part of our country, accident brought me into the neighborhood, and within the sphere of the influence of a singularly powerful woman, strong in mind and in body. She had with her a dozen girls, mostly from the large cities, whom she was educating. As her position in society, and natural independence of character, raised her above the fear of opinion, as her depth and insight led her to see clearly what she wished to accomplish, and her innate force enabled her to work easily, I had the gratification of witnessing an original and interesting phase of life and education.

The power of which I speak was not a power which crushed, but which raised and supported; which imparted a portion of its - which held in own strength, which cleared away impediments, check opposing forces, till the better gained the ascendency, — which conquered the elements themselves, by defying and overcoming. Many a strong-willed girl have I seen, rushing, with determined energy, upon her own career, unconsciously and almost imperceptibly, yet inevitably, drawn from her wild and irregular path, into the course which this ruling spirit wished her to pursue. Under an ordinary teacher, in an ordinary school, this could not have been accomplished without much hurtful jarring and painful opposition; never, perhaps, made wholly harmonious and well-working. But here, so powerful and resistless was the influence, yet so quiet withal, and so little coërcive, that the change seemed made by the scholar's own free-will, and, consequently, without deceit or discord. From resolute opposition, and predetermined rebellion, the pupil came, she hardly knew how, or why, spontaneously to think, feel, and act with her instructress, and to take pride and pleasure in doing so.

Our present subject, however, is not the moral and intellectual development of these girls; though this was so inwoven with their physical training, that they cannot well be separated. Activity of body, united to the harmonious working of everything around them, gave them cheerfulness and spirits; encountering dangers, and overcoming obstacles, inspired them with firmness, courage, and self-reliance; while the objects toward which this activity and antagonism were directed, were such as to stimulate and gratify curiosity, cultivate and refine the taste, and exalt the imagination. One great secret of this power, both of body and mind, was the belief, early instilled into the minds of these girls, that by energy and resolution they could open to themselves sources of pleasure

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and improvement unknown, and undreamed of, by the fearful and timid; and they soon learned to exult in encountering and overcoming what less courageous spirits deemed impracticable.

As I have observed before, this establishment was in the mountains, and at a spot of wild and romantic beauty. In summer, no highland lake, no mountain-top, no rocky river-course, no foaming cascade or rugged dell, was left unvisited. But the summer was short, and winter came early; snows came down in November, which were to last till April; but not for snow, wind, rain, or hail, did these young, delicate, city-bred girls house themselves. The wheels were taken from the long omnibus, and sleigh-runners substituted; curiosities of art or nature, in distant places, were visited; and, if the sudden snow-storm fell, higher rose the mirth, and more ringing echoed the laughter. "But did they not get sick? were they not confined to their beds for days?" inquires the anxious mother. Not at all. It is use, habit, custom, energy, courage, confidence, which bear and overcome.

A winter and a summer did I live near this remarkable family; and many a time was I invited to join their pleasure and healthgiving excursions. The remembrance of many a beautiful spot and romantic adventure lies stored in the chambers of memory; but, from an accidental association, one particular expedition just now stands out in my imagination, with uncommon clearness.

It was in the latter. part of November. Notice had been given, two days beforehand, that at a certain hour, late in the afternoon, we must be ready to set off on an excursion to a large furnace, fourteen miles distant. Mrs. Sansfere wished to show her pupils how iron was manufactured, and also the castings, which were made only at twelve o'clock at night. The time came. It had been a murky, dismal day; low black clouds, threatening rain, hung over the mountains, and deepened the early twilight. The air was chill and damp; and those who nursed themselves over stoves, shivered whenever a door was opened. It seemed absurd, even to me, to set off upon an excursion of pleasure at such a time, and with such a prospect; drenching showers, broken wheels, a long array of dismal accidents "by flood and field" flitted across my fancy, and sent a thrill of apprehension through my heart. I thought the excursion would be given up; still, as I had received no notice to that effect, I donned cloak and hood, and stationed myself at the window.

Punctual to the moment, came the large, open, uncovered vehicle to the door, filled with rosy, laughing girls, and with but a single vacant seat, which was reserved for me. Tom Bolt, the favorite driver, held the reins of four stout hill-trained horses, while Mrs. Sansfere and her German teacher, with the smallest girl of the school between them, occupied the front seat.

When I had taken my place, and the horses dashed off, all my ideas and feelings changed. Observing the strength of the vehicle, the skill and care of the driver, the cheerful confidence of Mrs. Sansfere, and the mirth and exultation of the girls, my fears all vanished, and my imagination kindled. All was picturesque and poetical. The hemlocks upon the distant hill-sides seemed Titans marching in some gigantic procession; the moving clouds were sable banners, waved by spirits of the air. Night fell heavy and dark, but there was no flagging of spirits; wit sparkled, and fancy revelled. Anecdotes and curious facts were related, songs were sung, poetry was recited, and everybody was astonished when the great, irregular building we were to visit loomed upon us through the murky shadows.

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Nothing could exceed the contrast of the dark, drear night without, and the warm, stirring life within; it seemed as if we had been suddenly transported from the earth into some strange, fabulous region. The uncouth forms of the men, who were feeding huge chimneys with fuel, which roared and sparkled, and sent gusts of flame fitfully from their tops, the vastness of the place, and the curious moulding and heaping of the earth, which formed the area, — the rattling of the coal-cars, which ran backwards and forwards for fuel, — the quick, imperative directions of the overseers, who seemed to be preparing for some important and mysterious event, dered the scene highly picturesque and imposing. A scientific gentleman, a friend of Mrs. Sansfere, soon made his appearance, and politely showed and explained to us whatever was curious and interesting in the establishment. We thought it all curious and interesting; but the great place of attraction was the large room where the furnaces were placed, and where the rough iron was undergoing the process of being melted. Faster and faster they plied the fuel; louder and louder roared the great, tower-like furnace near which we had placed ourselves. It was fearful to imagine the heat within.

At length, as it approached midnight, all the preliminary arrangements were completed. A huge cauldron had been swung, by powerful machinery, under one side of the brick-work which enclosed the burning mass. A swarthy, gigantic man, fit to be one of the Cyclops, stood before the furnace, armed with what seemed to be an immense iron spear; several men were ranged on each side, some to work the heavy machinery, and others holding immense iron ladles, with long poles for handles, ready to fill the moulds which had been prepared in the earth. At the word of command, the Cyclop plunged his spear into the brick mason-work, knocking out a large, round hole; he drew away his instrument, and we were all startled to see the liquid, burning iron spout in a large stream of glowing fire into the cauldron, filling it to the brim, dazzling the eyes that were turned upon it, and throwing a bright, red, unearthly glare over every object. It was intensely interesting to see the ease with which this hard, intractable metal was managed, when in this state, by the men with the ladles; how fearlessly they dipped them into the glowing mass, and poured their contents into the receptacles which had been prepared for them in the sand. They seemed to take a pride in showing off their skill before such unusual visitors. When one cauldron was emptied, another and another were filled, and we were never wearied with watching the almost miraculous ease and dexterity with which the whole was managed; we felt an unusual kind of respect for these rough sons of toil, as if there was something ennobling in thus wielding and subjecting the most obdurate and intractable elements of nature. There was one young man in particular, whose fine earnest countenance, together with the perfection of skill and self-possession he displayed, attracted unusual attention and curiosity; we learned he was a poor German, who had lately entered the establishment.

When the castings were completed, we returned to a room where a steam-engine was at work, and where Mrs. Sansfere's friend, the ingenious Mr. Schade, gave so clear an explanation of this wonderful machine, as to make its principles and mode of action as clear as daylight to every one who had the happiness to hear him. I never saw a company of girls so much interested in a scientific lecture before or since.

After this, we followed our conductor through long passages, and down, down, to a large lower room, or enclosed space, the flooring

of which was composed of a deep, loose sand; and here we saw another striking and beautiful sight. The furnaces which discharged their pure iron into the moulds above, sent down to this place their residuum in one vast funnel, which poured its contents, still lurid and burning, upon a large mound which had been formed under it. As those streams of molten lava flowed down the sides of this mimic mountain, seeking the lowest places, and piling themselves up as they gradually cooled in the sand, everybody shouted "Vesuvius!"" There was something very attractive to the artistic eye — and the contained more than one such group in the curves and meanders, as well as in the various shades of coloring assumed by this substance, in its change from a living, flowing liquid, to that of masses harder than the granite rock.

But presently we heard tones of curiosity and sympathy of a very different kind from any which inanimate nature could excite. Some of the girls had discovered a young German woman sitting upon a log, in an obscure part of the enclosure, holding upon her lap a pair of twin babies, a strange sight in such a place. The mother and children were bright-eyed and good-looking, but seemed to be in extreme poverty and destitution. In answer to our questions, she replied that she had landed in New York but the day before, and had come in search of her husband; who, having been reduced to poverty in his own country, by accidental losses, had, six months before, emigrated to the United States, and had, since that time, sent her money, to enable her to follow him; she had been set down from a railroad-car in the night, and had found her way into this place, where, finding it warm and comfortable, she had determined. to remain till morning. Just as she had finished this account, the fine young fellow we had observed above entered. I have seen

some interesting meetings in real life, and have read striking accounts of such scenes in tales and novels; but I never witnessed anything which came quite up to this meeting of the husband with his poor wife and children; they forgot us, forgot everything but each other. It was a genuine outburst from most loving and affectionate natures; there was not a dry eye among us.

And then followed such a commotion and whispering among the girls, each devising what she could spare to cover and comfort the destitute new-comers. Mrs. Sansfere, however, arranged matters. Hans said he had a little room ready, with a straw r