It's a comfort to know they're up there all
the time. Know Matthew Arnold's poems? He says 'With joy the stars
perform their shining.' I like that. When I'm off camping the best fun
of it is lying by running water at night and looking at the stars. Odd,
though, I never knew the names of many of them; wouldn't know any if it
weren't for the dippers,--not sure of them as it is. There's the North
Star over there. Suppose your grandfather knows 'em all."

"I think he does," replied Sylvia. "He still lectures about them
sometimes."

"Wonder what that is, just across the farthest tip of that maple? It's
familiar, but I can't name it."

"That," said Sylvia, "is Cassiopeia."

"So? How many constellations do you know?"

Sylvia was silent a moment. She was not sure that it was polite to
disclose her knowledge of the subject to a man who had just confessed
his ignorance. She decided that anything beyond the most modest
admission would be unbecoming.

"I know several, or I think I do. This is June. That's the North Star
over the point of that tree, as you said, and above it is Ursa Minor,
and winding in and out between it and the Big Dipper is Draco. Then to
the east, higher up, are Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila. And in the west--"

She paused, feeling that she had satisfied the amenities of conversation
with this gentleman who had so frankly stated his lack of knowledge.

Ware struck his knee with his hand and chuckled.

"I should say you do know a few! You've mentioned some I've always
wanted to get acquainted with. Now go back to Cygnus, the Swan. I like
the name of that one; I must be sure to remember it."

Politeness certainly demanded that Sylvia should answer; and now that
the minister plied her with questions, her own interest was aroused, and
she led him back and forth across the starry lanes, describing in the
most artless fashion her own method of remembering the names and
positions of the constellations. As their range of vision on the veranda
was circumscribed, Ware suggested that they step down upon the lawn to
get a wider sweep, a move which attracted the attention of the others.

"Sylvia, be careful of the wet. Josephus just moved the sprinkler and
that ground is soaked."

"Don't call attention to our feet; our heads are in the stars," answered
Ware. "I must tell the Indian boys on the Nipigon about this," he said
to Sylvia as they returned to the veranda. "I didn't know anybody knew
as much as you do. You