Page:The Family Album.pdf/68

60 One word would lead to another, because I never saw people who went on a vacation that enjoyed themselves, because most folks travel so they can criticize other folks' cooking and table manner. They get all starched up for dinner, and the women folks change their dresses fifty times a day, even if they have only got two dresses.

Lake Hopatcong is a fine place to send postal cards from, but everybody steals the hotel letter paper and envelopes. Eddie Miller would come along in his boat that has engine trouble instead of oars and invite Uncle and Aunt Ella for an excursion wreck up the lake.

Around twilight, when Uncle's nose was throwing long shadows across the lake, they would all start to sing. I don't know what makes people sing in rowboats, but they all do, even if they can't. Uncle had a nice parlor voice for hollering out into the kitchen for some hot water for his bunion. He wasn't much on rowboat opera, though, and Aunt Ella's ears would get very much annoyed. Still they had some pretty good time on the lakes, and if folks would sing in canoes I guess it would be a pretty good plan to give everybody a rowboat for a wedding present.

Good-by. Don't forget to write.