“What a nice home ours is, papa!” exclaimed Lulu, as they turned into
the grounds at Woodburn.
“Yes, I think so, and that we have a very great deal to be thankful
for,” he replied. “If God’s will be so, I hope we may all see many
happy years in it.”
“The grounds are so lovely,” pursued Lulu, “that I most wish we could
have warm weather a part of the time next week.”
“I think we shall find plenty of amusement suitable for the house,” her
father said in a kindly tone; “and next summer we will perhaps have an
out-door party for my children and their young friends.”
“O, papa, may we? how delightful that will be!” cried Lulu, with a
joyous hop, skip and jump. “Oh, it’s just the nicest thing to have such
a father and such a home!”
There seemed a pleasant bustle about the house as they came in; the
conservatory was being prepared for the sport that was to be carried
on in it, and sounds of silvery laughter and sweet-toned voices in
lively, gleeful chat, came floating down from above.
The captain and Lulu following these sounds presently entered Violet’s
boudoir, where they found the ladies busily engaged in making ready for
the tableaux.
Grace was among them, and gave her father a joyous greeting: for the
pen-wiper was quite finished and laid away safely in a place that he
was not all likely to look into.
He stooped to give her a kiss and ask how she felt; then caught up the
baby, who ran to meet him crying in her sweet baby voice, “Papa, papa!”
tossed her up two or three times, she crowing with delight, then seated
himself with her on his knee.
“What is sweeter than a baby, especially when it is one’s own?” he
said, hugging her close with many a fond caress.
“Papa, I do think she’s the dearest, sweetest baby that ever was made,”
Lulu said, standing by his side and softly smoothing the baby’s golden
curls.
“In spite of her mischievous propensities, eh?” he returned laughingly,
while little Elsie held up her face for a kiss, saying “Lu, Lu!”
Lulu gave the kiss very heartily. “Yes, papa,” she answered, “I don’t
believe she’s a bit more mischievous than other babies, and she doesn’t
know any better. I wonder if its just because she’s our own baby that
she seems so beautiful and sweet?”
“Not altogether that, I am sure,” he said, though no doubt it adds a
good deal to the attraction. “What do you think about it, mamma?” he
asked, looking up fondly into Violet’s eyes as she came to his other
side.
“Oh, of course, I know she’s the darlingest baby that ever was born!”
she returned gayly, bending down to kiss the little rosebud mouth,
“Though no doubt you have thought the very same of three others.”
“Ah, how come you to be so good at guessing?” he responded, laughingly.
“Yes, I remember that each one seemed to me a marvel of beauty and
sweetness. I thought no other man had ever been blest with such
darlings; and I’m afraid I must confess that I am of pretty much the
same opinion yet,” he concluded, gathering all three of his little
girls into his arms and looking down lovingly upon them, for Gracie too
had come to him and was standing beside her older sister.
“It can’t be for goodness, as far as I’m concerned,” sighed Lulu half
under her breath; but he heard her.
“No, nor for beauty; but just because you are my very own,” he said,
caressing them in turn, Violet looking on with shining eyes.
“Lulu, dear,” she said, turning to her with a loving look, “I was
sorry that baby did such damage to your pretty things. I thank you for
being so patient and forbearing with her—the little mischief!”—glancing
smilingly into the blue eyes of the babe—“and I shall make good your
loss. I have plenty of bits of silk, satin, ribbon, velvet and lace
among my treasures to more than replace what she spoiled.”
“Oh thank you, Mamma Vi,” exclaimed Lulu delightedly.
“My dear,” said the captain, with a humorous look, “isn’t the little
mischief-doer as much mine as yours? and am I not, therefore, under
quite as great obligation to make good the loss she has occasioned?”
“Perhaps so,” Violet returned, “but as man and wife are one, your
easiest plan will be to let me do it, seeing you have no such supplies
on hand.”
With that she pulled open a deep drawer in a bureau filled with such
things as she had mentioned, and bade Lulu and Gracie help themselves
to all they wanted.
“O Mamma Vi,” they cried, in wide-eyed astonishment and delight, “how
very good in you! but do you really mean it?”
“Yes, every word of it,” laughed Violet. “Take all you want; I shall
not feel impoverished if I find the drawer quite empty when you are
done with it.”
“No, you would still have your husband,” remarked the captain with mock
gravity.
“And baby,” added Violet, taking the child from him.
The little girls were exclaiming over their treasures.
“What have you there?” asked Zoe coming forward and peeping over their
heads. “Oh what quantities of lovely things! some of them just suited
for dressing fairies; and several more are needed.”
“Oh may I dress one?” asked Lulu eagerly.
“Yes, indeed, if you like. Here, I’ll help you select for it.”
“Lulu,” said her father, “you have forgotten to take off your hood and
coat. Do so at once, daughter, you will be apt to catch cold wearing
them in this warm room.”
“I was just on the point of asking her if she wouldn’t take off her
things and stay awhile,” laughed Violet, as Lulu hastened to obey.
Before the dinner bell rang, Lulu had again dressed two fairies, which
she thought quite an improvement upon the first two. She exhibited them
to her father with pride and satisfaction, asking if he did not think
them pretty.
“Yes,” he answered with a smile, “I am hardly a competent judge of such
things, but they are pleasing to my eye; all the more so, I suspect,
because they are the handiwork of my own little girl.”
Immediately after dinner the whole party set out for the Oaks, some
riding, others driving. They arrived just as the exhibition was about
to begin, and of course had no opportunity to speak to any of the young
people—who were all engaged behind the scenes—till it was over.
The spectators declared themselves much pleased with the whole
performance, every tableau a decided success, and some of them really
beautiful.
Lulu and Grace, seated in front of their father and Violet, enjoyed
thoroughly every thing they saw, taking special interest in the
tableaux in which Evelyn and Max took part.
In the last one Eva appeared as a Swiss peasant girl, and a very pretty
one she made.
The instant the curtain dropped she hastened, without waiting to change
her dress, into the parlor where were the spectator guests, and made
her way to Lulu’s side.
“O, Eva!” cried the latter, “how pretty you are in that dress! and how
perfectly lovely you looked in the picture!”
“Oh, hush, you mustn’t flatter,” returned Evelyn, laughing, as she
threw her arms round Lulu and kissed her with warmth of affection. “I’m
so glad you came! you, too, Gracie,” kissing her also; “I was afraid
you might not be well enough.”
“Oh, yes: I’m better,” said Grace; “and, oh, I wouldn’t have missed it
for anything!”
There was a great deal of laughing and talking going on, and Captain
Raymond, exchanging remarks with some of the other grown people, had
not noticed Evelyn till this moment; but now he turned toward her
with a kind fatherly smile, and held out his hand, saying, “Ah, my
dear, how do you do? Allow me to congratulate you on your successful
performances, and to hope you will repeat them at Woodburn next week.”
“Oh, yes, Eva, you will, won’t you?” cried Lulu.
Eva smiled pleasantly, “I shall be glad to do anything I can to help
with the sports, and I expect a very good time,” she said. “It’s ever
so good in you and Aunt Vi to make another party for us young folks,
captain.”
“I shall feel fully repaid if it proves a happy time to you all,” he
replied.
“I must go now and change my dress,” said Evelyn. “Captain, may I carry
Lu off with me to the rooms we girls are occupying?”
“Yes, if you don’t keep her too long; we will be starting for home in
about half an hour.”
“Thank you, papa; I promise to be back by that time,” said Lulu.
“And I’ll see that she is,” said Evelyn; and the two ran off together.
Lora Howard, the Dinsmore girls, and Rosie Travilla had already
repaired to the rooms appropriated to their joint use, and the moment
Lulu appeared, they all crowded round her with warm greetings, queries
as to what she thought of their tableaux, and expressions of delight
at the prospect of spending the greater part of the coming week at
Woodburn.
“I was quite vexed with the captain for not allowing you to accept our
invitation; but I’ll have to forgive him now,” Maud remarked, with a
gay laugh. “I suppose he had some good and sufficient reason, and is
trying to make up the loss to us now. Perhaps the right thing for us
would be to retaliate by declining in our turn, but I must own I can’t
work myself up to such a pitch of self-denial.”
“And I’m very sure I can’t,” said her sister.
“Lu,” said Rosie, a little shame-facedly, “I think it is very nice in
you to invite me after all my teasing.”
“I’m ashamed of having been so easily teased,” responded Lulu, with a
blush, “but don’t mean to be in future, if I can help it; and I hope we
shall be good friends. I am sure papa and Mamma Vi wish that we would.”
“So nearly related—aunt and niece—you certainly ought to be the best
of friends,” laughed Lora Howard.
“We’re going to have tableaux, and act charades, and play various kinds
of games; papa is sure to see that we have a very good time; the best
it is possible for him to contrive for us,” said Lulu, quietly ignoring
Lora’s remark.
“My anticipations are raised to the highest pitch,” said Sydney.
Evelyn had just completed her toilet. “Time’s up, Lu,” she said,
looking at her watch, “we must go back to your father.”
The other girls had finished dressing and the whole six at once
adjourned to the parlor, where their elders were enjoying themselves
together.
The lads were there also, Max standing beside his father, who held
his hand in a warmly affectionate clasp, while he said in a tone that
reached no other ears, “Max, my dear boy, I heard a report of you that
has made me a proud and happy father.”
The captain’s eyes were beaming, and at his words Max’s face flushed so
joyously that Lulu, watching them from the farther side of the room,
wondered what it was all about. She hastened to them.
“Oh, Maxie,” she exclaimed, taking his other hand. “I’m so glad to see
you! it seems as if we’d been a whole month apart.”
Her father smiled at that—a fond, approving smile.
“Are you going home with us now, Maxie?” she went on.
“I don’t know,” Max answered, with an inquiring glance at their father.
“Do just as you please about it, my son,” replied the captain; “your
leave of absence extends to tomorrow afternoon, and if you are enjoying
your visit, perhaps it would be as well to finish it out; your going
might interfere with some amusement that has been planned for the
others as well as yourself.”
Max said he was having a fine time and decided to stay.
“Can’t Lulu stay too, captain?” asked Sydney, who happened to be near
enough to catch the latter part of his sentence, and Max’s reply.
He deliberated a moment. “Do you want to stay, daughter?” he asked in a
kindly tone, and looking searchingly into Lulu’s face. Her reply came
promptly, “I think it would be very pleasant, papa, only I want to be
at home to help get ready for my party—ours, I mean, because, Max, it’s
just as much yours and Gracie’s as mine. Papa said so.”
“And I think it’s splendid that we are going to have it,” said Max.
“How good and kind you are to us, papa!”