er looked down from the blessed life,
with love and longin' to the old earth-nest--home of his heart. I
spozed that he did, but couldn't tell for certain. For the connection
has never been made fast and plain on the Star Route to Heaven. Love
rears its stations here and tries to take the bearin's, but we hain't
quite got the wires to jine. Sometimes we feel a faint jarrin' and
thrill as if there wuz hands workin' on the other end of the line. We
feel the thrill, we see the glow of the signal lights they hold up,
but we can't quite ketch the words. We strain our ears through the
darkness--listening! listening!

Right acrost from Alexandria Bay is Heart Island; you'd know it at
night if you couldn't see the island, for a big heart of flashin'
electric lights is lifted up on a high pole, that can be seen fur and
near. As well as the big shinin' cross of light that is lifted up
every night on another island nigh by in memory of a sweet soul that
used to live there, and is lookin' down on it now, more'n as likely as
not.

Heart Island is owned by a rich New York man. It is almost covered
with buildin's of different sizes and ruined castles (the ruins all
new, you know; ruined a-purpose), the buildin's made of the gray stun
the island is composed of. And there are gorgeous flower beds and
lawns green as emerald, and windin' walks lined with statuary, and
rare vases runnin' over with blossoms and foliage, and a long, cool
harbor, fenced in with posies where white swans sail, archin' up their
proud necks as if lookin' down on common ducks and geese. There wuz
ancient stun architecture, and modern wood rustic work, and I sez to
Josiah, "They believe in not slightin' any of the centuries; they've
got some of most every kind of architecture from Queen Mary down to
Taft."

And he sez, "It is a crackin' good plan too; amongst all on 'em
they're sure to git some of the best."

"Yes," sez I, "and it shows a good-hearted sperit too, not wantin' to
slight anybody."

Jest then I heard a bystander say, "Amongst all the places to the
Islands, this place and Browney's take the cake."

Brownings is another beautiful place just round the corner where the
flower-garlanded rocks looks down into the deep clear waters anxious
to see their own beauty. And a handsome residence a little back and a
big farm full of everything desirable.

Only a little way acrost from Alexandria Bay is Westminster Park, a
handsome little village, with a big