eriment. Besides, on my returning home and repeating the entire
incident in the family circle my mother admonished me that the downfall
of countless youths properly dated from the day when they first went
swimming with idle comrades without having previously procured the
consent of their parents--a thing which from that hour forth I never
thought of doing.

In order to acquire proficiency at swimming it was imperative on me,
therefore, to start at the beginning. Fortunately the book on this
subject was very explicit in text and contained many charts and diagrams
showing the correct evolutions. With this book open before me at the
proper place I lay prone on the floor, striking out with my arms and
legs according to the printed instructions, and breathing deeply through
the nostrils. It was while I was so engaged that my housekeeper, Mrs.
Matilda Dorcas, came into my room without knocking; for a moment the
situation became mutually embarrassing.

Thereafter when prosecuting my studies I took the precaution to lock my
bedroom door, thus insuring privacy. The result was, within four days I
could compliment myself with the reflection that I had completely
mastered the art of swimming, being entirely familiar with the various
strokes, including the breast stroke, the trudgeon stroke, the
Australian crawl stroke, and others of an even quainter nomenclature.

To the best of my present recollection, it was on a Friday
evening--Friday, the twenty-first ultimo--that Miss Peebles sent to me
by messenger my completed uniform, done up in a paper parcel. Having by
telephone notified the twelve charter members to attend a special called
meeting that evening at the parish house, I repaired to my rooms
immediately after tea and proceeded to attire myself in the costume,
standing meantime before my mirror to study the effect. In the main,
Miss Peebles had adhered to the original design, except that the nether
garments or knickerbockers were of rather a light and conspicuous shade
of blue--I believe this colour tone is known vernacularly as robin
blue--and she had seen fit to garnish their outer seams and the cuffs
of the blouse with rows of white buttons of a pearl-like material and
rather augmented size, which added a decorative but perhaps unnecessary
touch of adornment.

Also, if I may so express myself, there was a feeling of undue publicity
about the throat, this being due to the open collar, and in the vicinity
of the knees. I