Boatbuilding -- Juvenile fiction; Boats and boating -- Juvenile fiction
Included in this small number was Colonel Buckmill, who was then looking
for a suitable site for an academy. The owner of the estate would not
admit that the hotel was a failure, but he hinted that the building
might be obtained for the school. It exactly suited Colonel Buckmill,
and a bargain was soon made for a lease of it. In this manner the
Sunnyside Hotel became the Chesterfield Collegiate Institute in the
autumn of the same year.
Of course, one of the attractions of the Sunnyside was to be boating on
the lake, and Major Billcord provided two sailboats and some rowboats;
and Peter Bristol, who Was a good boatman, was engaged to take care of
the boats, and act as skipper when required. The poor man, taking his
cue from his employer, believed he had fallen upon a bonanza. His
fortune was made, and the rest of his days would be spent at Sandy
Point.
His wife had over three hundred dollars in her own right in a savings
bank, which she was willing to put into a house, and the cottage on the
point was built. The family moved into it, and were delighted with the
situation, though it was a rather dismal place in the winter. Peter was
to have half the money derived from letting the boats; but he soon found
that he had nothing to do. The few guests did not care to row or sail.
The boatman had no rent to pay, for the major had given him permission
to put his house on the point without charge; but he found it was very
hard work to get enough for his family to eat. Lily obtained work in
Westport, and Paul attended to the boats while his father worked at
haying, and they got through the season. But the dream of fortune had
collapsed.
Peter Bristol was discouraged, and went to New York to find work. He
obtained no situation, and shipped for the West Indies. A letter from
him informed his family that he was at work on a plantation, and he
hoped to do well after a while. Since that, nothing had been heard from
him in two years.
Paul obtained a little work at the institute, and Lily kept her place in
Westport; so that the family had worried along until the daughter lost
her situation for the want of sufficient work at the store in which she
was employed. Then it was difficult even to obtain enough to eat. Paul
did his best, and allowed himself to be bullied and kicked by the
gentlemanly students of the institute, while he could make an occasional
quarter.
Major Billcord lived in Westport, and his son had lately become a pupil
in the institute. He was older than most of the students, and was a wild
young fellow. In the early spring he had seen Lily Bristol. He agreed
with others who had seen her that she was a remarkably pretty girl, and
he had made frequent visits to Sandy Point.
"I prefer to be in the boat alone," Lily replied to the young
gentleman's remark that it would be more sociable to have company.
"But I want to see you, Lily, and have a talk with you," persisted
Walker Billcord.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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