It was a most joyful surprise to Max when, on the following Saturday,
his father and sisters walked in upon him, as he left the dinner table
full of life and pleasure at the thought of the half holiday that had
just begun.
His standing and conduct had been such that he was entitled to leave,
and to be able to spend it with these dear ones was most delightful.
A carriage had brought the captain and his little girls to the door, and
they--father and children--took a long drive together, during which the
tongues of Max and Lulu ran very fast.
She and Gracie thoroughly enjoyed Max's surprise on learning of the
plans for the winter, so soon to be carried out.
At first he seemed to feel rather badly at the thought that they would
all be so far away from him; but he presently got over that, as his
father spoke of the letters he would receive from Viamede every day, and
how quickly the winter would pass and all be coming home again, some of
them--certainly himself--making haste to pay a visit to the Academy to
see their young cadet and learn what progress he was making in
preparing for future duty in the naval service of his country.
At that Max's face brightened and he said heartily, "And I shall try my
best to have as good a report as possible ready for you, papa, that you
may be proud and happy in your first-born son. Ah, the thought of that
does help me to study hard and try very, very earnestly to keep rules,
so that I may be an honor, and not a disgrace to the best of fathers."
"Yes, I am sure of it, my dear boy," the captain replied, laying his
hand on the lad's shoulder, while the light of fatherly love and pride
shone in his eyes; "I haven't a doubt that it is one of my son's
greatest pleasures to make himself the joy and pride of his father's
heart."
They drove back to the Academy just in time for Max to be ready to
report himself at evening roll-call, according to the rules, with which
no one was better acquainted than the captain.
He and the little girls were to start on their return journey that
evening, and good-by was said at the Academy door.
A very hard one it seemed to the little girls, hardly less so to Max and
his father. The captain and his daughters went by boat, as less
fatiguing for Grace, and reached home on Monday.
The next day was a busy one to all, and Wednesday noon saw them on the
cars, bound for New Orleans.
A day and night were spent in the city, then they took the steamer for
Berwick Bay.
The morning was clear and bright and the captain, Violet, and the
children all sat upon deck, greatly enjoying the breeze and the dancing
of the waves in the sunlight, as the vessel cleared its port and steamed
out into the gulf.
"Oh, it is so pleasant here!" exclaimed Grace; "just like summer. And
see the beautiful rainbow in the water that the wheel throws up!"
"Oh, yes; so pretty, oh, so pretty!" cried little Elsie, clapping her
hands in delight.
"Oh, so pitty!" echoed baby Ned.
"Take care, little ones; I fear you may fall overboard," warned the
captain. "Come and sit on papa's knee, and perhaps mamma will kindly
tell us of all the lovely things we will see at Viamede."
They obeyed and were charmed with mamma's story of what she had done and
seen at Viamede when she was a little girl, and of dear grandma being
once a baby girl in the very same house, and how dearly all the old
servants loved her, and how they mourned when she was taken away to live
with her grandpa at Roseland.
The babies and even the older folks, not excepting papa himself, seemed
deeply interested, and more delighted than before that they were so soon
to see Viamede.
At length Ned fell asleep, Elsie presently followed his example, and
older people were left to the quiet enjoyment of the lovely scenes
through which they were passing; for they had now entered Teche Bayou,
and from that pressed on, threading the way through lake and lakelet,
past plantation and swamp, plain and forest, coming upon cool, shady
dells carpeted with a rich growth of velvety grass, and flowers of
varied hue, and shaded by magnificent trees, oaks and magnolias; while
amid groves of orange trees they could see lordly villas, tall white
sugar-houses and rows of cabins where the negro laborers dwelt.
"A beautiful, beautiful country," remarked the captain, breaking a
prolonged silence.
"Quite up to your expectations, my dear?" queried Violet, glancing up at
him, her eyes shining with pleasure.
"I believe it rather exceeds them," he replied, "it is very, very
lovely! an earthly paradise, so far as beauty can make it such."
"Papa, do you suppose you will know which is Viamede when you see it?"
queried Lulu.
"I very much doubt it, daughter," he answered.
"Yes, sir; there it is, just coming into sight; the sugar-house, at
least, and yonder, a little beyond, is the great orange orchard."
"And it's just beautiful!" cried Grace. "See, papa, the orange trees,
with their beautiful, glossy leaves and ripe and green fruit, and
flowers all on them at once."
"And presently we will come to the beautiful lawn, with its giant oaks,
magnolia trees, velvety grass and lovely flowers," exclaimed Lulu. "Oh,
I am so much obliged to dear Grandma Elsie, for inviting us all to spend
the winter here again!"
"Yes, it was very kind," her father said, "and I hope my children will
do nothing to mar the peace of the household, and so distress Mamma Vi's
dear mother."
"I do intend to be a very good girl, papa, and if I begin to be the
least bit bad, I do hope you'll stop it at once by punishing me well and
making me behave myself," Lulu said, in a low, earnest tone, speaking
close to his ear.
"Dear child," he returned, in the same low key in which she had spoken,
"I have not the least doubt that you intend to be and do all I could ask
or wish."
There was no time for anything more just then, for, as they were nearing
their destination, baggage must be seen to and satchels and parcels
gathered up.
Presently the boat rounded to at the wharf and in another minute
greetings and embraces were being exchanged with the cousins, who,
having been duly informed of the intended arrival, were gathered there
to give a cordial and delighted welcome to Violet, her husband, and
children.
There were servants also, some few of the old and some new ones, each
and all eager for a handshake and a few words of greeting from "Miss
Wi'let and the cap'en and dere chillens," in which they were not
disappointed.
In a few moments the baggage had been landed and was being taken to the
house, while ladies, gentlemen, and children followed, the newly arrived
gazing, delighted, about upon the beauties of the place, the others
asking many questions concerning Grandma Elsie and those of her family
left behind--how they were in health, and when they would come to
Viamede.
"You will find the house in very tolerable order, I think, Vi," remarked
Mrs. Keith, "though doubtless many little repairs and improvements
needed, that Cousin Elsie may find everything in order when she comes.
It was a good idea to get you and the captain to come a little in
advance of the older folk and have everything in order for their
reception."
"I think so," Violet said with a smile, "and that no better person than
my honored husband could have been found to undertake that task."
"No more trustworthy one, I am sure, judging from his looks," returned
Isa. "I am delighted with his appearance, Vi; he is as noble-looking a
man as ever I saw."
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.
As usual, the two were hanging lovingly about their father, he seeming
to enjoy it as much as they.
It was a beautiful moonlight night, warm, and sweet with the breath of
flowers; away in the distance, beyond the wide-spreading lawn, they
could see the waters of the bayou glittering in the moonbeams, and the
soft plash of oars came pleasantly to their ears.
"Oh, isn't it just lovely, here!" exclaimed Lulu, breaking a momentary
silence. "Papa, did I exaggerate in telling you of the beauties of the
place?"
"No, I think not," he replied; "it is certainly very lovely, and I hope
we are going to have a happy winter here."
"I'm sure we will; 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."
"Yes, daughter, I think it will be easier for you with the tutor who
loves you and is loved by you," assented the captain, drawing her into a
close, loving embrace. "We must see if a music teacher is to be had
here, but certainly will not try Signor Foresti again."
"Oh, I am glad to hear you say that, papa! though I never thought you
would send me back to him again. 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.
"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?"
"You must not ask me such hard questions," he returned laughingly, and
hugging them both up in his arms, "I really could not say that either
one is prettier or dearer to me than the other, or that I love either
more or less than I do each of the other three. The love differs
somewhat in kind, but, I think, not in intensity."
"Yes, papa, I suppose so," returned Lulu thoughtfully; "for instance you
must have quite a different sort of love for Max, who is almost old
enough to take care of himself, and baby Ned who is so very young and
helpless."
Violet joined them at that moment, reported the babies as fast asleep in
the nursery, and consulted her husband as to what rooms they should
occupy during their stay; saying her mother had kindly bade them please
themselves in regard to that matter.
"Choose for yourself, my dear," replied the captain, "and I shall be
entirely satisfied; only I should like to have these children close at
hand--a door of communication between their room, or rooms, and ours, if
that can be easily managed. We must be near the babies of course."
"Yes, indeed! Near every one of our four," returned Violet brightly; "I
could not be easy otherwise, any more than their father.
"But suppose I take you over the house, if you are not too tired.
To-morrow, you remember, is Sunday, and I could hardly wait till Monday,
to say nothing of the curiosity that must of course be consuming you."
"Of course," returned the captain laughingly, as he rose and gave her
his arm; "it will give me great pleasure to accompany you, if you are
not too weary for such exertion."
"Not a bit," she said; "the trip on the boat was more restful than
fatiguing; at least so far as concerned myself. May not Lulu and Gracie
come too?"
"If they wish; though I fear Gracie is too tired," he said, with an
inquiring glance at her. "If you would like to go, pet, papa will carry
you up the stairs."
"Oh, then, I would like to, papa; I'm not so very tired," she answered
eagerly.
"Then of course Lulu is not?" he said with a smiling glance at his
eldest daughter.
"No, indeed, papa; and I'd dearly love to go along," she answered,
taking Gracie's hand and with her tripping along in the rear, as he and
Violet passed on into the wide hall.
They first inspected the rooms on the lower floor, lingering longest in
the drawing-room, where the many beautiful paintings and pieces of
statuary were very attractive.
"We cannot give them half enough time to-night," remarked Violet, "but
fortunately have good reason to hope for many opportunities for future
inspection."
"Yes," the captain said, glancing at Grace, then at his watch. "Shall we
not call in the servants and have prayers before going upstairs? It is
not far from the usual time, and I see Gracie is growing weary."
Violet gave a ready assent and led the way to the family parlor where
her grandfather had been wont to hold that service.
The servants were summoned and came in looking well pleased. The captain
made the service short out of consideration for Gracie's weariness,
though, indeed, he never thought it well to lengthen it so much as to
risk making it a weariness to either children or servants.
A few directions in regard to securing doors and windows for the night
and as to what should be done for the comfort of the family in the
morning, then he, Violet, and the little girls, having exchanged kindly
good-nights with the servants, went on up the broad stairway, the
captain, according to promise, carrying Grace in his arms.
Only a hasty survey of the upper rooms was taken that night, for all
began to feel the need of rest and sleep. Apartments connected with each
other and the nursery were selected for occupation, and soon all were
resting peacefully in their beds.