66 Why?" said Harry, who had laughed too, after the first moment of confusion.

"'Cause," said Polly, "there's always an old one watching; and even if there's hundreds out o' their holes, the minute you go near 'em, he knocks on the ground, or does something, and in they go."

"Let's go see 'em quick," said Harry and Lotty, very much interested. "I ain't going to," said Paul; "I've seen enough nasty things. I'm going down to look at that boat."

Jack followed, leaving Jimmy and the other children to watch the fiddlers. He and Nathan had been out that morning, fishing, and the pretty skiff was drawn up on the beach.

"Can't we go out in that?" said Paul.

"Yes, we could," said Jack, "only the tide 's going out, and we'd have a hard pull back."

"There's a big boat there with a mast, that would hold us all,” said Paul. "We could go in that, for grandpa meant we should have a sail, and he said you 'd take us, too."

Jack thought a moment. "That boat 's pretty dirty," said he, " but you've all got on your playing clothes, and we won't go far. I can't bring it up near, for the tide's too far out, but I'll carry you to it in the skiff. Come along," he shouted, running up to the house, to let Mrs. Ben know they were going. The children raced down to the beach, for nothing was so delightful as going sailing with Jack; and since he had been working for Squire Green they seldom had the chance. Mrs. Ben stood in the door, and handed two thick shawls to Jimmy as he passed by.

"Wrap them children up well, if you 're out any time," said she, "for they ain't used to it. They 're safe enough with Jack and you, but I don't want 'em to get cold."

"I wish that Paul was n't going," said Jimmy; "he 's just the sassiest boy!"

"Don't you be sassy back," said his mother.

"It takes two to make a quarrel, and, if he sees he can't rile you, maybe he 'll mend his manners; he don't look over and above pleasant, that 's a fact.”

By this time the city children were safely in the boat, and Jack, after pulling Polly and Jimmy to it, fastened the skiff to the buoy by the rope which had held the other. Very little rowing was needed, for the tide helped them out of the cove; and once fairly in the open bay, they hoisted sail and went on famously. The city children, who knew nothing of the water, save what could be seen crossing the ferries, were wild with delight, even Master Paul condescending to dip his hand in the water, and look complacently at the porpoises tumbling in the distance. So for a while things went on charmingly, till Jack thought it time to turn back, and, without giving Paul a chance to object, said to Jimmy, "I guess we'll go about now."

"About what? said Paul.

"Never mind," answered Jack, with a comical look, "only you just duck your head down, please. We 're going to jibe."

Paul did n't know what "jibe" meant, but he determined he would n't duck his head, nor be ordered about by Jack in any way. Now to "jibe" is to change the position of a sail, so that, if the wind has been blowing against the right-hand side of it, the left-hand side shall be brought round for the wind to blow upon. So, if the sail has been drawing on the left, or larboard, or port side of the boat, the wind, striking its opposite face, will carry it across the boat, to the right or starboard side. The bottom of the sail is fastened to a heavy pole called the boom, and the boom is of course carried over with the sail. As this boom hangs at about the height of the shoulder of a boy sitting in the boat, you can see at once why Jack told Paul to duck his head. Paul was sitting with his back to the sail, and did not see it coming over, so he sat up straighter than ever; and the boom, striking him on the back of the neck, tumbled him heels over head into the bottom of the boat, where he lay for a moment in the midst of two or three fish and some slimy water, not yet cleared out.

It was so evident where the fault lay, that as he scrambled up, not much hurt, he could not blame any one but himself, and so sat down again, only saying: "I won't have such an ugly great stick as that in my boat. I'm going to have a boat next summer, a great deal nicer than this nasty thing; and I'll have all the sails hung up on the mast, like that ship over there," -pointing to a brig standing up the bay before the wind.

All the 'long-shore children shouted so at the idea of a square-rigged skiff, that Paul felt completely disconcerted, and concluded to go forward, out of the way of that "ugly great stick."

"If you go forward, you must tend jib, and send Nathan aft," said Jack; "there is n't room for both of you."

What "tending jib" was, Paul did n't in the least understand, but he took Nathan's seat in front of the mast, saying "Very well" as he did so. Jack held the boat on the same course till they reached the bar, when he thought it better to go on the other tack, that is, “jibe" again. So he called to Paul, "Mind that jib."

"Yes," answered Paul, "I will.”

The jib of the boat was tied by a little rope to the side of the boat, and Jack wanted Paul to untie the rope and, at the right moment, let the jib blow over with the other sail. Paul had not the least notion what to do, and did nothing at all. Consequently the boat, instead of going about on the other tack began to drift to leeward.

"Let go that jib!” shouted Jack.

"I ain't touching the jib," answered Paul.

"Well," said Nathan, jumping forward, "if ever I saw a lubberhead!" Paul, furious, jumped up, and caught little Nathan by the shoulder, intending to give him a good shaking, but, slipping, both went down together between the seats. Jack by this time had got the boat before the wind. This course carried them straight away from home, but it was the only thing he could do. Then, giving the tiller to Jimmy, he went forward, picked up the two boys, and ordered Paul, pretty sharply, to go aft and behave himself. It took a long time to beat up to the bar again; and when they at last reached it, the tide was out, the water very shallow, and the waves running high.

"What are you doing?" said Paul, as he saw the boat once more change its course. "We were 'most in, and now you're going away again."

"I'm tacking," said Jack.

"What a lie !" said Paul. "If I don't just tell grandfather."

"You shut up, once for all," answered Jack, " or I'll know the reason why. You've made trouble enough already. I'm going up to the other cove, where it's easy landing, and you keep pretty still till we 're there."

Paul, like all blusterers, was a coward; he was a little sea-sick, too, and so sat perfectly quiet, while Lotty and Harry, as the boat rocked more and more violently, began to cry.

"You need n't be afraid when Jack 's along," said Polly, encouragingly. "He would n't let the boat tip over, if it wanted to; and we 'll be there in a few minutes, anyhow."

There was a wet scramble over the slimy, slippery rocks covered with seaweed, after getting out of the boat, but at last they were safely on shore again, Paul, with his brother and sister, walked slowly home, Jack following with the fish he had caught in the morning. Squire Green stood at the gate.

"I was beginning to wonder why the children did n't come," said he "What's been the matter, Paul?" "It's all Jack's fault," said Paul, delighted that he could at last relieve his spite a little. "We went sailing, and first he knocked me down with the

stick on the sail, and then he told me to let go the jib, when I was n't touching it, and sailed way out again when we were 'most home, just to plague us, and he said he was tacking, when there was n't a tack there."

Grandfather Green sat right down in the porch, and laughed till the tears

ran.

"To think," said he, as Paul's mother came out towards them, "that a grandson of mine should be such a landlubber! What have you been about, Charlotte, that you have n't told him more about 'long shore?"

"He can learn next summer," said Mrs. Lane. "Jack will teach him." "I'll smash him, if he tries to," said Paul, furiously angry.

"Come, sir," said grandfather, suddenly, turning from Lotty, who was telling the trouble they had had in getting home, “come, sir, act like a man for once, and stop showing off airs. Shake hands with Jack, as the least you can do after acting like a simpleton, and make up your mind that you don't know everything yet, and won't for some time."

Jack's gray eyes were looking dubiously at him, though there was a queer little twinkle in them; but he held out his hand at once. Paul drew back a moment; then, meeting his mother's gentle glance, and beginning to be ashamed of his bad temper, he shook hands with Jack very much as though he had rather not, and went into the house.

Next morning Polly and her mother, walking up to Jack's house, were passed by the stage-coach, carrying all the Lanes to the steamboat dock. Lotty and Harry waved their handkerchiefs, but Paul sat up stiffly, and did not turn his head.

"That's an awful boy," said Polly; "I wish he would n't come here next summer."

"Maybe he'll be better then," said her mother.

"He sha' n't ever touch my Seraphina, if he is n't," said Polly. "He looked at her yesterday, and she 's acted real bad ever since, and won't sit up good or anything."

"Well," said her mother, laughing; "you keep straight yourself; that's the main thing."

Helen C. Weeks:

Where the grassy fields outspread,
There with dews the flowers are fed;

Thus, my Father, thus, I pray,

Feed my soul with love alway.

Where life's checkered paths outspread,
By that love would I be led,
Onward, upward, all the way,
To the golden gates of day.

*Organist of the Royal German Chapel, St. James's Palace, London.