fifty in width; a part of
the bottom was sandy and in one place it was over a boy's head in depth.

"This is the famous Little Sea," said Theodora. "Isn't it an extensive
sheet of water?"

"Who built the dam?" I inquired.

"Oh, your father and mine and all the rest of our uncles, grandfather's
first boys, when they were young."

"What did they build it for?" I asked.

"To wash the sheep. They hold the sheep under the stream of water where
it falls over the sluice-way below the dam here," replied Ellen.

"And to learn to swim in," said Wealthy. "They used to swim here when
they were boys; and Ad and Halstead come down here now, Saturday
evenings, for a bath. Doad and Nell and I are going to have us some
bathing suits and come down here, too, so that if ever we go to the
seashore, we may know how to swim."

The older girls laughed indulgently at Wealthy for thus ingenuously
informing me of their projects.

"Well, you needn't laugh," said Wealthy, coloring. "He's our cousin,
isn't he?"

This made me feel so awkward that, to change the subject, I began
skipping stones, and was very glad to have Ellen ask me whether I knew
how to make "whistles." I did not. "I do," said she. "If you will lend
me your pocket-knife, I will show you how."

"But it is Sunday, Nell," said Theodora, smiling.

"So 'tis!" exclaimed Ellen. "I forgot."

"I guess it need be no harm to make just one, now you've spoken of it,"
said Theodora. So the knife being opened, I was instructed how to cut a
stick of green osier, or maple, shape the end, cut and loosen the bark;
and having slipped the bark off, how further to make the requisite
notches, so that the hollow cylinder of bark being replaced, there would
be a whistle of keen, shrill note.

This bit of sylvan handicraft having been explained to me, in detail,
Theodora announced that it was time to return to the house. "Gram does
not approve of our taking too long strolls on Sunday," said she. "But so
long as we do right, I can see no harm in it. Besides, our new cousin
had never seen the farm before and to-morrow he will have to go to work,
I suppose."

"But there's lots more to show him," said Ellen. "He hasn't seen the
house-leek rocks, nor the old cider mill, nor the artichoke flat, nor
the sap-house, nor the colts."

"Nor the other trout brook where Ad caught the mink, nor the wood-chuck
wall, nor the bog where the big mud-turtle lives, nor the blackberry
hill, nor 'the fort.' Wh