FIRST OF MAY.
May day came--warm, bright, and beautiful. At six o'clock in the morning
the Zephyr and the Butterfly were manned, and the boys went over to the
island to trim the May-pole with evergreen and flowers. The Sylph was
degraded for the time into a "freighting vessel," and under command of
Uncle Ben conveyed to the island chairs and settees for the use of the
guests, tables for the feast, music stands for the band, and other
articles required for the occasion.
About nine o'clock the guests began to arrive, and were conveyed to the
island by the two club boats--the Sylph having gone down to Rippleton
after the band. The Sedleys, the Westons, Mr. Hyde, the parents of all
the members of the clubs who could attend, all the boys and girls of the
school, and a few gentlemen and ladies from the village who had
manifested a warm interest in the welfare of the two associations,
composed the party; and before ten they were all conveyed to the scene
of the festival.
"Have you got them all, Frank?" asked Captain Sedley, as the coxswain
was ordering his crew ashore.
"All but the Munroes, and the Butterflies are going for them by and by."
"Tom is hoisting the signal," added Captain Sedley, pointing to a blue
flag on the shore, which the gardener had been directed to hoist when
anyone wished to go to the Island.
"We will go, Frank," said Tony; and away dashed the boat towards the
main shore.
"Ah, my Butterflies," said a voice, as they approached the landing.
"Mr. Walker!" exclaimed Tony. "Ready--up! Now let us give him three
cheers. I was afraid he would not come."
The salute was given, and acknowledged by Mr. Walker.
"I am glad to see you again, my brave boy," said the gentleman, as he
grasped Tony's hand.
"I was afraid you would not deem our invitation worth accepting."
"I would not have missed of coming for the world, my young friend. Here
is Mrs. Walker; you know her."
Tony shook hands with the lady, and she said a great many very pretty
things to him, which made the gallant little hero blush like a rose in
June, and stammer so that he could hardly make them understand him.
"Shall I help you into the boat, Mrs. Walker?" said Tony.
"You shall, my little gallant; though I shall not be so glad to get into
it as I was the other day."
The boat put off again, and Mr. and Mrs. Walker were filled with
admiration of the excellent discipline of the rowers. They were warmly
greeted by the party at the island, and lustily cheered by the crew of
the Zephyr, which was again manned for the purpose of giving their
liberal friend this complimentary salute.
"Off again, my lads?" asked Mr. Walker, as the Butterflies prepared to
go for the Munroe family.
Captain Sedley explained to him the nature of their present errand; and,
of course, the warm-hearted gentleman found renewed occasion to applaud
the nobleness of Tony and his companions. He could hardly find terms
sufficiently strong to express his sense of admiration, especially when
he learned the sacrifice which they had made.
"A fleet of boats!" exclaimed he. "If it would raise up such boys as
these, it ought to be procured at the public expense. Thank God! I am
rich."
"I understand you, Mr. Walker," replied Captain Sedley; "but I beg you
will not let your generosity do anything more for the boys."
"Captain Sedley, I _love_ those boys! They are good boys, and good boys
are a scarcity nowadays. There is nothing too good for them."
"You are enthusiastic."
"But I tell you, sir, there are no such boys as those in the world!"
exclaimed Mr. Walker, with a gesture of earnestness.
"O, yes, sir; I presume, under the same discipline, other boys would be
the same."
"Then let them have the same discipline."
"It would cost a fortune. It is a very extravagant recreation, this
boating."
"But it makes men of them. I read the constitution of the clubs, and
Tony tells me it is carried out to the fullest extent."
"No doubt of it. There are boys among them, who, under other
circumstances, would be bad boys. I am satisfied the club keeps them
true to themselves and their duty."
"That's just my idea; and these noble-hearted little fellows have
bestowed the money I gave them in such a commendable manner, I mean to
give them as much more."
"That was my own feeling about the matter; but I do not think it is a
good plan to make good all they sacrifice. This fleet scheme was a
cherished project, and it was noble in them to give it up that they
might do a good deed."
"Noble! It was heroic--I was just going to use a stronger word."
"It is good for them to practise self-denial. That is all that makes the
deed a worthy one."
"Exactly so."
"Therefore, my friend, we will not say anything more about the fleet at
present."
"But if they bear it well, if they don't repent what they have done,
why, I should not value one or two thousand dollars. Besides, it might
be the means of bringing a large number of boys within the pale of good
influences."
"That is my own view; and by and by we will talk more of the matter."
Captain Sedley then introduced Mr. Walker to the company, and the
benevolent gentleman took a great deal of pains to inform himself in
relation to the influence of the boat clubs upon the boys. He asked a
great many questions of their parents, and of Mr. Hyde, the teacher.
They all agreed that the young men were the better for the associations;
that the discipline was very useful, and the physical exercise very
healthy; but some of them were afraid their sons would acquire such a
taste for the water as to create a desire to follow the seas. But few of
them considered boating, under the discipline of the clubs, a dangerous
recreation; so that the only real objection was the tendency to produce
longings for
"A life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep."
Mr. Walker tried to make the sceptical ones believe that Wood Lake was
so entirely different from the "rolling deep" as scarcely to suggest the
idea of a ship, or of the ocean. But the disadvantages were trivial
compared with the benefits which all acknowledged to have derived from
the associations, even independently of the libraries, the lectures, and
the debating societies at the halls.
Tony and his companions soon returned with the Munroe family, who were
cordially received by the guests. Captain Sedley expressed his sympathy
for the poor man, regretting that he had not known his situation before.
"I would have bought your place myself rather than have had you
sacrifice your property to the cupidity of such a man," said he.
"You are very good, sir," replied Mr. Munroe; "but I had not the courage
to state my circumstances to anybody. 'Squire Chase is a very hard man;
even when I paid him the money, which the kindness of the boys enabled
me to do, he was so angry that he could scarcely contain himself. He
swore at me, and vowed he would have vengeance."
"He must be a very disagreeable neighbor."
"He is, indeed."
"On with the dance!" shouted Frank, in the most exuberant spirits; and
the rich and the poor man dropped the subject.
The boys and girls had formed a line round the May-pole, and the band
commenced playing a very lively air. As the inspiring notes struck their
ears, they began to jump and caper about, taking all sorts of fantastic
steps, which it would have puzzled a French dancing master to define and
classify. Most of the boys and girls knew nothing of dancing, as an art;
but I venture to say they enjoyed themselves quite as much as though
they had been perfectly proficient in all the fashionable waltzes,
polkas, and redowas. Their hearts danced with gladness, and their steps
were altogether _impromptu_.
Then came the ceremony of crowning the Queen of May, in the person of
Mary Weston, which was performed in the most gallant style by Frank
Sedley. Another dance succeeded, and then came the feast. A great many
good things were eaten, a great many fine things said, and a great many
patriotic and complimentary toasts were drank. The band played "Hail
Columbia," "Yankee Doodle," and many other spirited tunes, and Mr.
Walker was very much astonished, as well as amused, to hear some of the
boys make speeches, flowery and fine, which had evidently been prepared
for the occasion, when they were "called up" by the toasts.
After the feast was over, the party divided itself into little knots for
social recreation. Frank and Mary Weston took a walk on the beach, and
the rest of the boys and girls climbed over the rocks, amused
themselves in the swing which Uncle Ben had put up, or wandered in the
grove. Boys and girls always enjoy themselves at such seasons, and my
young readers need not be told that they all had a "first-rate time."
I do not mean all; for two members of the Zephyr Club had wandered away
from the rest of the party to the north side of the island. They were
concealed from view by a large rock; but if any one had observed them,
he could not have failed to see that they were exceptions to the general
rule--that they were not happy. The two boys were Charles Hardy and Tim
Bunker. Frank had been pained to notice that an unnatural intimacy had
been growing up between them for several days; and he had already begun
to fear that it was in the heart of Tim to lead his weak-minded
associate astray.
"Now, let's see how much there is in it," said Tim.
"I am afraid to open it," replied Charles, as he glanced nervously over
the rocks.
"Git out!"
"I am doing wrong, Tim; I feel it here." And Charles placed his hand
upon his heart.
"Humph!" sneered Tim. "Give it to me, and I will open it."
"We ought not to open it," replied Charles, putting his hand into his
pocket, and again glancing over the top of the rocks. "Besides, Tim, you
promised to be a good boy when we let you into the club."
"I mean to have a good time. We might have had if you fellows hadn't
given away all that money."
"I didn't do it."
"I know you didn't, but the rest on 'em did; so it's all the same. They
are a set of canting pups, and for my part I'm tired on 'em. Frank
Sedley don't lord it over me much longer, you better believe! And you
are a fool if you let him snub you as he does every day."
"I don't mean to," answered Charles. "I believe the fellows all hate me,
or they would have made me coxswain before this time."
"Of course they would. They hate you, Charley: I heard Frank Sedley say
as much as that the other day."
"He did?"
"Of course he did."
"I wouldn't have thought that of him," said Charles, his eye kindling
with anger.
"Let's have the purse, Charley."
Charles hesitated; but the struggle was soon over in his bosom, and he
took from his pocket a silken purse and handed it to Tim.
"We are doing wrong, Tim," said he, as a twinge of conscience brought to
his mind a realizing sense of his position. "Give me back the purse, and
I will try to find the owner."
"No, you don't!" replied Tim, as he opened one end of the purse and took
therefrom a roll of bank bills, which he proceeded to count.
"Do give it back to me! I am sure the owner has missed it by this time."
"No matter if he has; he won't get it again in a hurry," answered the
Bunker, coolly. "Sixty dollars in bills! Good!"
"Give it to me, or I will go to Captain Sedley and tell him you have
it."
"Will you?"
"I will."
"If you do, I'll smash your head," said Tim, looking fiercely at him.
"Don't be a fool! With this money we can have a first-rate time, and
nobody will be any the wiser for it."
"I am afraid we shall be found out."
Probably Charles was more afraid of that than of the wicked act which he
had permitted himself to think of doing. He had found the purse on the
beach a little while before. When he had told Tim of it, the reckless
fellow, still the same person as before, notwithstanding his promises
and his altered demeanor, had led him over to this retired spot in order
to get possession of the purse.
"Nonsense! Nobody will suspect you," replied Tim, as he poured out the
silver and gold in the other end of the purse.
"I never did such a thing in my life."
"No matter; there must be a beginning to everything."
"What would my mother say?"
"She will say you are a clever fellow if you don't get found out. Eleven
dollars and a quarter in specie! That makes seventy-one
twenty-five--don't it?"
"Yes."
"All right! We will just dig a little hole here, and put the purse into
it," continued Tim, as he scooped out a hole in the sand, and dropped
the ill-gotten treasure into it.
Filling up the hole, he placed a large flat stone upon the spot, which
further secured the purse, and concealed the fact that the sand had been
disturbed.
"I am sure we shall get found out," said Charles, trembling with
apprehension.
"Nonsense! Keep a stiff upper lip; don't stop to think, and all will go
well. But, my hearty, if you peach on me, I give you my word, I will
take your life before you are one month older--do you hear?" And Tim's
fierce looks gave force to his words. "Now, we will go back to the rest
on 'em before they miss us. Mind you don't say anything, nor look
anything."
Charles followed Tim back to the other side of the island, and both of
them joined the sports of the day. The afternoon passed away, and
nothing was said of the purse. The owner had not missed it, and Tim
congratulated himself on the circumstance. Charles tried to be joyous,
and though he did not feel so, he acted it so well that no one suspected
him of harboring so vile a sin within his bosom.
"All aboard!" said Frank, and the band commenced playing "Home, Sweet
Home."
In due time the party were all transported to the shore, and everybody
went home highly delighted with the day's amusements. The Zephyr was
housed, and the crew dismissed, but not a word was said about the purse.