The next day was the Sabbath, the weather clear and mild enough for
all, passengers and crew, to gather upon the deck for a short service
of prayer, singing of hymns and a sermon read by the captain. After
that there was an hour of Bible study in the saloon, Mr. Lilburn
leading by request of the others.
Turning over the leaves of his Bible, "Suppose we take for our subject
the Confessing of Christ before Men," he said. "Here in Romans we read,
'The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is,
the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him
shall not be ashamed.'
"What a burning desire Paul had for the salvation of souls. He said,
'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that
they might be saved.' And if we are Christians we will be often in
prayer and often making effort for the salvation of souls. Let us ask
ourselves if it is indeed so with us. And let us strive to make it so,
earnestly doing all in our power to win souls to Christ, telling them
of the great love wherewith He has loved us, bleeding and dying that we
might live; and that all we have to do is simply to come, to believe,
to take this offered salvation. 'Whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved.' We have only to call upon His name with
real desire for His help, and in an instant He is with us, offering us
full and free salvation, purchased for us by His suffering and death,
so that we may have it without money and without price. Now, friends,
please read in turn texts bearing upon this great subject."
Then Grandma Elsie read, "'For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.'"
Then Grace, "'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every
one that believeth.'"
Then the captain, "'Knowing that a man is not justified by the works
of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed
in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law; for by the law shall no flesh be
justified.'"
Then Violet, "'By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should
boast.'"
Harold was the next, "'God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to
obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,'" he read, and that closed
the lesson, the younger ones seeming to have nothing ready; then
presently came the summons to the dinner table.
"Aren't we getting pretty near to Louisiana, papa?" asked Ned at the
breakfast table the next morning.
"Near enough for a distant view of its shore," was the smiling reply.
"Oh, I'm glad! Are we going to stop at New Orleans, papa?"
"No; we will not go up to that city this time, but travel directly to
Viamede by the shortest route."
"Oh, I am glad of that, for I just long for a sight of our beautiful
Viamede; and I think I shall get well there right fast," laughed Ned.
"Maybe so, if you are careful to obey your doctor," said Harold,
smiling kindly upon the little fellow.
"It will be ever so nice to get there," exclaimed Elsie Raymond.
"Grandma, you were so kind to invite us all."
"Not kinder to you than to myself, since to have you all there
makes the place twice as enjoyable and attractive to me," was the
pleasant-toned reply.
"Will the friends and relatives about there be expecting us, mother?"
asked Grace.
"I think they will, as they were written to that we expected to arrive
just about the time we are now likely to reach there."
"I think we shall," said the captain; and they did, to find the
expectant relatives gathered at the wharf ready to give them a joyful
greeting; for dearly they all loved Viamede's sweet mistress, and
they also cherished a warm affection for those who accompanied her,
especially her son Harold and his bride. The congratulations to them
were warm, especially those of Dr. Percival, who felt that he owed his
life to God's blessing upon Harold's wise and kind treatment during the
severe illness caused by that sad fall from his horse many months ago.
And now he and his Maud had a treasure which they were very proud to
show to Grandma Elsie and all the others--a lovely baby girl, another
Elsie. And Dr. and Mrs. Johnson had still another to show, exhibiting
it with much parental pride, speaking of it as still another namesake
for their dearly loved cousin, Mrs. Elsie Travilla.
She was much moved. "I am greatly honored," she said; "so many naming
their darlings for me. I have brought two with me--Elsie Dinsmore and
Elsie Raymond; there is one--Elsie Keith--at the Parsonage; one at
Magnolia Hall--Elsie Embury; and now these two dear babies, making six
here in all. Yes, and in my more Northern home neighborhood there is
my eldest daughter, named for me by her father, and there are several
others, the children of friends who have honored me in the same way. I
certainly am greatly honored. But, dear Dick and Rob, will it not make
confusion to have two of the same name at Torriswood?"
"Oh, I think not, cousin," laughed Dick; "ours can be Elsie P. and
Rob's Elsie J."
"And, oh, Cousin Elsie, if only they get your sweet disposition along
with the name," exclaimed Maud, "they will have reason to thank us for
giving it to them."
"As I certainly do my father and mother," said little Elsie Keith,
standing near and listening with interest to the talk about the name
she bore. "They have often told me I must try to be like the dear lady
relation whose name I bear."
"Dear child, may you succeed in greatly improving upon your pattern,"
Mrs. Travilla responded, smiling upon the little girl, gently smoothing
her hair and giving her a kiss.
But now came the summons to the dinner table. By the written orders of
Viamede's mistress, sent weeks before, a fine, abundant, luxurious
meal had been made ready for the occasion, and soon all were seated
about the hospitable board regaling themselves upon all the luxuries to
be had in that part of the country at that time of the year.
They ate with appetites, at the same time enjoying "the feast of reason
and the flow of soul."
The children had a table to themselves, that they might chatter to
their hearts' content without disturbing the older folk, and they fully
appreciated the privilege.
"Oh, Elsie Raymond!" exclaimed Mildred Keith, the eldest of the
children from the Parsonage, "I haven't seen your tee-tee. Didn't you
bring it along?"
"No," replied Elsie; "Ned's couldn't be brought because he was not well
enough to care for it on the _Dolphin_, and wouldn't have felt willing
to leave it to other folks to be troubled with; so it had to be left at
home, and as we didn't want to part them, I left mine too."
"Oh, that was good and kind in you," was Mildred's answering remark.
"So we won't have the tee-tees to make fun for us with Cousin Ronald's
help," said another of the cousins. "But I know he can make fun even
without the little monkeys."
"And he's always so very kind about making fun for us," said another.
"He's a dear old gentleman! I'm as fond of him as if he was a near
relation."
"And you had a wedding at your house just a little while ago," said
another. "I like both Cousin Harold and Cousin Grace, and it seems nice
that they are married to each other."
"But does Cousin Violet like it? I heard the folks say it would make
her mother to her brother."
"Yes; but, besides, it makes mamma and Sister Grace sisters; so Gracie
can say mamma or sister, just as she pleases; but I don't believe it
will make a bit of difference in their love for each other."
"No; I don't believe it will, or make her, your mother, and Dr. Harold
feel at all differently toward each other. I dare say they will all
feel and act toward each other about as they did before the wedding."
"I'm sorry your sisters Lu and Eva didn't come this time and bring that
little Mary. Why didn't they and Chester come?"
"Chester couldn't well leave his business, Sister Lu didn't want to
leave him, and Eva thought home was better for Baby Mary," Elsie
Raymond said in reply. "It seemed hard to leave them behind, but papa
said it couldn't be helped. Oh, I wish you could all see Baby Mary! She
is such a dear, pretty little thing."
But all the talk was not going on at the children's table; the grown
folks were doing their full share, and that with evident enjoyment.
"We understood, Cousin Elsie," said Dr. Percival, "that the cousins
from the Oaks and Fairview were to be here."
"Yes, and I think they will be in a few days, coming by rail. They were
not quite ready to start when we were, nor would the yacht have held us
all. And we may hope for another carousal when they do get here," she
added with a merry look and musical laugh.
"Ah, that's a pleasant prospect, if we are to be invited to take part
in it," laughed the doctor.
"Ah, Dick, you surely know that is of course," she returned with a look
that said more than her words. "A family party here without you in it
would hardly be worthy of that name to me."
"Ah, cousin, you are indeed kind to say and to feel so, for I don't
seem to myself to deserve to be so estimated by you. I am really worth
but little except as a physician; and Harold here can outdo me in that
line," he added, giving Harold a warmly affectionate look and smile.
"I must beg leave to differ as to that, Cousin Dick," returned Harold
brightly. "I know of no physician to whom I would sooner trust the life
of any ailing dear one than to yourself."
"Thanks; that is certainly a very strong endorsement you give me,"
laughed Dick, coloring with pleasure.
"And I can give you the same," said his half brother and partner, Dr.
Johnson. "We seem to be a family of remarkably good physicians, if we
do say it ourselves," he added with a hearty laugh.
"I don't think you need; you may safely trust to other folks doing it,"
remarked Captain Raymond pleasantly.
"But don't expect any of us to get sick in order to give you fellows a
chance to show your skill," observed Mr. Dinsmore gravely.
"Oh, no, uncle; we can find plenty of patients among the constant
dwellers in this region; so you may feel quite safe from our
experimenting upon you--unless you get up an accident that will call
for our aid," said Dick.
"I assure you I have no idea of doing that, even to help my nephews and
grandson to plenty of employment to keep them out of mischief," laughed
Mr. Dinsmore.
"And you needn't, grandpa, so far as I am concerned," said Harold, with
a humorous look and smile. "This is Grace's and my honeymoon, you know,
and we are entitled to a full holiday."
"So you are, and I shall do nothing to interfere with it," returned Mr.
Dinsmore with assumed gravity, but a twinkle of fun in his eye.
"Are Chester and Lu coming with the other party, uncle?" asked Maud.
"No; I understand that Chester has too much business calling for his
attention, and that Lu, like the good, affectionate wife that she is,
could not be persuaded to leave him; and Eva remains at home for their
sake and that of her baby."
And so the talk went on till all the courses of the grand dinner had
been served and heartily partaken of.
Then all, old and young, gathered in the drawing-room and spent a
pleasant hour in friendly chat. After that cordial good-nights were
exchanged, accompanied with plans and promises in regard to future
intentions, and one after another the relatives and guests departed for
their own homes.
Little, feeble Ned had already been taken to his nest for the night,
but the other children were now permitted a brief sojourn upon the
front veranda, made delightful by the sweet scent of the orange
blossoms upon the trees and the many lovely flowers adorning the
moonlighted lawn, that light giving them also a charming view of the
more distant landscape.