ar, I call
such conduct unreasonable; but all the same," added Susan, with a sigh,
"what with aeroplanes and automobiles and all the rest of it, this
Island is not what it used to be."

The aeroplane soared and dipped and circled, and soared again, until it
became a mere speck far over the sunset hills.

"'With the majesty of pinion Which the Theban eagles bear Sailing with
supreme dominion Through the azure fields of air.'"

quoted Anne Blythe dreamily.

"I wonder," said Miss Oliver, "if humanity will be any happier because
of aeroplanes. It seems to me that the sum of human happiness remains
much the same from age to age, no matter how it may vary in
distribution, and that all the 'many inventions' neither lessen nor
increase it."

"After all, the 'kingdom of heaven is within you,'" said Mr. Meredith,
gazing after the vanishing speck which symbolized man's latest victory
in a world-old struggle. "It does not depend on material achievements
and triumphs."

"Nevertheless, an aeroplane is a fascinating thing," said the doctor.
"It has always been one of humanity's favourite dreams--the dream of
flying. Dream after dream comes true--or rather is made true by
persevering effort. I should like to have a flight in an aeroplane
myself."

"Shirley wrote me that he was dreadfully disappointed in his first
flight," said Rilla. "He had expected to experience the sensation of
soaring up from the earth like a bird--and instead he just had the
feeling that he wasn't moving at all, but that the earth was dropping
away under him. And the first time he went up alone he suddenly felt
terribly homesick. He had never felt like that before; but all at once,
he said, he felt as if he were adrift in space--and he had a wild
desire to get back home to the old planet and the companionship of
fellow creatures. He soon got over that feeling, but he says his first
flight alone was a nightmare to him because of that dreadful sensation
of ghastly loneliness."

The aeroplane disappeared. The doctor threw back his head with a sigh.

"When I have watched one of those bird-men out of sight I come back to
earth with an odd feeling of being merely a crawling insect. Anne," he
said, turning to his wife, "do you remember the first time I took you
for a buggy ride in Avonlea--that night we went to the Carmody concert,
the first fall you taught in Avonlea? I had out little black mare with
the white star on her forehead, and a shining brand-new bu