Down the River to the Sea

arves, and elevators, and masts of vessels, with a certain quiet dignity not unbecoming its antiquity, and derived, partly fro

evidence of a city appeared, belonged, the captain told them, to the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Presently, however, extensive piles of fine public buildings attracted their attention, which they found were unfortunately the shelter of lunacy and crime, Kingston being the seat of the Provincial Penitentiary, as well as of a large asylum. In welcome contrast, they were shown the Gothic tower of Queen's University, rising above an entourage of trees, though far from being as imposing in its dimensions as these palaces of gloom. From thence, the eye wandered

nt of the City Hall and on the other, on a long, green promontory, the Royal Military College, with its smart Norman towers, they observed a long bridge behind which the river Cataraqui winds its way down from the northeast, and forms this beautiful harbor by its confluence with the St. Lawrence. Six miles up its placid stream, they were told, the Rideau Canal had its beginning a

and La Salle had commanded. She was shown some gray stone buildings, enclosing a quadrangle, at the nearer end of the long, low bridge crossing the Cataraqui to the opposite plateau with the green slope beyond it,

remarked a passenger, and Hugh laughingly assented, addin

a tiff with the 'States' once in a while; but there are

at, and as they thought, gloomy masses of the Penitentiary and Asylum buildings, and then came out on another unimpeded view of the blue lake. Then returning, they drove back past quiet suburban residences, within spacious and shady grounds, admiring the substantial and comfortable look of the houses, and the tastefully kept surroundings;-and through the pretty little park, stretching on one side, down to the breezy lake shore, with its round stone tower, and, on the other, rising in a gentle slope crowned by a stately Grecian court-house, with picturesque church towers rising around it in the background. And at one side of this park, they made a little détour

gateway and interior square, in which, when the foundations of the barracks were laid, there were some traces found of old Fort Frontenac, which had therefore evidently stood o

base. And as they rounded its long promontory, leaving the distant city behind it, May once more tried to picture the solitude of the scene as La Salle first knew it, broken only by his own canoe and those of the ferocious Iroquois. Meantime Hugh, not less interested in the historical associations of the place, drew from her, by cross-questioning, an outline of some of the tragic events of which Fort Frontenac had been the scene. But gradually the charm of the present hour asserted itself and all else was forgotten in watching the changing beauty of the scenery around them. A slight thund

d be of very little use if we did go in for conquest, and I hope there

?" the voice continued. "How do you do, Miss

ice caught her ear, and perhaps there was just a tinge of heightened co

ountering you in this quiet corner of the

g, and he told me of your arrangements; and as I just got in an hour or two ago, and found out that this was the speediest way

efully. "Let me introduce my cousin, Miss Thorbu

g. He was, however, as she could not help admitting, a very pleasant-looking man, not very young, in fact, a good deal older than Hugh Macnab, with keen, scrutinizing gray eyes and mobile face, full of intelligence and expression. To May, Hugh's was much the finer fa

nt admiration upon the rosy, fresh-faced Scotch lassie,-"I hope you are prepared in the goodness of your heart, to extend

ou don't mean any harm; it's the way you were brought up. But you must not

ould you mind getting us another seat, Mr. Winth

of the afternoon-of the golden sunshine and dappling shade, that threw such a spell of beauty over the undulating shore, with its yellow harvest-fields and deep, gre

er, the heterogeneous mass of luggage belonging to a family "going into villegiatura"-as Mrs. Sandford put it-including a great box containing a parlor organ. For the farmer-folk their horses and conveyances were patiently waiting, and very soon they might be seen driving slowly homewards along the country roads that followed the curve of the shore, or struck back among the fields and woods. A beautiful, new, varnished boat that had excited Hugh's rather envious admiration from the time he came on board, was at last unshipped and rowed away by its happy owner, whose camping outfit proclaimed that he was bound on a delightful holiday. Here and there they caught glimpses of white te

f us is living in a story of our own, after all, and I suppose each

more interesting than o

ing and many skiffs; and where young and old alike seemed to get into a state of wild excitement as the boat passed, saluting her with horns and a white flutter of handkerchiefs that might have passed for a flight of pigeons. The captain of the

them, and now the lights on the shore and the foliage disappea

ab, who had been watching from the stern the pretty grou

ook how one point after another is sponged out by the gray mis

ng hastily. "Come, you must all get into the centre of the

nd then, for a minute, how they did come down, lashing the deck till it was flooded;-even where they sat the drops flew, into their faces, and, but for the waterproofs, would have drenched their garments. Kate, who loved a storm, was looking brilliantly handsome, and so-May was sure-thought Mr. Winthrop, who kept his position near her, so as to shelter a little from the onslaught of the rain. And how-she inwardly wondered-would Hugh Macnab like the sudden inva

tiny white specks? Those are the lighthouses that mark the channel. And there, if you can catch a glimpse of some white houses beyond those islands-, those are part of the poetically named town of Gananoque, 'Rocks in D

foliage, and others still, partially cleared, with fanciful little cottages embowered in trees and clustering vines. At some of these cottages the inhabitants, like the campers, amused the

ly means nothing, it does seem pleasant to

only stare critically at you

makes every one so genial and overflowing with the milk of h

mild excitement is entert

" said Kate. "Perhaps even you may grow less

to Clayton to-night. My friends are there

ow far from he

te replied-"on the Amer

or now they had rounded the last island and were rapidly approaching the pretty little town of Gananoque, while the slanting rays of th

iff she had been looking for. It was more than ever like a dream;-the little cabin, the dainty furnishings, the miniature engine with its polished brass fittings-everything seemed new, beautiful, delightful. Flora Macnab was equally delighted, declaring she had "never seen such a dear wee vessel before;" and Hugh, though quiet as usual, mentally noted e

that his friends were expecting him, adding that if he might be allowed t

ch was Mr. Leslie's summer home. To May it seemed like fairyland-this little evening sail among these lovely islands, in a yacht so low as to bring the eye on a level with their base, and not going too fast to enable her to enjoy in detail the beauty of lichen-crested rocks festooned with creepers and wild roses, and of still, placid reaches, dyed crimson and purple by the sunset hues, where clusters of snowy water-lilies were shining like stars amid

between lichened rocks and nodding ferns to an open glade higher up, where stood their pretty summer cottage, with its wide verandas, looking capacious enough to accommodate two or three city houses. Mr. and Mrs. Leslie were excellent hosts; and, in a few minutes, every one was conducted to a room, and May found h

a. Downstairs, in a simply-furnished room, with large French windows opening on a wide piazza, they found a long tea-table spread for

rls in a boating-dress. "Between boating and fishing and running abou

e what we have had, however," Mrs. Leslie observed. "We've often been obliged to retreat within the shelter of our mosquito-b

grew darker, and the scintillating living sparks of fire-as they seemed-flashed in and out of the trees, giving the impression-as Hugh remarked-that they might really set fire to t

rosy gleams of sunshine stole into her casement, which she had left wide open, that she might not lose a moment of the view which had so delighted her the evening before. As she dressed, she feasted her eyes on the delicious freshness of the early morning, on the exquisite tint of the water here and there, just rippled by the f

ng, now and then, lovely glimpses, vistas between mossy banks of rock, or pretty little vignettes framed in by an overhanging hemlock. At length, after making pretty nearly the tour of the island, wending her way among thickets of feathery sumach and broad-leaved rubus, bearing deep crimson flowers, with long festoons of partridge-berry, and its white, star-like flowers amid the pine-needles under her feet, and finding, to her great delight, some specimens of the exquisite, snowy Indian-pipe, looking-in the early morning light-more ghostly than ever-she fou

se by myself to see whether I had forgotten the rowing I learned in my Oxford summer. And I found a little island out yonder, so inviting for a swim that I couldn't resist it. I should

aid. "I am so glad to actually see one! Now, suppose we exchange bouquets, if you will take my roses for your spectral flowers. I brought them o

d the bay were draped in part with a tangle of luxuriant creepers and crested with sweeping pine-boughs. Presently the boat grated on the sandy beach, and Hugh handed her out of the boat and led the way to a granite ledge commanding an exquisite view of sleeping river and clustering islets. The river lay almost absolutely still, only barred here and there with long streaks of ripple that betokened an incipient breeze. The heavy masses of verdure on the opposite shore and the surrounding islands seemed also asleep; only an occasional carol of a bird broke the charmed silence. May and her companion were very silent also, for ordinary talk in such a spot, at such an hour, seemed well-nigh profane, and both were too reserved to express the deeper feelings the scene awakened. After a silent interval, May turned to call Hugh's attention to a distant sail just catching the still slanting rays of the sun, when she noticed that he had taken a slip of paper which had been lying in the boat and was writing rapidly. She refrained from disturbing him, for how could she tell that he might not be writing poetry? But he had caught her movement, and presently stopped writing and turned towards her, when the slip of paper, which he was holding carelessly, was caught by the freshening breeze and carried close to her feet. She naturally stooped to pick it up, and involuntarily glancing at it, could see that it was poetry; but Hugh caught it from her, with so

h's services were not so much in demand, and it happened, not infrequently, that May found herself his companion in their boating expeditions, and as she had not had much opportunity for rowing, he undertook to teach her to use

e rustic bathing box. Then there was the luxurious lounge, with a pleasant book, before the early dinner, in a shady corner of the veranda, for these August days were pretty warm. For a while after dinner there was a suspiciously quiet air about Sumach Lodge, as it was called; but when the heat of the day began to give place to the cool afternoon breeze, the little party began to wake up from its siesta, and skiffs and canoes were hauled out and filled, as little groups departed on various expeditions, some simply to explore island nooks, some to fish, and some to gather the water-lilies which grew in a secluded bay not far off, or, on a breezy afternoon, to try a sailing cruise in a pretty "butterfly" sailboat belonging to one of he young men, who was always glad to muster a crew. In the cool of the evening the "boys" often tried their canoe races, some

enjoyment of those early morning hours which she had at first thought so delightful. But, with such moonlight pictures spread around them for their delectation, it

grew and clustered, water-lily leaves lay floating as if asleep, and here the little basin was walled in on one side by a sheer, bare granite cliff, concave towards the basin, and evidently worn smooth, in the long past, by the action of grinding ice, though its bareness was relieved, here and there, by a drooping birch or a cluster of shaggy ferns. At the top of the wall of scarred, lichen-crusted rock, were some of the curious natural perforations known as "pot-holes," apparently formed by the action of a stone revolving in a crevice under glacial action. The opposite bank was more sloping and densely wooded, and the effect in the moonlight, under a rich sunset sky, was peculiarly striking and impressive. This secluded spot was sometimes used by the summer residents of the neighborhood as a natur

el after another spread itself before them in fascinating vista. Now they were passing thickly wooded islands, cool with billowy foliage-now a great granite fortress rising from a fringe of foliage, with battlements and barbican, escarpment and buttress, festooned with creepers and evergreens, like some hoary medieval ruin. Anon, they were gliding through some glassy strait, with snowy water lilies gleaming amid the dark green floating leaves that lined the sheltered bays. Again their course lay under a line of frowning cliffs, crusted with moss and lichen, and tufted with ferns; and presently another broad channel opene

did coffee and cake seem so delicious, while merry talk and travelers' tales, and some of Flora's Scotch songs enhanced the enjoyment of the happy hours. Hugh, who had a good tenor voice, would sometimes join his sister in the old-fashioned Jacobite airs which ha

ev'rock's no

ildly dow

me he sin

o come ba

the rich glow of sunset, making the calm river burn with crimson and gold, while the rich claret lines of shadow made it seem as if the water were indeed turn

ood, set ready on the rocks, would be lighted, and the party would sit round it, telling stories and cracking jokes, and singing songs, till the red glare of the f

willow pattern plate, and on to the little town of Alexandria Bay, with its monster hotels. Here Kate showed them a spot most interesting to May-the pretty mansion of "Bonniecastle," for years the summer home of Dr. Holland, the first editor of the Century magazine, and author of "Arthur Bonniecastle," after which he named this pleasant home. Kate told them how he had once landed in his steam-yacht at an island on which she had been picnicking at the time, and how charmed she and her friends had been with his genial personality a

s curious, May thought, how he seemed to have a faculty for joining them at the most opportune moments, and she wondered much whether he had any private means of tracing the movements of the party. On this occasion, Kate, at all events, took his appearance with a coolness in keeping with the nonchalance of his manner. In fact, Flora declared privately to May that they were both "refreshingly cool for a warm day," a remark which May thought a trifle h

b, who had become quite expert at managing a canoe, asked his sister and May to let him paddle them both as far as the favorite nook already referred to, and both willingly agreed. But Flora, just at starting, was claimed by one of the boys, who was her s

lad that was

lls to

r old Jacobite struggles. It ought to be one of those pretty French Canadian airs, at least."

ngtemps qu

e ne t'o

ing and the light, gliding motion of the little canoe, as it bounded forwa

tion. They entered the "Lonely Bay" very quietly, as was their wont. The spot seemed like a church, in which loud tones or careless words were a desecration. As the canoe glided noiselessly into the deep shadow of the high crags, they both became aware that another boat had come in before them, and was lying motionless

t they should involuntarily hear any more of so very confidential a conversation. Whether the other pair heard the sound of the light dip of the retreatin

unusually silent. The moon-rather more than half full, flooded the air and river with her silvery light; and on one side of them lay a glittering expanse, studded with the dark silhouettes of islands. Mr. Winthrop quote

on't even ask you whether it is original, or not," sh

said Hugh, and, after a few

ipple on a

e a mirror ben

dows tremble

y breath of a

silent, each

tte lies on th

above us, a

dusk, with its p

save the oar's

rifts idly th

fireflies, si

diamonds, th

k darts o'er the

augh breaks on t

breath of the wil

rocks, like a

y cannot we

world and it

nd float on th

neither ca

eam, might we

nough in this

crowd and its

vana more bl

hearts are fo

the present,

long, may we g

joy surceas

obler task

, drifting,

t that can be

joy of the v

d not come from me! We Americans are always getting the credit of being too restless for repose,-for enjoying anything in a le

"But I rather think it is nobler, on the whole, to b

before

for wha

even in the beauty of

ill the two canoes grated, almost at

eam-yacht to a bit of very picturesque scenery some few miles down the main shore of the river-"a miniature Saguenay," as Mr. Leslie described it, and, at the sam

they became almost sheer precipices, rising up, weather-worn and splintered, from the narrowing channel, which was full of reeds and water plants and fleets of water-lilies, from which they supplied themselves to their hearts' content. Here and there the stern rugged crags were festooned with trailing plants and delicate harebells, in what May declared were natural hanging baskets. Cranes and water-hens flew up from the tall sedges, and Kate pointed out

the reign of peace should be re-established; and that the loon awaits his return, and laments his absence in the melancholy cry which it utters from time to time. "Curious," he added, "how that idea of the Deliverer, temporarily departed, seems to have taken roo

the scale of proportion is very well carried out. That, for instance, would do

e less ambitious of the party strolled about at the lower level, plucking raspberries which grew in great abundance among the rocks, while Flora tried to sketch roughly the charming view from the high ground above the little waterfall. Too soon, as it seemed, the order was given to re-embark and descend the ca?on to the bay, where the steam-yacht had been left, and where their lunch was also awaiting them. Mrs. Leslie with Mrs. Sandford

tterflies as they danced over the sparkling blue waves rippled by the freshening afternoon breeze. The steam launch soon glided up to the landing pier, in a sheltered bay overlooked by charming wooded slopes, on which gleamed the white tents which dotted the island. It abounded in pretty sheltered coves, each of which formed the harbor for a little fleet of canoes belonging to some particular club-all nearly uniform in pattern. Some of the clubs used "Rob Roy" canoes, which were marvels of beauty, with their finely polished wood, and paddles, and luxurious sil

t. The party in the steam launch had a number of acquaintances at the camp, and Kate was soon discovered by various youths in parti-colored flannels, who gathered around her for a chat in the intervals of the races; Hugh being eager to hear all he could concerning the art of paddling, which he had been practising on every ava

intervals, rockets and Roman candles went up with a rush and roar, and some Greek fire on the beach threw a rich roseate light over the wonderful scene. The steam-yacht darted about hither and thither, the better to command the whole view. Hugh and Flora were enchanted, and declared that they could almost imagine themselves in a gondola in Venice, so brilliant was the effect of the procession of illuminated boats, and the cordon of lights which studd

n Mr. Leslie gave the order for departing, and, in a few minutes, they found themselves far away from the brilliant scene, steaming qu

showed no desire to veto the plan; on the contrary, May had misgivings that her cousin had no objection to it. Their good-natured host at once ordered the steam-yacht for Mr. Winthrop, and a few of the guests willingly accompanied them, including Flora, who lost no opportunity of gliding about in that delightful little vessel,-Kate and May preferring not to lose an hour of their now short stay on the island. One of her youthful admirers, however, the youth who owned the "butterfly sailboat," coaxed Kate to

of you?" he inquired; "t

of the boys had gone off with their boats to the other end of the island for a

id. "We are going to have a tremendou

llops of dark slate color, edged with a strange light bluish gray that had a lurid and terrible effect. The river, usually so softly blue, had darkened in the distance to an inky blackness, while somewhat nearer it assumed an angry grey. As yet the stretch of water in front of the island seemed compara

only two skiffs that lay at the landing, to which they had h

said, as Hugh was busy with the bo

and jumped into the skiff, and now threw his watch into May's hands, seized the oars and pushed out in hot haste. Meantime the steam-yacht had arrived at the pier, a little way off, and Mr. Winthro

d on, at a pace that frightened May, into the teeth of the waves, which were now dashing themselves into snowy wreaths of foam, while the trees were lashing their branches about, as if in agony. Meantime she had caught up the opera-glass which Mr. Winthrop had thrown down, and co

s half-way out. May breathlessly watched him as he rapidly covered the remaining distance. Then she could see him help Kate from her perilous hold into the skiff, and the young man into the sailboat, which the efforts of the two men had soon righted, after which H

garments clinging about her feet. Mrs. Leslie took possession of her at once, and she and Mrs. Sandford hurried her up to the house to be put to bed and dosed wit

throp became invisible for an hour or two, and it was only after all were gathered round the tea-table that he reappeared, looking paler and graver than they had ever yet seen him. Kate was, of course, still under orders to remain in bed for the rest of the evening,

but very curtly, and May inwardly wondered why it was that people always

apidly as it had come up, and the rain cleared off by degrees; but the sunset cast only a few golden gleams through the parting clouds, and the mo

first one after their arrival, but there was little time to enjoy its charming pictures. An early breakfast was hurried over by the time the little yacht blew her whistle for departure, and, before any one could realize that t

e said little, and they parted with cool civility. And as they left him behind, with a sense of something unsatisfactory about it, Mr. Winthrop seemed to have left more of a blank in the little party than might have been expected from his short stay among them. Hugh missed his clear-cut criticism and incisive talk. May felt as if she ought to be glad that this rival of Hugh's-as she regarded him-was out of the way, and yet she was conscious of a feeling of r