Elsie's Vacation and After Events Part 32

"But now let us set to work upon this correspondence."

For the next hour and more they were very busy; then, every letter having been replied to, the captain went out to a distant part of the plantation to see how work was progressing there, taking Lulu along.

Their way led them through the orange orchard, and both father and daughter found it a delightful walk.

They reached the house again just in time to receive the others on their return from their little excursion, and presently after, all sat down to dinner.

On leaving the table the little girls repaired to the veranda.

"I'm decidedly offended with you, Lu," said Rosie, in jesting tone.

"What for?" asked Lulu.

"For forsaking us as you did this morning; and now the least reparation you can make is to confess why you did so. Do you not agree with me, Eva?"

"Yes," replied Evelyn, "I think she ought to do so, as the only amends she can make. So, Miss Raymond, let us hear your excuse at once--if you have any."

"Well, then, I suppose I must," said Lulu. "Please understand that I would have enjoyed going with you very much indeed, but I saw that papa had a good many letters to answer and I wanted to help him a great deal more than I did to take a ride.

"He lets me write some on the typewriter--those, you see, that don't require a very particular answer--and he says it shortens his work very much. And," she added with a sigh, "I have given my dear father so much trouble in past days by my bad temper and wilfulness, that I feel I can never do enough to make up to him for it."

"Dear Lu, I just love you for feeling and acting so," said Evelyn softly, giving Lulu's hand an affectionate squeeze as she spoke; "and I am sure your father must."

"Yes, he does love me dearly, and you can't think how happy that makes me," returned Lulu, glad tears s.h.i.+ning in her eyes.

"I don't know about that, but I think we can," said Rosie, a slight tremble in her voice; for she had not forgotten altogether the dear father who had fondled and caressed her in her babyhood, but had so long since pa.s.sed away to the better land.

But just at that moment Violet drew near with a light, quick step.

"The boat is at the landing, little girls," she said, "and we older folks want to be off. Please put on your hats, coats too,--or carry some kind of wrap,--for the captain says it may be quite cool on the water before we return."

"A summons we're delighted to receive," returned Rosie, springing to her feet and hurrying toward the hall door, the others following, all of them in gay good humor.

No one was missing from that boating excursion, and on their return, a little before tea time, all spoke of having had a most enjoyable afternoon.

CHAPTER XX.

After tea, when all were together upon the front veranda, Grandma Elsie in a reclining chair, the others grouped about her, the talk turned upon the approaching Christmas and how it should be celebrated--what gifts prepared for friends and servants.

Various plans were suggested, various gifts spoken of, but nothing settled.

The little girls took a deep interest in the subject, and when they separated for the night each one's thoughts were full of it; Lulu's perhaps even more so than those of any other, not of what she might receive, but what she would like to give.

"Papa," she said, when he came into her room to bid her good-night, "I do so want to make some pretty things to give at Christmas time. Please, won't you let me?" and look and tone were very coaxing.

"My dear little daughter," he replied, taking possession of an easy-chair and drawing her to a seat upon his knee, "it would give me much pleasure to indulge you in this, but you have lost a good deal of time from your studies of late, and I know very well that to allow you to engage in the manufacture of Christmas gifts would have the effect of taking your mind off your lessons in a way to prevent you from making much, if any, progress with them."

"Then you won't let me, papa?"

"No, my child. If you choose you may use your pocket-money, and some more that I will give you, to buy what you please, that will not make any work for you. Your studies must be faithfully attended to, and the greater part of your remaining time I wish you to spend in out-of-door amus.e.m.e.nts which will, I hope, both give you much pleasure and keep you in vigorous health.

"I could not bear to see my dear eldest daughter growing pale and thin, or failing to improve her mind and talents so that she may in due time become a n.o.ble, useful woman, capable of doing with her might whatever work her heavenly Father may be pleased to give her."

A wofully ill-used, discontented look had come over Lulu's expressive countenance as her father began what he had to say, but before he had finished it was replaced by a much sweeter one of contentment with his decision, and confiding filial love.

"Papa, dear, I did at first very much want you to say yes to my pet.i.tion, but now I see that you know best and am quite content to do as you have said you want me to," she returned, putting her arm about his neck and laying her cheek to his in her accustomed fas.h.i.+on when her heart was swelling with daughterly affection.

"My dear child, your ready acquiescence in your father's decision makes you dearer than ever to him, if that be possible," he said, holding her close with many a fond caress.

Meanwhile Rosie and Evelyn, occupying adjoining rooms, were chatting gaily of what they should make for one and another of those they loved.

Suddenly Evelyn paused, a very thoughtful look overspreading her expressive face.

"Well, what is it?" asked Rosie in a bantering tone; and Evelyn answered, "I was just thinking that all this, should we undertake it, will be apt to take our minds from our lessons, which are certainly of far greater importance."

"And that Captain Raymond may veto it on that account?" asked Rosie, with a twinkle of fun in her eye.

"Possibly he may; and if he does, I, for one, shall certainly obey him,"

replied Evelyn, speaking in a sober, earnest way that said plainly she was far from being in jest.

"Well, I make no rash promises," laughed Rosie; "and I'm not very much afraid of that brother-in-law of mine, stern as he can look when it suits him."

"But you will want to please your dear mother?" returned Evelyn, in a tone between a.s.sertion and inquiry.

"Yes," replied Rosie, sobering down at once; "I could refuse nothing to dear mamma. I would do anything and everything in my power to add to her happiness. Oh, how glad and thankful I am that she has been spared to us!"

"I, too," said Evelyn. "I think I could hardly love her better if she were really my very near relative."

A moment of silence followed, presently broken by Rosie. "Well, I suppose," she said with a return to her jesting tone, "it may be our wisest plan to consult his lords.h.i.+p--Captain Raymond--in regard to the matter just now under discussion--whether we--his prospective pupils--may or may not engage in the work of preparing Christmas gifts for other folk."

"I, at least, certainly intend doing so," replied Evelyn. "Obedience to his wishes--to say nothing of orders--it strikes me will be the very least we can do in return for his great kindness in taking the trouble to instruct us."

"There, you are right!" said Rosie. "I hadn't thought of that before. It is very good in him and I shall really try to show him that I am one of the best and most tractable of pupils."

"Suppose we join him and Lu to-morrow in their morning walk, as we did to-day, and then and there improve the opportunity to discuss this momentous question," suggested Evelyn laughingly.

"I am strongly in favor of so doing, provided I wake in season,"

returned Rosie, and with that they separated for the night.

They carried out their plan, had a pleasant little morning ramble and chat with the captain and Lulu, and finding that such was his wish, promised to do but little in the way of making Christmas gifts, in order that their time and attention might be the more fully occupied with their studies, which they were all to take up again on the following Monday.

"And this being Friday, we have only to-day and to-morrow for play. It looks like rain, too," sighed Rosie disconsolately, glancing up at the sky as she spoke; "so we are not likely to have much out-of-door sport."

"Ah, well, little sister, we must not grumble about the rain, for it is needed; and there are the verandas for you young folks to sport upon,"