142 LUCY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

itself glittering through the little openings in the
foliage. ‘There was a great column of sparks, too,
ascending above the trees and smoke, illuminated
by the fire below. The sparks were produced by
Robert and Eben, who remained at the fire,
punching it with long poles.

“ You see what a beautiful appearance the fire
has here,” said Lucy’s mother. ‘“ Now, we will
go to some other place, where it will present a dif-
ferent picture, or, as people commonly express it,
where it will have a different effect.”

So they descended the bank again into the
road, and walked along in it a little way into a
very bright place, where the light from the fire
shone broadly across the road. When they had
got into the middle of this bright place, they
stopped, and turned towards the fire. Every thing
in the appearance of it was changed. ‘The great
glowing flame was full before them. There was
a sort of circle of trees, around the border of
Robert’s clearing, which shone magnificently ;
and some rocks across the brook, half under the
trees, seemed to be edged with fire. They could
see Robert, and Eben too. Robert was behind
the fire, with his face towards them. One arm
was extended to push his pole into the fire, and
the other was held up over his face to shade it