The weather was mild and warm, the lake was as clear and calm as a mirror,
and in joyous mood our little party embarked and paddled up the lake, first
to Ship Island, but this did not detain them many minutes; they then went
to Grape Island, which they so named from the abundance of wild vines, now
rich with purple clusters of the ripe grapes,--tart, but still not to be
despised by our young adventurers; and they brought away a large birch
basket heaped up with the fruit. "Ah, if we had but a good cake of maple
sugar, now, to preserve our grapes with, and make such grape jelly as my
mother makes!" said Louis.
"If we find out a sugar-bush we will manage to make plenty of sugar," said
Catharine; "there are maples not two hundred yards from the shanty, near
the side of the steep bank to the east. You remember the pleasant spot
which we named the Happy Valley, [Footnote: A lovely valley to the east of
Mount Ararat, now belonging to a worthy and industrious family of the name
of Brown. I wish Hector could see it as it now is,--a cultivated fertile
farm.
Pages:
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245