able, and preeminent, was the centre of a rapidly
increasing crowd about the lilac bushes. Small companies were
continually coming up the long green slope from the water, and nearly
all the boats had come to shore. I counted three or four that were
baffled by the light breeze, but before long all the Bowdens, small and
great, seemed to have assembled, and we started to go up to the grove
across the field.

Out of the chattering crowd of noisy children, and large-waisted women
whose best black dresses fell straight to the ground in generous folds,
and sunburnt men who looked as serious as if it were town-meeting day,
there suddenly came silence and order. I saw the straight, soldierly
little figure of a man who bore a fine resemblance to Mrs. Blackett, and
who appeared to marshal us with perfect ease. He was imperative enough,
but with a grand military sort of courtesy, and bore himself with solemn
dignity of importance. We were sorted out according to some clear design
of his own, and stood as speechless as a troop to await his orders. Even
the children were ready to march together, a pretty flock, and at
the last moment Mrs. Blackett and a few distinguished companions, the
ministers and those who were very old, came out of the house together
and took their places. We ranked by fours, and even then we made a long
procession.

There was a wide path mowed for us across the field, and, as we moved
along, the birds flew up out of the thick second crop of clover, and
the bees hummed as if it still were June. There was a flashing of
white gulls over the water where the fleet of boats rode the low waves
together in the cove, swaying their small masts as if they kept time to
our steps. The plash of the water could be heard faintly, yet still be
heard; we might have been a company of ancient Greeks going to celebrate
a victory, or to worship the god of harvests, in the grove above. It was
strangely moving to see this and to make part of it. The sky, the sea,
have watched poor humanity at its rites so long; we were no more a New
England family celebrating its own existence and simple progress; we
carried the tokens and inheritance of all such households from which
this had descended, and were only the latest of our line. We possessed
the instincts of a far, forgotten childhood; I found myself thinking
that we ought to be carrying green branches and singing as we went.
So we came to the thick shaded grove still silent, and were s