"Here comes a boat!" suddenly exclaimed Albertina.
"And it's the Maxtons out rowing with their cousin Jack," added Hatty.
The young cousin from South America proved to be an old sailor, and under his superintendence the girls were soon carried ashore in detachments to the nearest point, after which he returned to help "raise the wreck."
The thirteen having been dried and lunched at their several homes, they all met to spend the afternoon at the Maxtons', where the same useful cousin proved himself likewise a master-hand at entertaining, so what with games, stories, music, and ice-cream, the lost excursion was lavishly atoned for; and when a terrible thunder-storm about three o'clock caused them all to feel glad that they were not on Forest Island, even George Hendon acknowledged that in spite of coincidences and the boat plug, their Friday picnic was a lucky one after all.
[BITS OF ADVICE.]
BY AUNT MARJORIE PRECEPT.
ON THE ROAD.
Travelling in our country is both comfortable and agreeable, if the traveller will pay attention to a few directions. I suppose, dear little friends, that you have seen fussy and fidgety people on the road, who made themselves and other people unhappy by their behavior. The cars were too warm or too cold, the locomotive was going too fast or too slow, they feared the baby in the next seat had the whooping-cough, or they were sure there would be a collision. If on the water, they were in terror lest the engineer was racing, and the uneasiness they felt made them wretched.
Now, my dears, listen to me. When you go on a journey you are a passenger; your ticket is paid for; and as you are neither captain, pilot, conductor, nor engineer, give yourself no trouble about the way car or boat is being managed. Never take responsibility that does not belong to you.