o the beach, and overgrown with
weeds; but they made their way down without much trouble, and
Eyebright trampled the pebbles under foot with great satisfaction.

"Isn't it splendid!" she cried. "See that great stone close to the
bank, papa. We can go behind there to dress and undress. It's a real
nice place. I'm going to call it the 'The Dressing-room.' How wide the
sea is on this side! And what is that long point of land, papa?"

For the island lay within a broad curving bay. One end of the curve
projected only a little way, but toward the north a long, cape-like
tongue of land, with a bold, hilly outline, ran out to sea, and made a
striking feature in the landscape.

"Those are the Guinness Hills," said Mr. Bright. "Canada begins just
the other side of them. Do you see those specks of white on the point?
That is Malachi, and in the summer there is a steamboat once a week
from there to Portland. We can see it pass in clear weather, Mr. Downs
says."

"That will be nice," said Eyebright, comfortably. "I'm glad we've got
a beach of our own, papa; aren't you? Now I want to look about some
more."

To the left of the house the ground rose in a low knoll, whose top was
covered with sassafras bushes. This was the source of the spring whose
water ran into the back kitchen. They came upon it presently, and
could trace the line of spouts, each made of a small tree-trunk,
halved and hollowed out, which led it from the hill to the house.
Following these along, Eyebright made the discovery of a cubby,--a
veritable cubby,--left by some child in a choice and hidden corner
formed by three overlapping moosewood bushes. The furniture, except
for a table made of three shingles, consisted entirely of corn-cobs;
but it was a desirable cubby for all that, and would be a pleasant
out-door parlor for Genevieve on hot days, Eyebright thought. It made
the island seem much more home-like to know that other children had
lived there and played under the trees; and, cheered by this idea, she
became so merry, that gradually papa brightened, too, and began to
make plans for his farming operations with more heart than he had
hitherto shown, deciding where to plant corn and where potatoes, and
where their little vegetable garden would better be.

"I suppose it's no use to try for fruit," he said; "the climate is too
cold."

"Not too cold for blueberries," Eyebright replied. "There are lots of
them, Mrs. Downs says, and lots of cranberries, and