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air of decayed gentility, which appealed with singular force to my youthful imagination. It is, in fact, to the strength of early impressions, and to the interest aroused at that period of my life, that this paper owes its existence.

While visiting my native place not long since, I chanced to hear that the Old Slate-roof House was about to be torn down to make way for "modern improvements." My heart leaped to my throat in an instant, and I registered a vow to make a pilgrimage to the spot without delay.

Accordingly, in company with a friend, I spent ten days in a thorough examination of this ancient building. Equipped with drawing-paper and pencils, "geological hammers,” cold-chisels, and tape-lines of various lengths, we repaired each morning to this now entirely forsaken abode, and pursued our investigations undisturbed by intruders from the busy world. The ancient windows had long since given way to others of more modern appearance, in their turn broken and dilapidated. Old partitions were covered with rotting boards or bits of decayed canvas; ancient doors were concealed behind plaster and dirty washes of various colors; the chimney-faces had long since departed, and only here and there a strip of wainscoting was discovered. Tearing away all opposing impediments, we brought to light many forgotten entrances and curious nooks. Patient and careful labors likewise revealed suflicient remains of ornamented tiles to enable us to determine with certainty the colors and designs in the several apartments.

The stairs had entirely disappeared, and access to the upper stories was obtained through a hole in the wall of the next house. Only two partitions remained in this portion of the mansion, and time had nearly obliterated all traces of the former divisions into separate rooms. The wind, and sometimes the rain, found its way under the shingles while we were inspecting the steep roof, once protected by the slates which had given to the house its peculiar name.

As the result of these experiences and explorations in this curious old dwelling, and of my subsequent researches among musty manuscripts and printed volumes, I am about to present one or two reliable word-pictures, with a view to the preservation of the memories which must ever invest with powerful interest the object of so many pregnant historical associations.

*****

Towards the close of an extremely cold day in the month of February, in the year of our Lord seventeen hundred, a group of five persons might have been seen seated in a spacious room, around a large table covered with the evidences of a nearly-finished repast.

The apartment in which they were