"No, that would not be wise," said Will; "but I tell you what, let's club together and send her some decent food and clothing."
Their kindness was not thrown away. Grimes never repeated the wrong-doing. With better times came better health and strength for his wife, and when Will went home for a holiday he took to his mother a bit of Irish lace, which Mrs. Grimes had begged him to carry to her.
A CHEAP CANOE.
BY W. P. S.
The labor and ingenuity expended in one season by a boy who has any taste for the water in building rafts, and converting tubs and packing-boxes into sea-going vessels, would, if well directed, build a good-sized ship; but, from lack of knowledge and system, the results of such attempts are generally failures.
After some experience with rafts that would sink, scows that would leak, and other craft that showed a strong preference for floating with keels in the air, we found in the canvas canoe a boat at once handsome, speedy, and safe, and capable of a great variety of uses, while the small cost and easy construction place it within reach of all young ship-builders.
To produce a good canvas boat care and patience are more necessary than great skill with tools, though it is supposed that the young mechanic can use his rule correctly, saw to a line, and plane an edge reasonably straight.
The first proceeding in any building operation, after the plans are decided on, is to make out a "bill of materials" and an "estimate," and ours will read as follows:
| Keel, oak, 1 in. square, by 15 ft. long | } Sawed from an oak | |
| 10 rib-bands, oak, 1 x ¼ in., by 15 ft. long | } board 15 ft. X 6 in. = 7½ ft. @ 5c. | |
| 2 gunwales, oak, 1 x ¾ in., by 15 ft. long | } | $0.38 |
| Keelson, 3 x 1 in., 10 ft. long. | } 10 in. pine board | |
| Bow, stern, coaming, and ridge pieces. | } | .35 |
| Moulds. | } 2 pine boards 12 x ½ in., 13 ft. | |
| Floor boards, | } long = 26 ft.,@ 3c. | .78 |
| Paddle, 1¼ in. spruce plank, 6½ in. X 13 ft. | .25 | |
| Canvas, 5 yds., 40 in., @ 45c. | 2.25 | |
| Canvas deck, 5 yds., 28 in., @ 25c. | 1.25 | |
| 1 package 1 in. No. 7 iron screws. | .30 | |
| Tacks, nails, and screws. | .50 | |
| Rubber cloth for apron. | .50 | |
| Sawing moulds and paddle. | .50 | |
| Paint. | 1.00 | |
| ——- | ||
| $8.06 |