Everybody laughed at this cynical picture, and Aunt Faith said, "I remember just after the war, when a number of our Westerton soldier-boys had returned, it was proposed to celebrate the home-coming by a grand picnic. The project, however, came to the ears of the returned volunteers, and I happened to be present when one of them, Lieutenant John Romer, expressed his opinion. 'See here, Katie,' said he to his sister, 'I understand that you young ladies are getting up a picnic to welcome us back from the war. I wish you would gently extinguish the plan. We have had picnic enough for all our lives; the very sight of a camp-fire and a kettle takes away any romance we may have possessed, and as for out-door coffee, it is fairly hateful to us.'" "I remember old Deacon Brown used to say, that when, once in ten years, he went to New York to visit his relatives, the first thing they did was to get up a ride into the country for him," said Hugh laughing. "They did not understand that what he wanted was that very bustle and crowd that annoyed them." "In the mean time," said Tom impatiently, "what has become of my picnic in all this talk?" "Oh Tom! do you really insist upon it?" said Sibyl with a sigh. "Of course I do! and the B. B.'s must all be invited, too." "No, indeed?" said all the family in a chorus, "_that_ is too much." "I would as soon go into the woods with a set of pirates," said Sibyl. "They howl so," said Bessie. "We could never carry enough for them to eat," said Gem. "I could not take such a responsibility," said Aunt Faith; "something might happen, they might get into the lake." "They would be sure to get in; they take to the water like young ducks," said Hugh. Before this mass of testimony, Tom was obliged to give way. "Well," he said, after a pause, "never mind about the B. B.'s so long as you have the picnic." "Of course we cannot go to-day," began Sibyl. "Why not?" interposed Tom; "no time like the present. I'll agree to do all the running round; I can run like a tiger." Sibyl sighed, and glanced out into the sun-shine with a foreboding of heat and freckles. "Who shall we have?" said Bessie. "Mr. Leslie will go, I presume," said Aunt Faith; "I know that clergymen often make a holiday of Monday." Sibyl's face cleared, and she made no further objection to the plan. "As I do not like to be hurried," continued Aunt Faith, "I propose that we do not start until after dinner; we will have a tea instead of a dinner in the woods, and come home at twilight." At first Tom objected to this idea, but as the others liked it, he yielded, and the question of invitations was taken up. "I propose we leave that to Aunt Faith," said Bessie; "if we once begin discussing it, we shall sit here all the morning, for we never can agree." "Where shall we go?" said Hugh. Aunt Faith suggested Oak Grove.