stove-wood to represent gaping cannon's mouths, and played that half
the company were Germans; but before many days that game languished,
for there were none who would take the German part: every boat that
was built now was a battleship, and every kite was an aeroplane and
loaded with bombs!

In less than a week we were collecting for a hospital ship to be the
gift of Canadian women. The message was read out in church one
afternoon, and volunteer collectors were asked for. So successful were
these collectors all over Canada that in a few days word came to us
that enough money had been raised, and that all moneys collected then
could be given to the Belgian Relief Fund. The money had simply poured
in--it was a relief to give!

Before the time came for school to begin, there were many closed
cottages, for the happy careless freedom of the beach was gone; there
is no happiness in floating across a placid lake in a flat-bottomed
boat if you find yourself continually turning your head toward the
shore, thinking that you hear some one shouting, "Extra."

There were many things that made it hard to leave the place where we
had spent so many happy hours. There was the rustic seat we had made
ourselves, which faced the lake, and on which we had sat and seen the
storms gather on Blueberry Island. It was a comfortable seat with the
right slant in its back, and I am still proud of having helped to make
it. There was the breakwater of logs which were placed with such feats
of strength, to prevent the erosion of the waves, and which withstood
the big storm of September, 1912, when so many breakwaters were
smashed to kindling-wood. We always had intended to make a long box
along the top, to plant red geraniums in, but it had not been done.
There was the dressing-tent where the boys ran after their numerous
swims, and which had been the scene of many noisy quarrels over lost
garments--garters generally, for they have an elusive quality all
their own. There was also the black-poplar stump which a misguided
relative of mine said "no woman could split." He made this remark
after I had tried in vain to show him what was wrong with his method
of attack. I said that I thought he would do better if he could manage
to hit twice in the same place! And he said that he would like to see
me do it, and went on to declare that he would bet me a five-dollar
bill that I could not.

If it were not for the fatal curse of modesty I would tell how e