lf in
the woods; and to guard against this danger, she determined that after
going on for a very short distance, if she found that it did not come
out into the road again, she would come directly back. The idea of
its coming out into a wrong road did not occur to her mind as a
possibility.

She accordingly entered the path, and after proceeding in it a little
way she was quite pleased to see it coming out again into what she
supposed was the main road. Dismissing, now, all care and concern, she
walked forward in a very light-hearted and happy manner. The road
was very similar in its character to the one which she ought to have
taken, so that there was nothing in the appearances around her to lead
her to suppose that she was wrong. She had, moreover, very little idea
of measures of time, and still less of distance, and thus she went on
for more than an hour before she began to wonder why she did not get
to Mary Erskine's.

She began to suspect, then, that she had in some way or other lost
the right road. She, however, went on, looking anxiously about for
indications of an approach to the farm, until at length she saw signs
of an opening in the woods, at some distance before her. She concluded
to go on until she came to this opening, and if she could not tell
where she was by the appearance of the country there, she would go
back again by the road she came.

The opening, when she reached it, appeared to consist of a sort of
pasture land, undulating in its surface, and having thickets of
trees and bushes scattered over it, here and there. There was a small
elevation in the land, at a little distance from the place where Mary
Bell came out, and she thought that she would go to the top of
this elevation, and look for Mary Erskine's house, all around. She
accordingly did so, but neither Mary Erskine's house nor any other
human habitation was anywhere to be seen.

She sat down upon a smooth stone, which was near her, feeling tired
and thirsty, and beginning to be somewhat anxious in respect to her
situation. She thought, however, that there was no great danger, for
her mother would certainly send Joseph out into the woods to find her,
as soon as she heard that she was lost. She concluded, at first, to
wait where she was until Joseph should come, but on second thoughts,
she concluded to go back by the road which had led her to the opening,
and so, perhaps meet him on the way. She was very thirsty, and wished
very much tha