other persons at West Point and elsewhere, who felt an interest in the undertaking. The simple, but chaste and beautiful sanctuary, erected to "the honor and glory of God," is the fruit of these offerings.

The plan of the Church, both in its outline and details, was furnished by Mr. Weir, who also superintended its erection. The stone of which it is built was taken from the land on which the Church stands, and which was the gift of Mr. W. B. Cozzens.

The Church is somewhat in the early English style of architecture; cruciform in plan, the nave being about 60 feet by 28 (on the outside), and each of the transepts 10 feet by 19. There is an admirably well proportioned Tower at the north-east corner, 48 feet in height, and 14 feet square at the base. One of the most beautiful external features of the sacred edifice, is the low south porch, which is its principal entrance. Over the door of this porch there is a tablet with the simple inscription, "To the honor and glory of God." Surmounting the east end of the nave, and also the porch, are two floriated crosses.

In the position of the Church the rule of orientation has been observed, the chancel pointing towards the east, and the altar being in the eastern end.

On entering the porch the eye is at once arrested by a text of Holy Scripture written over the inner door: "O! come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker." On entering the Church itself, the eye is again met every where with texts of Holy Scripture. Over every door, on every window, over the altar, over the font, on the walls, and in each of the windows, texts chosen with peculiar aptness convey their sacred teachings to the devout worshipper: -e. g., over the altar are the words, "As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye show the Lord's death until he come;' over the font, "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he

1

!

CHURCH OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS.

153

cannot enter the kingdom of God;" over the door by which the Priest
enters the Church to engage in his holy functions, "As my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you;" over the windows the texts are all
words of Thaise.

In the south transept, at the entrance of the Church, stands the
Baptismal Font, one of the most beautiful in this country, octagon
shaped, with sacred symbols carved on the sides. It is of the granite
of the Highlands, 3 feet in height, and the bowl 7 feet in circumfer-
ence. The windows, deeply splayed on the inside, are of stained
glass; in the centre of each is a plain white cross, on the tranverse
beam of which is a passage of Holy Scripture chosen from the divine
sayings of our Lord.

The seats are plain, open benches, and free to all worshippers. The wainscoting and walls are of a grave and sober color. The chancel occupies at present the head of the cross, but this, it is hoped, will be only a temporary arrangement.

The whole interior, marked by unity of design, by perfect simplicity, and by a quiet solemnity, cannot fail to shed its hallowing, subduing influence over the soul of every worshipper who enters there, in sincerity and truth, to worship Almighty God; while the exterior of the sacred temple, with its gray, unhewn walls, its very irregular outline, its simple rural aspect, harmonizes most strikingly with the rough, wild mountain scenery in the midst of which it seems to have sprung up, itself a work of nature. And its tower, pointing heavenward, its cruciform outline, its cross-crowned peak, tell unmistakably its holy character, and serve to remind all who enter or behold it, both of the end and of the faith to which God is calling them.*

*For the preceding notice we are indebted to the Rev. W. B. Gibson, the Rector of the Church.

THE VALLEY OF THE HOUSATONIC.

BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

THE landscape of Gignoux, engraved for this volume, representing a winter scene, belongs to a class of subjects which he always treats well. With him winter is always a season of splendor. The crisp snow lies glittering where it was dropped from the clouds or cast by the wind, an intense sunshine fills the transparent sky, and is reflected from the white clouds, and penetrates the pellucid ice. The figures he introduces are shown in movements which have all the vivacity belonging to the season.

Gignoux is a native of France, who for many years has made this country his home, and learned to love its scenery with all the affection of one who passed his childhood here. He is never tired of wandering by our wild streams, of studying our boundless woods, with their vast variety of foliage, of climbing our rocky mountains and looking down into the pleasant valleys that stretch away in our clear and glowing atmosphere. To him Nature makes no reserve of her hidden beauties, and his portfolio, filled with studies of places the image of