Martha Finley

“ I am, oh, so glad I belong to you instead of to—anybody else."
"So am I," he responded, with a happy little laugh.
"And that I do too, papa?" asked Grace, in a half-pleading tone. [221]
"Yes, yes, my own darling," he said, addressing her with great tenderness. "You are no less dear than your sister."
"How good in you, papa! for I'm not half so bright or pretty as Lu," she said, patting his cheek with her small white hand.
"Why, Gracie!" exclaimed Lulu, "whatever put such a thing as that into your head? You are far prettier, and better too, than I am. Isn't she, papa?" ”

“ O papa, I just long to be a real help and comfort and blessing to you; and I do hope that some day I may be."
"My own dear little daughter, you are already all three to me," he said with emotion. "Truly, I think no man ever had a more lovable child, or a more grateful and appreciative one."
Those words sent a thrill of exquisite delight to Lulu's heart. "Dear papa, you are so kind to tell me that!" she said. "Oh, I do want always to be all that to you!"
"And it is certainly my ardent desire to be the best of fathers to my dear eldest daughter, and all my children," he responded. ”

“ Violet, as usual, went with them, and the captain was left alone with Lulu and Grace.
They were hanging lovingly about him as was their custom on such occasions, and he drew one to each knee, saying in low, tender tones, "My darlings! my precious little daughters! How rich I feel in the possession of my five dear children!"
"And how rich we feel with our dear, dear father! to say nothing of our dear, sweet Mamma Vi and the two darling babies!" responded Lulu, putting her arm about his neck and her lips to his. ”

“ I'm happy anywhere with you, my dear, dear papa," said Grace, putting an arm round his neck and pressing her lips to his cheek.
"So am I," said Lulu, "unless I have been doing wrong, and papa is displeased with me. Oh, I do mean to try my very hardest to be good! and I'm sure it will be ever so much easier with you for my tutor, dear papa, than it was before, going to that horrid school and having to take music lessons from that Signor Foresti, who was so ill-tempered and struck me, when I was trying as hard as I could to play my piece just right." ”

“ Lord George Germain exclaimed after he heard the news, 'All our hopes were blasted by the unhappy affair at Trenton.'"
"Unhappy affair indeed!" exclaimed Walter. "What a heartless wretch he must have been, mamma!"
"And how our poor soldiers did suffer!" sighed Lulu; "it makes my heart ache just to think of it!"
"And mine," said Grandma Elsie. "It is wonderful how much the poor fellows were willing to endure in the hope of attaining freedom for themselves and their country. ”

“ Lulu waited to hear no more, but ran back to the veranda, where she danced about in a tumult of delight, clapping her hands and saying exultingly to herself, "I just knew papa wouldn't have made me go back to that horrid school and take lessons of that brute of a man. Oh, I do wish he had been here! How much it would have saved me! If my father is strict and stern sometimes, he's ever so much better and kinder than Grandpa Dinsmore. Yes, yes, indeed, he's such a dear father! ”

“ But on reaching the veranda they were surprised to see the captain and Lulu already taking a morning promenade along the bank of the bayou.
"Ah, I see there is no getting ahead of Brother Levis," laughed Rosie. "Let us run down there and join them, Eva."
"With all my heart," returned Evelyn gayly, and away they went, racing down the broad gravelled walk in merry girlish fashion.
"Good-morning, little ladies, I see that you are early birds as well as Lulu and myself," the captain said, with his genial smile, as they drew near. ”

“ My darling, my little son, there is nothing else mother so desires for you as that you may be a lamb of Christ's fold, and I have strong hopes that you already are. You know that Jesus died to save sinners; that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him; that you can do nothing to earn salvation, but must take it as God's free unmerited gift: that Jesus says, 'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' All this you know, my son? ”

“ The battle had lasted thirty-five minutes, and the Americans had not lost a man."
"It was wonderful, I think!" said Evelyn, in her earnest way; "certainly God helped our patriotic forefathers or they never could have succeeded in their conflict with so powerful a foe as Great Britain was even then."
"It was all of God's great goodness to this land and people," said Grandma Elsie. "Had there been in that action defeat to our arms instead of victory, we would not—so soon at least—have become the free and powerful nation we are to-day. ”

“ The captain and Lulu spent a quiet half-hour with the Ion family and Violet, then departed for Woodburn.
As the carriage started, the captain put an arm round Lulu, drew her close to him, and smiling affectionately down into her face, said: "How glad I am to be able to keep one of my loved flock with me!"
"And oh, how glad I am that I'm the one, you dear, dear papa!" responded the little girl, returning his loving look and smile. Then, with a sigh, "I think there are some fathers who wouldn't be very fond of even their own child, if she were so often ill-tempered and disobedient. ”

“ Rosie said. "And, O Lu, I'm looking for very good times this coming winter here in our lovely Viamede, and with your father here I know it will be pleasanter than ever for you—pleasanter for all of us; for, Brother Levis, I hear that I am to be your pupil instead of Professor Manton's; a change which I haven't a doubt I shall enjoy extremely."
"Ah, don't be too sure of that, little sister," he returned laughingly, giving a welcoming embrace to her also. "I am a very strict disciplinarian, as Lulu here can testify," laying a hand affectionately on his daughter's shoulder. ”

“ But though his horse was wounded, he remained unhurt."
"Oh," cried Evelyn with enthusiasm, "surely God protected him and turned aside the balls, that America might not lose the one on whom so much depended! the father of his country, the ardent patriot, the best of men and greatest of generals, as I do certainly believe he was."
"I am proud that Washington was a countryman of mine," exclaimed Rosie, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, we are all proud of our Washington," said Lulu. "But what more can you tell us about the battle of Trenton, Grandma Elsie?" ”

“ And how pleased Lulu and Gracie will be, for I have often heard them speak of Viamede as even lovelier than Woodburn, which they evidently esteem a very delightful and lovely home."
"As it assuredly is, my dear," was Violet's smiling rejoinder. "I could not ask a lovelier, happier home than that which my husband—the very best and dearest of husbands—has provided for me. ”

“ For your dear sake, papa, and that of my beloved children, I am more than willing to stay here on earth for many more years, yet the thought of being forever with the Lord—near him and like him—thrills my heart with joy unspeakable, while added to that is a great gladness in the prospect of reunion with the dear husband who has gone before me to that happy land. ”

“ Oh, I am glad that we may ask our kind heavenly Father for everything we want! Poor Mamma Vi! how her heart must ache! and is she going to stay on at Ion now, papa?"
"Yes; certainly till her mother is out of danger or forever done with sin and suffering. Gracie and our two little ones will stay too; Gracie amusing the others and keeping them in the grounds, or a part of the house so distant from Grandma Elsie's room that their noise will not disturb her." ”

“ That is my prescription for you."
"Ah, ha, mamma!" laughed Rosie, "the captain forbids Christmas-gift making for us younger ones, and I'm mighty glad grandpa forbids it to you. 'Misery loves company,' you know."
"I hope my Rosie may never be called upon to share any worse misery," was the smiling rejoinder. "Also that she will show herself as obedient to the captain as I intend to be to her kind, loving grandpa—so tenderly careful of his daughter," with a fond look up into the face of her father, standing by her side. ”

“ Papa said I must ask your pardon, and I think I would do it now, even if he hadn't ordered me."
"It is too much, Miss Lu," Alma said, blushing, and with tears in her eyes. "I could never ask such a thing as that of a young lady like you."
"Indeed, my behavior has been very unladylike to-day," sighed Lulu; "and papa is very, very much displeased with me." [136]
"I am sorry, Miss," Alma responded, in a sympathizing tone. "But the captain will not stay angry; he is so very fond of his children."
"Yes; and so kind and indulgent that I ought to be the best girl in the world. ”

“ I am only too glad to have you by my side; except that I feel sorry on your own account that you should miss the pleasant, healthful trip along with the others," he said, bestowing upon her a fond caress.
"But how did you know that I was going to stay at home?" he asked, as he led her in and sat down, drawing her to a seat upon his knee.
"Because I'm enough of a Yankee to be good at guessing, I suppose, papa," she answered, with a merry laugh, putting an arm round his neck and gazing into his eyes with her own full of ardent filial love. ”

“ Violet said rather anxiously to herself, as the carriage rolled swiftly on toward Ion; "there was really nothing in her note to indicate it, but she has never been one to complain of even a pretty serious ailment. She is not old yet; we may hope to keep her with us for many, many years. But then she is so good—so ripe for heaven!" And a silent prayer went up to God that the dear mother might be spared for many years to help others on their pilgrim way, especially her children and grandchildren. ”

“ Lulu's first thought on awaking the next morning was of dear Grandma Elsie. "I wonder," she said to herself, "if papa has not been asking news of her through the telephone; oh, I hope she is getting well!"
Hurrying through the duties of the toilet, she was ready to run to meet her father when presently she heard his steps in the hall without.
"Good-morning, papa," she cried. "Oh, have you heard from Ion how Grandma Elsie passed the night?"
"Yes," he said, bending down to give her a good-morning kiss, "she passed a very comfortable night; is thought to be doing as well as possible. ”

“ The half hour spent in watching and waiting seemed very long indeed to the little lad, but at last, oh joy! there was Cousin Arthur's sulky turning in at the great gates; then it came swiftly up the avenue, and Walter rose and hastened to meet the doctor as he alighted.
"O Cousin Arthur!" he cried, but in subdued tones, "they've shut me out of mamma's room and I just don't know how to stand it any longer. Mayn't I go in, if it's only for a minute, to get one look at her dear face? ”

“ Isn't it good, papa, that they have never once suspected me?"
"Well," exclaimed Lulu, "Max used his talent to do good that time. Didn't he, papa?"
"He did, indeed," replied the captain. "I hope that poor horse will, as a consequence, receive better treatment in future."
"I'm so glad Maxie could frighten the man so and make him stop treating it so dreadfully," remarked Grace, with a sigh of relief. "I never thought before that that talent of his was good for anything but to make fun for folks."
"The ability to afford amusement to others is a talent not to be despised," said her father ”

“ I love you, Lu," cried Elsie, leaving her father for a moment to throw her arms round Lulu's neck in a hearty and loving embrace; Ned quickly followed suit, then running to his father again, renewed his request for a drive in the carriage.
"Yes, my son, you shall have it presently," said the captain; then he proposed to Evelyn that she and her two little cousins should join the party for a short drive in another direction, before he would take his own children home to Woodburn. ”

“ Violet flushed with pleasure. "And he is all that he appears to be, Isa," she said; "the better he is known the more highly is he esteemed."
A bountiful supper had been prepared for the travelers, and the others stayed and partook with them, but soon after leaving the table bade good-night and went to their own homes.
Then Violet took her sleepy little ones upstairs to see them to bed, leaving the captain, Lulu, and Grace on the veranda. ”

“ Death will be gain to her, but a sad loss to all of us."
Before he had finished Lulu's face was hidden on his shoulder and she was weeping bitterly.
"O papa," she sobbed, "I'm so, so sorry for her, dear, dear Grandma Elsie! Isn't she frightened almost to death?"
"No, daughter; she is very calm and peaceful, ready to live or die as God's will shall be; grieving only for those who love her so dearly and find it so difficult to be reconciled to the thought of losing her; her efforts are all to [175] comfort them. She has set her house in order and seems quite ready for either life or death. ”

“ Hamilton did so, and the troops were sent."
"Dear, dear!" sighed Lulu, "what a time poor Washington did have with Congress being so slow, and officers under him so perverse, wanting their own way instead of doing their best to help him to carry out his good and wise plans."
"Yes," her father said, with a slight twinkle of fun in his eye, "but doesn't my eldest daughter feel something like sympathy with them in their wish to carry out their own plans without much regard for those of other people?" ”