"Great minds, like heaven, are pleased in doing good."
--_Rowe_.
Capt. Raymond's departure left Violet more lonely than his coming had
found her, much as she was at that time missing her elder sister and
brother.
They were to correspond, but as he would sail immediately for a foreign
port, the exchange of letters between them could not, of course, be very
frequent.
Her mother, grandpa, and Grandma Rose all sympathized with her in the
grief of separation from the one who had become so dear, and exerted
themselves to cheer and comfort her.
She and her mamma were bosom companions, and had many a confidential chat
about the captain and his poor children, the desire to rescue the latter
from their tormentors and make them very happy growing in the hearts of
both.
As the captain had not enjoined secrecy upon them in regard to the letters
of Max and Lulu, and it was so much the habit of both to speak freely to
Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore--especially the former--of all that interested
themselves, it was not long before they too had heard, with deep
commiseration, the story of the unkind treatment to which Max, Lulu, and
Gracie were subjected.
"We must find a way to be of service to them," Mr. Dinsmore said. "Perhaps
by instituting inquiries among our friends and acquaintances we may hear
of some kind and capable person able and willing to take charge of them,
and to whom their father would be willing to commit them."
"I wish we could!" Elsie said with a sigh. "I think I can fully sympathize
with the poor things, for I have not forgotten how in my early childhood I
used to long and weep for the dear mamma who had gone to heaven, and my
dear papa away in Europe."
"A very poor sort of father he was then, very culpably neglectful of his
little motherless child," Mr. Dinsmore said in a remorseful tone, and
regarding her with a tenderly affectionate look.
"But afterward and to this day the very best of fathers," she responded,
smiling up at him. "Dear papa, what a debt of gratitude do I not owe to
you for all the love, care, and kindness shown by you to me and my
children!"
"I feel fully repaid by the love and obedience I receive in return," he
said, seating himself on the sofa by Vi's side and softly stroking her
hair.
"Children and grandchildren all rise up and call you blessed, dear papa,"
Elsie said, laying down the embroidery with which she had been busy, and
coming to his other side to put her arm about his neck and gaze lovingly
into his eyes.
A silent caress as he passed his arm around her waist and drew her closer
to him was his only response.
"Grandpa and mamma," said Vi, "don't you think Capt. Raymond is to be
pitied? Just think! he has neither father nor mother, brother nor sister!
no near and dear one except his children; and from them he is separated
almost all the time."
"Yes," said Mr. Dinsmore, "I do indeed! but am not sorry enough for him to
give you up to him yet. I would not allow your mamma to marry till she was
several years older than you are now."
"No, sir," said Elsie, smiling, "I well remember that you utterly forbade
me to listen to any declarations of love from man or boy, or to think of
such things if I could possibly help it."
"Well, you lost nothing by waiting."
"Lost! oh, no, no papa!" she cried, dropping her head upon his shoulder,
while a scalding tear fell to the memory of the husband so highly
honored, so dearly loved.
"My dear child! my poor dear child!" her father said very low and
tenderly, pressing her closer to his side; "the separation is only for the
little while of time, the reunion will be for the endless ages of
eternity."
"A most sweet and comforting thought, dear father," she said, lifting her
head and smiling through her tears; "and with that glad prospect and so
many dear ones left me, I am a very happy woman still."
At that moment there was an interruption that for a long time put to
flight all thought of effort on behalf of Capt. Raymond's children:
Herbert and Harold came hurrying in with the news that a summons to
Roselands had come for their grandpa, grandma, and mother. Mrs. Conly had
had another stroke, was senseless, speechless, and apparently dying; also
the shock of her seizure had prostrated her father, and Arthur considered
him dangerously ill.
The summons was promptly obeyed, and Violet left in the temporary charge
of children, house, and servants at Ion.
Mrs. Conly died that night, but the old gentleman lingered for several
weeks, during which time his son was a constant attendant at his bedside,
either Rose or Elsie almost always sharing the watch and labor of love.
At length all was over: the spirit had returned to God who gave it, the
body had been laid to rest in the family vault. Mr. Dinsmore and his wife
and daughter went home to Ion, and life there fell back into its old quiet
grooves.
They spoke tenderly of the old grandfather, and kept his memory green in
their loving hearts, but he had gone to his grave like a shock of corn
fully ripe, and they did not mourn over his death with the sadness they
might have felt had it been that of a younger member of the family.
Toward spring Capt. Raymond's letters became urgent for a speedy marriage.
He expected to be ordered home in June and allowed a rest of some weeks or
months. Then he might be sent to some distant quarter of the globe, and
not see his native land again for a long while, perhaps years. Under such
circumstances, how could he wait for his little wife? Would not she and
her mother and grandfather consent to let him claim her in June?
The tender hearts of Elsie and Violet could not stand out against his
appeals. Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore felt for him too, and at length consent was
given, and preparations for the marriage were set on foot.
Then the talk about the captain's children was renewed, and Vi said, with
tears in her sweet azure eyes, "Mamma, I do feel like being a mother to
them--especially for his sake--it only I were old enough and wise enough
to command their respect and obedience. Ah, mamma, if only you could have
the training of them! Yet I could not bear to have you so burdened."
"I have been thinking of it, Vi, dear," Elsie said; "that perhaps we could
give them a happy home here, and help them to grow up to good and noble
man and womanhood, if their father would like to delegate his authority to
your grandpa and you and me. I think we would not abuse it, but without it
'twould be quite useless to undertake the charge."
"Dear mamma!" cried Vi, her eyes shining, "how good, how kind, and
unselfish you always are!"
Mr. Dinsmore, entering the room at the moment, asked playfully, "What is
the particular evidence of that patent at this time, Vi?"
She answered his question by repeating what her mother had just said.
"I have a voice in that," he remarked, with, a grave shake of the head. "I
do not think, daughter, that I can allow you to be so burdened."
She rose, went to him where he stood, and putting her arms about his neck,
her eyes gazing fondly into his, "Dear papa," she said, "you know I will
do nothing against your wishes, but I am sure you will not hinder me from
doing any work the Master sends me?"
"No, dear child, you are more His than mine, and I dare not, would not
interfere if He has sent you work; but the question is, has He done so?"
"If you please, papa, we will take a little time to consider that
question; shall we not?"
"Yes," he said, "it need not be decided to-day. The right training and
educating of those children would certainly be a good work, and could it
be so managed that I could do all the hard and unpleasant part of it----"
he said musingly.
"Oh no! no! my dear father," she hastily interposed, as he paused, leaving
his sentence unfinished, "the work should be mine if undertaken at all."
"Perhaps," he said, "it might be tried for a short time as a mere
experiment, to be continued only if the children do not prove
ungovernable, or likely to be an injury to our own; for our first duty is
to them."
"Yes indeed, papa!" responded his daughter earnestly. "And nothing can be
really decided upon until Capt. Raymond comes. He may have other plans for
his children."
"Yes, it is quite possible he may think best to place Max and Lulu at
school somewhere."
"But poor little sick Gracie!" said Violet, the tears springing to her
eyes. "Mamma, I do want to have her to love and pet, and I think if we had
her here with our good old mammy to nurse her, and Cousin Arthur to attend
her, she might grow to be strong and healthy."
"Dear child! I am glad to hear you say that!" said Elsie, "for it is just
as I have been thinking and feeling. My heart yearns over the poor
motherless children, and that little feeble one very especially."
Capt. Raymond was deeply touched when, shortly after his arrival at Ion to
claim his bride, he learned what was in her heart and her mother's toward
his children.
After due deliberation it was settled that the experiment should be tried.
Arrangements were made for the whole family to spend the summer in two
adjoining cottages at a lovely seaside resort on the New England coast,
Mrs. Dinsmore to be mistress of one house, Violet of the other, while the
captain could be with her, which he had reason to expect would be for
several months.
In the fall he would probably be ordered away; then Violet would return to
Ion with her mother and the rest of the family, taking his children with
her, if Mr. Dinsmore and Elsie should still feel willing to take them in
charge. He had a high opinion of Dr. Conly's skill as a physician, and
was extremely anxious to place Gracie under his care. Also he thought that
to no other persons in the world would he so joyfully commit his children
to be trained up and educated as to Mr. Dinsmore, his daughter and
granddaughter, and he was more than willing to delegate to them his own
authority during his absences from home.
The marriage would take place at Ion, the bride and groom start northward
the same day on a wedding tour. On the return trip to the spot which was
to be their home for the summer, they would call for the captain's
children.
In the mean time the others would complete their arrangements for the
season, journey northward also, and take possession of their seaside
cottage.
It was a sore disappointment to the whole family at Ion, but especially to
Violet and her brother, that Elsie Leland could not be present at the
wedding. Lester's health was almost entirely restored, but he felt it
important to him as an artist to prolong his stay in Italy for at least
some months.
Edward had remained with them through the winter, had left them in April,
intending to make an extensive European tour before returning to his
native land, but would surely hasten home for Vi's wedding if his mother's
summons reached him in season.