CHAPTER X.
LAUNCHING THE BOAT.

Ir was the first of May; a clear and bright
day, but by no means a warm one. Children
who go out into the woods to enjoy May-day, in
New England, will usually find their winter
clothing comfortable. The grass is green, but
not very high. There are some wild flowers in
the meadows and on the hill-side; the leaves
of the forest trees are just starting from the
stiff buds which have protected them from
Jack Frost’s spring nipping, and the birds sing
merrily among the branches. The first of
June in that climate is a much better day for a
holiday, and a June queen in a white muslin
dress, crowned with roses, looks altogether
better than a May queen in a far tippet.

The boat, the beloved boat, was completed,