THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
A LIST OF THE ELSIE BOOKS
BY
MARTHA FINLEY
ELSIE DINSMORE
ELSIE'S HOLIDAYS AT ROSE-
LANDS
ELSIE'S GIRLHOOD
ELSIE'S WOMANHOOD
ELSIE'S MOTHERHOOD
ELSIE'S CHILDREN
ELSIE'S WIDOWHOOD
GRANDMOTHER ELSIE
ELSIE'S NEW RELATIONS
ELSIE AT NANTUCKET
THE TWO ELSIES
ELSIE'S KITH AND KIN
ELSIE'S FRIENDS AT WOOD-
BURN
CHRISTMAS WITH GRANDMA
ELSIE
ELSIE AND THE RAYMONDS
ELSIE YACHTING WITH THE
RAYMONDS
ELSIE'S VACATION
ELSIE AT VIAMEDE
ELSIE AT ION
ELSIE AT THE WORLD'S FAIR
ELSIE'S JOURNEY ON INLAND
WATERS
ELSIE AT HOME
ELSIE ON THE HUDSON
ELSIE IN THE SOUTH
ELSIE'S YOUNG FOLKS
ELSIE'S WINTER TRIP
ELSIE AND HER LOVED ONES
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
ELSIE AND
HER NAMESAKES
BY
MARTHA FINLEY
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
COPYRIGHT, 1905
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANV
October, 1306
PS
CHAPTER I
THINGS were going on blithely at Woodburn,
everybody deeply interested in the prepara
tions for the approaching wedding, as were
all the relatives and connections on the neigh
boring estates and those on more southern
plantations. Woodburn seemed a centre of
attraction; relatives and friends were con
stantly coming and going, many consulta
tions were held as to suitable gifts, especially
for Grace and Harold. There was great
interest shown by all in the preparation of
the trousseau, and Alma and one or two
assistants were very busy over it.
There were many shopping expeditions, in
which Grace sometimes shared, though rather
1
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
against Harold's wishes, so fearful was he
that she might take cold or suffer from over-
exertion. He had long been her careful
physician, but now was not only that, but
also her promised husband and ardent lover.
'And to please him Grace left the greater part
of the shopping to the other members of the
family, and made some of her selections by
samples brought by them or the mails.
In the meantime, plans for the wedding and
the honeymoon were discussed. Some one
spoke of a trip to the North, but Harold
vetoed that promptly. "It was too late in
the season now for Grace to try that. He
must take her to a warmer climate."
"Then let us all go to Viamede for the
winter," suggested his mother. "Would not
that suit you, Gracie dear?"
"Yes, indeed, Grandma Elsie ; I think there
is no sweeter spot upon earth," was the
pleased response.
"Then that is where we will go," Harold
said with a happy laugh, "and I hope our
2
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
mother and other dear ones will either accom
pany or follow us."
"Oh, I like that plan," exclaimed Violet,
"but I think few of us will be quite ready
to leave our homes here by the time the bridal
party starts."
"Then suppose you go in relays," suggested
Chester.
"Why not say we, instead of you, Brother
Chester," laughed Elsie Raymond. "I'm
sure grandma included you in her invi
tation."
"Certainly," said Grandma Elsie, giving
Chester one of her sweet smiles. "May I not
count you and Lucilla among my grand
children ?"
"Indeed, I am delighted to have you do so,
and proud to be able to claim real blood
relationship," returned Chester. "And but
for the claims of business, I should be glad
to accept your kind invitation. Those, how
ever, will not permit it."
There were exclamations of regret from
3
ELSIE AND H'EE NAMESAKES
several of those present, Grandma Elsie
among them.
"But Sister Lu can go, can't she?" asked
Elsie Raymond.
"Go and leave my husband!" exclaimed
Lucilla in mock indignation. "Who could
suspect me of being so unfeeling a wife ?"
"Oh, no, Lu dear, I didn't mean that,"
Elsie hastened to say. "I know you and
Brother Chester are very fond of each other,
but so are you and papa ; and all the rest of
us love you dearly; and we won't any of us
like to do without you, even for a few weeks.
Oh Brother Chester, can't you get somebody
else to manage your business while you go
along with us?"
"No, little sister; and seeing my wife does
not want to leave me, I am not willing to do
without her, either."
"And you are quite right about it, Chester,"
said the captain, sighing slightly and giving
his eldest daughter a look of warm, fatherly
affection ; "much as I shall certainly miss her
4
even for the few weeks of our separation, I
must concede that she is right in putting your
claim to her companionship first."
"And I know it's right when you say so,
papa; so I'll try to be content," said Elsie
cheerfully. "But you and Baby Mary will
go with us, won't you, Eva ?"
"And leave Lu alone all day while Chester
is away at his office ? Oh, I couldn't think of
doing that! And, besides, I think home is
the best place for baby and me for the pres
ent," returned Evelyn, gazing lovingly down
at the cooing babe upon her knee.
"Oh, thank you, Eva," cried Lucilla, clap
ping her hands in delight; "the thought of
having you and baby left half reconciles me
to seeing the others go, leaving me behind;
only oh, father," with a pathetic look at
him and a quiver of pain in her voice, "what
shall I what can I do without you?"
At that he stepped to her side and laid his
hand tenderly on her head.
"We will comfort ourselves with the thought
5
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
that the parting will be for but a brief season,
daughter dear," he said in moved tones;
"and with the prospect of the joyful reunion,
in store for us all in the spring."
"And you will help me with frequent letters,
papa dear, won't you ?" she asked, trying to
speak lightly and cheerfully.
"I think there will be a daily bulletin, per
haps more than one at least with Eva's
share counted in," the captain replied with
an affectionate look at his daughter-in-law
and her babe.
"Oh, I hope so, father; and of course Lu
will share with me the pleasure of mine,"
responded Evelyn with a bright, glad look up
into his eyes.
"And though Viamede is ever so delightful,
I think we will all soon be in haste to get
home to see our dear little baby," Elsie ex
claimed, hurrying to Eva's side to pet and
fondle the little one.
"Yes; we will all sadly miss both her and
her mother," said Violet.
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Indeed we will," added her mother,
"and I sincerely wish we could take her
and all the Sunnyside folk with us. We
will hope to do so the next time we go to
Viamede."
This was an afternoon chat in the library,
where they had gathered for the time, some
few of the cousins with them, and little,
feeble Ned asleep on a couch.
"Go to Viamede? When will we go?" he
asked feebly, rousing just in time to catch
his grandmother's concluding words.
"We hope to do so in the afternoon of the
wedding day, carrying my pet patient along,"
replied Harold, taking the small, white hand
in his and patting it affectionately.
"Papa and mamma, too?" queried Ned,
rather anxiously.
"We are going in your papa's yacht, and
they are to follow us in a few days by rail,
join us on the Florida coast ; and from there
we expect to go on together to Viamede."
"Oh, that's nice but oh, what can I do
T
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
without papa and mammal Will you and
Gracie take care of me ?"
"Some of the time, I think, but your grand
ma still more; and your sister Elsie, and
some of the cousins who will be with us, will
help entertain you."
"And with all those you can do without
papa and mamma for a few days, can't you,
sonny boy ?" queried Violet, leaning over him
and patting his cheek caressingly.
"Yes, mamma; I love my dear grandma
and uncle and Sister Elsie the cousins,
too but I'll miss you and papa."
"Then you must try to be patient and happy
thinking it will be only a few days before
we may hope to be together again," returned
his mother, repeating her caresses.
"And show yourself a manly little man of
whom we can all be proud as well as fond,"
added his father, standing by his side, smooth
ing his hair and looking down smilingly into
his face.
"I'll try, papa," responded the little fellow,
8
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"and I do believe we will have a nice time
if if I can keep on getting well."
"We will hope for that, and you will have
your good doctor with you. And you must
keep up your spirits with the thought that
we expect to be all together again in a few
days."
Grandma Elsie had been taking part in
some of the business visits to the neighboring
city, but now she decided to leave all that
to the younger ladies and devote herself to
the entertainment of Ned, Elsie and any
other of the young people of the family con
nection who might care to share with them
in listening to the interesting facts and
stories which she would relate for Ned's en
joyment and instruction. She presently
announced this determination, which was
gladly received by all the children present,
and asked if any of them could suggest a
subject for to-morrow's discourse. Elsie
responded with an eager look of delight and
entreaty.
9
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Well, dear child, what is it?" asked
her grandma.
"Something about Washington, grandma,
beginning with what he did when he was a
very young man. I'd like to hear all you
can tell us about Braddock's defeat."
"Then that shall be our subject to-morrow,
if all my audience should be pleased to have
it so," was the kindly reply ; to which several
young voices responded witK expressions of
pleasure in the prospect.
CHAPTER II
THE next day Grandma Elsie, true to Her
promise, remained with the children at Wood-
burn, while the younger ladies went on their
shopping expedition to the city. Ned had
been carried down to the library, and lay
there on a sofa, his pale face bright with'
expectation; for he dearly loved grandma's
stories, especially now when it seemed too
great an exertion to hold a book and read
for himself; his sister Elsie was there, too,
and so were several of the young cousins from
Ion and Fairview, who had come riding in on
their bicycles, full of joyful expectation, for
grandma's stories were to them a great de
light.
They gathered about her, and she began.
"I am going to tell you of our Washington
and some of his deeds and experiences. He
has been called the Father of his Country.
11
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Some one once gave the toast, 'Washington:
Providence left him childless that his coun
try might call him father.' '
"Had he never any children at all, grand
ma ?" asked Ned .
"None of his very own; only some step
children. He married a widow who had some
by a former husband.
"Washington was very young when he left
school and began life as a surveyor. At six
teen he was public surveyor of Culpeper
County, and he continued there at that work
for three years. Then, at nineteen, he was
made adjutant-general, with the rank of
major, in one of the four military districts
into which Virginia was divided.
"In 1Y53 Great Britain instructed her gov
ernors of the American colonies to serve
notice on the French that their forts built on
western lands claimed by the English were an
encroachment on her colonies ; and if the
French resisted, they were instructed to use
force to drive them away.
12
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Washington was then twenty-one a tall,
grave, handsome young man, and one with
the talents and information required ; he had
courage, experience in the woods, knowledge
about forts and tact with savages. The gov
ernor offered the dangerous and difficult mis
sion to him, and he accepted it.
"This was in the summer. In October the
governor resolved to enlarge his army to ten
companies of one hundred men each, and no
officer in that Virginia regiment was to rank
higher than captain. Indignant at that,
Washington resigned and left the army.
"The next February Braddock came from
England with two regiments of troops, sup
plies and artillery. He landed in Virginia,
and Washington sent him a congratulatory
letter. Shortly afterward Braddock invited
him to become his aide-de-camp, and he will
ingly accepted the invitation. He joined
Braddock at Frederickstown, feeling much
displeased that the army should pass through'
Maryland instead of Virginia.
13
<ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Braddock proud Englishman despised
all colonials except Franklin and Washing
ton, but from the beginning he was pleased
with them."
"Colonial, grandma?" said Ned, inquir
ingly.
"Yes, dear ; you must remember that at that
time there were no United States of America ;
instead, just thirteen colonies subject to
Great Britain, and all on or near the Atlantic
coast. Our country has grown very much
ince then."
"And in more ways than one, hasn't it,
grandma ?" remarked Elsie Raymond with a
look of joy and pride.
"Yes, dear; it is many times as large, as
wealthy and full of comforts and conven
iences. Indeed, I think we may safely say
that we are the richest and most powerful
nation in the world. God has been wonder
fully good to us, and to Him be all the glory
and the praise.
"In the days I am telling you of there were
14
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
no railroads, and the rough mountain roads
would be very difficult to cross with the heavy
artillery and baggage. Therefore, Washing
ton urged a forward movement with a small
but chosen band and only such artillery and
light stores as were absolutely necessary.
"Washington went with the rear division,
riding in a covered wagon, for he had been
quite sick with fever and pains in his head,
and was not yet able to sit a horse. He over
took the advance division at the mouth of
the Youghiogheny River, fifteen miles from
Fort Duquesne, and the next morning, though
still very weak in body, attended Braddock on
horseback. The ground was very steep on
the north side of the Monongahela, which
made it necessary to ford the river twice and
march a part of the way on the south side.
About noon they were within ten miles of
Fort Duquesne. It was here they crossed to
tHe north side, and their road lay through a
level plain, at the north end of which a grad
ual ascent began, leading to hills of sow*
15
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
height, and then through an uneven country
covered with trees. Three hundred men,
under Colonel Gage, marched first, then came
another party of two hundred, then Brad-
dock with the main body, artillery and
"All had crossed the river, and the advance
body was going cheerfully up the hill, on each
side of which was a ravine eight or ten feet
deep, covered with trees and long grass. Gen
eral Braddock had not employed any scouts.
He despised Indians, colonists and their
irregular kind of warfare. A hundred
friendly Indians had joined him on the
march, but he treated them so coldly, in spite
of all Washington could say in their favor,
that they had all gone away. They came
again on the very night before this dress
parade between the ravines, and again offered
their assistance ; but in spite of all Washing
ton could say in favor of employing them, the
general refused to do so."
"And were the French and their Indians
16
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
hiding in those ravines, grandma?" asked
Ned.
"Yes," she replied; "that was just what
they were doing, and after the first British
division had got well into the field between
the ravines, without seeing or hearing an
enemy, they suddenly received a volley of
musket-balls in their faces. As one of the
soldiers afterward said, they could only tell
where the enemy were by the smoke of their
muskets. But the British at once returned a
fire that killed the French commander, and
was so heavy that the Indians thought it came
from artillery, and were about to retreat when
Dumas, who was in command now that his
superior officer was killed, rallied them and
sent them, under French officers, to attack
the right flank while he held the front.
"The British now received another rain of
bullets, and the wood rang with the savage
yells of the Indians, but they could see only
smoke, except when now and then an Indian
ventured from behind a tree to take a scalp.
17
ELSIE AND BEE NAMESAKES
The Virginians, used to the Indian's way of
fighting, dropped on the ground or rushed
behind trees, and the British regulars tried
to imitate them. Braddock, just then reach
ing the scene, was furious at that. Riding
about the field, he forced his men, both Brit
ish and Virginians, back into the ranks, just
where the enemy could get full sight of them
and shoot them down the more readily."
"Why, grandma, what did he do that for ?"
asked Ned.
"It seems he wanted them to keep rank just
because he considered that the regular thing
to do."
"Stupid old fellow!" exclaimed one of the
other young listeners.
"Yes; he does not seem to have been very
bright in that particular line," assented Mrs.
Travilla, "but he was very brave ; four horses
were shot under him, and he mounted a fifth.
All his aides were shot down but one our
Washington; though hardly well enough to
sit in his saddle, he rode about the field de-
18
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
livering Braddock's orders to the troops, so
making himself a conspicuous target for the
enemy, who fired at him again and again,
but could not kill him did not even succeed
in wounding him, though two horses were
shot under him, and he sprang upon a third
and went fearlessly on with his work."
"But he was not wounded. I remember
reading that," said Elsie. "Surely, grand
ma, God took care of him, that he might after
a while become the Father of his Country."
"Yes, God protected him, and that made it
impossible for the foe to destroy him."
"But they killed Braddock, didn't they?"
asked Ned.
"I don't know," replied Mrs. Travilla, "that
Braddock was fatally wounded at that time,
but I have seen an account of his fatal wound
ing, which may or not be true. It is thought
that among the Americans who were in the
fight were two of the name of Fausett
brothers Thomas and Joseph. Thomas is
said to have been a man of gigantic frame
19
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and of uncivilized, half savage propensities.
It is said that he spent most of his life in the
mountains, living as a hermit on the game
that he killed. In the battle we are talking
of he saw his brother behind a tree, saw Brad-
dock ride up to him in a passion and strike
him down with his sword. Tom Fausett drew
up his rifle instantly and shot Braddock
through the lungs, partly in revenge for the
outrage upon his brother and partly, as he
always declared, to get the general out of the
way that he might sacrifice no more of the
lives of the British and Americans."
"Why, grandma, did he want his own men
killed?" asked Ned.
"No; but he was foolish, obstinate and de
termined to have hip own way. Those who
appointed him commander of that force made
a great mistake. He was a good tactician,
but proud, prejudiced and conceited. Talk
ing with Benjamin Franklin, who was then
postmaster-general, he said, 'After taking
Port Duquesne, I am to proceed to Niagara,
20
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
and having taken that, to Frontenac, if the
season will allow time, and I suppose it will,
for Duquesne can hardly detain me above
three or four days ; and then I can see nothing
that can obstruct my march to Niagara/
[Franklin thought the plan excellent if he could
take his fine troops safely to Fort Duquesne,
but told him there might be danger from
Indian ambuscades; the savages, shooting
unexpectedly from their places of conceal
ment in the woods, might destroy his army in
detail. Braddock thought that an absurd
idea, and replied that the Indians might be
formidable enemies to raw American troops,
but it was impossible they should make an
impression upon the King's regular and dis
ciplined troops. And, as I have already told
you, that was the idea he acted upon in the
fight, which is always spoken of as 'Brad-
dock's defeat.' He insisted that his men
should be formed in regular platoons; they
fired by platoons at the rocks, into the
bushes and ravines, and so killed not enemies
21
only, but many Americans as many as
by one volley."
"Oh, how dreadful!" cried Elsie; "killing
their own comrades instead of the enemies
they were fighting."
"Grandma, did Tom Fausett's shot kill
Braddock at once ?" asked Ned.
"No; it was on the 9th of July he was
shot, and he died on the evening of the
13th. It was on that day the remnant of
his army went into camp at the Great
Meadows. In the evening, after ihe fight,
Braddock exclaimed, 'Who would have
thought it ?
"Then he remained silent until a few min
utes before he died, when he said, 'We should
better know how to deal with them another
time.' They buried him before daybreak in
the road and levelled his grave with the
ground, lest the Indians should find and muti
late his body. The chaplain had been
wounded, and Washington read the burial
service."
ELSIE r AND HER NAMESAKES
"At the Great Meadows, grandma?" asked
Elsie.
"About a mile from Fort Necessity," replied
Mrs. Travilla. "I have read that on the 17th
the sick and wounded reached Fort Cumber
land, and the next day Washington wrote to
a friend that since his arrival there he had
heard a circumstantial account of his own
death and dying speech, and now he was
taking the earliest opportunity of contradict
ing the first, and of giving the assurance that
he had not yet composed the latter."
"Well, I hope he got the praise he deserved
from somebody," said Elsie.
"Yes, he did," replied her grandma. "An
eloquent and accomplished preacher, Rev,
Samuel Davies, who a few years later became
president of Princeton College, in a sermon
to one of the companies organized after Brad-
dock's defeat, after praising the zeal and
Courage of the Virginia troops, added : 'As a
remarkable instance of this, I may point out
to the public that heroic youth, Colonel
23
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Washington, whom I cannot but hope Provi
dence has hitherto preserved in so signal a
manner for some important service to his
country.' '
"And doesn't it seem that that was what
God preserved him for, grandma ?" exclaimed
Elsie, her eyes shining with pleasure.
"It does, indeed; God was very good to us
in giving us such a leader for such a time
as that of our hard struggle for the freedom
which has made us the great and powerful
nation that we now are."
"And we are not the only people that think
very highly of Washington," remarked one of
the cousins in a tone which was half assertive,
half inquiring.
"No, indeed," replied Mrs. Travilla; "one
English historian has said that Washington's
place in the history of mankind is without a
fellow, and Lord Brougham said more than
once, 'It will be the duty of the historian in
all ages to let no occasion pass of commem
orating this illustrious man; and until time
24
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
shall be no more will a test of the progress
which our race has made in wisdom and
virtue be derived from the veneration paid to
the immortal name of Washington.' '
"That's high praise, grandma, isn't it ?" said
Eric Leland; "and I think our Washington
deserved every word of it."
"As I do," she replied; "he was just, gen
erous, disinterested spending so many of the
best years of his life in fighting for the free
dom of his country, and that without a cent
of pay wise, fearless, heroic, self-sacrific
ing; he feared God, believed in Christ, waa
a man of prayer, fully acknowledging divine
aid and direction in all that he attempted and
all he accomplished. He was a wonderful
man, a God-given leader to us in a time when
such an one was sorely needed."
"When was the war quite over, grandma ?"
asked Ned.
"The treaty of peace was signed in Paris on
the 20th of January, 1783," replied Mrs.
Travilla. "News did not then fly nearly so
25
"ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
fast as it does now, and it was not till the
17th of the following April that Washington
received the proclamation of peace by our
Congress. On the 19th of April, the anni
versary of the shedding of the first blood of
the war, at Lexington, eight years before,
the cessation was proclaimed at the head of
every regiment of the army. That was by
Washington's general orders, in which he
added, "The chaplains of the several brigades
will render thanks to Almighty God for all
His mercies, particularly for His overruling
the wrath of man to His own glory, and caus
ing the rage of war to cease among the
nations.' "
CHAPTEK HI
NOTICING now that weak little Ned began
to look weary and sleepy, Mrs. Travilla bade
the other children go out and amuse them
selves a while wherever they liked about the
house and grounds; so they quietly left the
room.
"Please don't go away, grandma. Please
stay beside me while I take my nap," mur
mured the little fellow, opening his eyes to
look up at her, then closing them again.
"No, darling, I won't," she said soothingly.
"I have a book and am going to sit here be
side you and read while you sleep."
Elsie and the others refreshed themselves
with some lively sport upon the lawn; then
the young guests, thinking it time to return
to their homes, mounted their bicycles and de
parted, leaving Elsie sitting in the veranda,
whiling away the time with a bit of fancy
27
work while waiting and watching for the re
turn of father and mother and the other loved
ones from their city shopping.
Meantime, she was thinking how very
much she would like to give her dear sister
Grace a handsome wedding present, and re
gretting that she had not expected the wed
ding to come so soon and saved her pocket
money for that purpose. She had not wasted
it, but had been more liberal in gifts to some
others and spent more in self-indulgences
than now seemed to have been at all necessary.
But these regretful meditations were at
length interrupted by the carriage turning in
at the great gates and coming swiftly up the
driveway.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come back at
last, papa, mamma, and all the rest of you
dear folks," she exclaimed, hastening to meet
them as they alighted and came up the
veranda steps. "I suppose you have bought
ever so many beautiful things."
"Yes, so we have," replied her mother.
28
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Many more than were at all necessary,"
laughed Grace. "If this sort of kindness
killed, I am afraid I should not live very
long."
"But it does not, and you look very rosy and
well for you," laughed Elsie as Grace reached
her side, put an arm about her and gave her a
kiss.
"Yes, she has stood the ordeal very well so
far," remarked Dr. Harold, giving his
affianced a very lover-like glance and smile.
"I am ever so glad of that," said Elsie.
"And oh, I do want to see all those pretty
things ! Mayn't they be carried into the
library, mamma? Grandma and Ned will
want to see them, and they are in there."
"Yes, replied Violet, leading the way, "and
we will all go in there and examine them to
gether. I hear Ned talking, so there is no
danger of waking him out of a nap."
All followed her lead, a servant, bearing the
heavier packages, bringing up the rear. All
enjoyed examining the purchases v ich silks,
29
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
laces, ribbons and jewelry and some min
utes were spent in lively chat over them and
about other pretty things seen in the city
stores.
Then Grace was summoned to the sewing
room to inspect the work going on there.
Violet went with her, and Harold hastened
away to see a patient, the captain and Elsie
following him as far as the veranda, he seat
ing himself and drawing her to his knee to
pet and fondle her, as was his wont when they
happened to be alone together.
"Well, darling little daughter," he said, "I
hope you have had a pleasant time at home
with grandma and ]^ed and cousins while
papa and mamma were away ?"
"Yes, sir; grandma was telling us about
Washington and Braddock's defeat, and it
was very interesting. So the time passed
very pleasantly. Papa, what beautiful things
you and mamma and the rest brought home
from the city ! I wish" she paused, blush
ing and hanging her head.
30
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Well, dear child, speak out and tell papa
what you want," he said encouragingly.
"I was just wishing I could buy a handsome
wedding gift for dear Sister Grace ; but I did
not think she was going to be married so soon,
and and my pocket money is almost all
gone."
"Well, never mind," he said with a smile
and patting her cheek. "I have been con
sidering an increase of pocket money for you
and Ned just at this time. I shall give eacH
of you $50 to-morrow, to do with exactly as
you please buy for yourselves or for others
or save up for some future time."
"Oh, papa, thank you, thank you !" she cried
joyously. "And now can you tell me what to
buy for Sister Grace ?"
"We will consult mamma about that," he
said, "and perhaps she will go with us into the
city to-morrow to make the purchase."
"Ah, Elsie wanting to do some shopping,
too?" asked Violet's pleasant voice as she
stepped out from the hall door to the veranda
31
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and came quickly toward them. "No" to
her husband "do not get up; I will take a
seat by your side," suiting the action to the
word.
"Yes, mamma," answered the little girl;
"surely I ought to give a wedding present to
Sister Grace; and papa is going to give me
money $50 to buy it with."
"Oh, that is nice," said Violet. "Levis, my
dear, you are certainly the best of fathers, as
well as of husbands."
"According to my very partial wife," he re
turned with a pleased little laugh.
"And this one of your daughters, too, papa,"
said Elsie.
"As well as all the kith and kin who know
him well," added "Violet. "What do you
think of buying with that large sum of money,
Elsie?"
"I want your advice about that, mamma."
"I believe Grace feels very rich now in
eilks, satins, laces, jewelry" Violet re
sponded in a musing tone. "Ah, well of that
32
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
last few ladies can have too much. A ring,
a bracelet, would hardly come amiss."
"No, mamma, I do not believe they would ;
and they would be becoming to sister's
beautiful hands and arms. I wonder if Ned
would not like to buy one or the other for her
with his $50."
"Let us go to the library now and con
sult him about it," said the captain, setting
Elsie down and rising to his feet as he
spoke.
"The best plan, I think," said Violet. "He
is sure to want to spend your gift to him in
something for Grace."
They found Ned still awake and pleased at
their coming.
"You may be newsteller and questioner,
Elsie," said their father, and she told in
hurried, joyous fashion what he had prom
ised, and what she thought of buying for
Grace with her $50, concluding with the
query, "What will you do with your fifty,
Ned?"
33
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
"I do not know. I cannot go to the stores to
find anything," he sighed disconsolately.
"But you can trust mamma and the rest of
us to select something for you," suggested his
father in tender tones.
"Oh, I guess that will do," responded Ned
more cheerfully ; "and be sure that I want it
to be something handsome, if it costs every
cent of the $50."
So that matter was settled, and the next
morning the captain, Violet and Elsie drove
into the city, visited the best jewelry store,
and selected a beautiful ring and bracelet.
Elsie was so charmed with them that she
seemed hardly able to think of anything else
on the homeward drive.
"I hope "Ned will be pleased with the brace
let," she said; "but if he would rather have
the ring for his gift to Gracie, he may, and I
will give the bracelet."
"That is right, daughter," said the captain.
"I think they are both beautiful, and they;
cost very nearly the same."
34
They found !Ned awake and full of eager
expectation. He heard the carriage wheels
on the driveway, and cried out, "There they
are, grandma, and oh, how I wish I could run
out to the veranda to meet them !"
"Never mind about that, sonny boy; they
will be in here directly," was the kind re
sponse, and the next minute Elsie came run
ning in, holding up two little parcels.
"We have bought them, !Ned," she cried.
"They are just lovely, and you may open the
packages and take your choice which to have
for your gift to Sister Grace," and she put
them in his hands as she spoke.
He looked delighted, hastily tore open the
larger package, and cried out, "Oh, I will
take this for mine. It is the prettiest bracelet
I ever saw !"
"But the ring is every bit as beautiful," said
Elsie, "and I do not care in the least which
you give and which will be my present to
Gracie."
"And since you do not care in the least, it
35
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
won't matter who gives which," laughed their
mother.
"And that makes it easy for you both," said
the captain, drawing up a chair to the side
of the couch for his wife, then seating him
self by her side.
"What do you think of them, mother ?" turn
ing to Grandma Elsie.
"That they are both beautiful," she replied.
"Grace is sure to be greatly pleased with
them. Ah, here she comes!" as the young
girl came tripping in, followed by Harold.
"Oh, Gracie, here are our wedding gifts to
you Elsie's and mine. Come look at them,"
cried Ned, raising himself to a sitting posture
in his excitement.
"Oh, they are lovely, lovely !" she responded,
taking them from his hands, turning them
about in hers and gazing upon them delight
edly. "But," she added in a regretful tone,
"I am afraid you have both spent far too
much on me."
"Not at all, daughter; they were bought
36
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
with both your mamma's and my full ap
proval," said the captain. "What do you
think of them, Harold?" as he, too, seemed
to be giving the trinkets a critical exam
ination.
"I entirely agree in the opinion Grace
has just expressed," he replied. "They are
quite worthy of the admiration of us all.
Must have cost a pretty penny, I should
say."
"But not too much for gifts to our dear
sister Grace," said Elsie.
"No, no; I quite agree with you in that
opinion," replied Harold, with a smile and a
look of ardent love and admiration at the
sweet face of his betrothed.
"Put them on, Gracie, and let us see how
they will look on your pretty hand and arm,"
pleaded Ned, and she complied.
"Ah, they fit nicely," she said with a pleased
little laugh ; then took them off and replaced
them in their boxes, adding, "but are too
handsome and costly to wear just now. They
37
EL'SIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
should be shown first along with the other
Christmas and wedding gifts."
"Such a long time to wait," sighed Ned dis
consolately.
"Not so very, Neddie boy," returned Grand
ma Elsie in a cheery tone; "this is Friday,
and Christmas comes next week on Wednea-
day."
"Oh, I am glad it is so near! But, oK,
dear," he added with a sigh, "it won't be so
delightful as it has been other years, because
I cannot go out of doors and run and play
as I have on other Christmas days."
"No; but do not fret, my little son; you
shall have a good time in the house," said his
father.
"Oh, yes, papa, and will we have a Christ
mas tree ? I am not too old for that, am I ?"
"No, not at all ; and I doubt if you ever will
be," returned his father, smoothing his hair
and smiling down into his face.
"Oh, Sister Grace, will your dresses be done
by that time ?" asked Elsie.
38
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
"Hardly, I think," smiled Grace; "but it
will be another week before we sail away in
our Dolphin; and if they are not all finished
then they can be sent after us to Viamede."
"I suppose, grandma, you will be wanting
us all at Ion for Christmas," said Ned.
"Uncle Harold, do you think I will be well
enough to go ?"
"No, my boy ; but we can have a fine Christ
mas here in your own home," replied his
uncle in kindly tones.
"Oh, yes, of course we can. There is no
place better than home, anyhow ; at least, not
if grandma and you, uncle, are here with us."
"Just what I think," said Elsie; "and you
will be here, won't you, grandma and uncle ?"
"Part of the time," replied Mrs. Travilla;
"and I think it likely that most of your other
relatives will make a call on you some time
'during the day."
"And you will stay witH us between this
time and that, and tell us your nice true
Btories, won't you, grandma 1" entreated Ned.
39
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"I have planned to be here a part of almost
every day until we go on board the Dolphin,
Neddie dear," she said, smiling kindly on
him as she spoke.
"And you will, too, won't you, uncle?"
queried the little fellow, with an entreating
look up into Harold's face.
"Yes ; I intend to give my little patient all
the care he needs from his uncle doctor," was
the pleasant-toned reply.
"Thank you, sir ; that is good ; I am glad I
have such a kind uncle that knows how to
treat sick folks," returned Ned, closing hia
eyes, composing himself for a nap, and add
ing, "I am tired and sleepy now. Please
everybody excuse me if I do not keep awake
to enjoy your company."
An hour later the little boy awoke, looking
and feeling stronger and better than he had
at any time since the beginning of his illness ;
and he continued to gain as the days passed
on, listening with pleasure while his grand
ma and others tried to entertain him with
40
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
stories, and now and then joining in some
quiet little game that called for no exertion
of strength.
At last it was Christmas eve, and he and
Elsie went early to bed and to sleep after
hanging up their stockings for Santa Glaus
to fill. They knew there was to be a Christ
mas tree, but the sight of it was to be deferred
till the next morning, because after his
night's rest Ned would be better able to en
joy it.
Over at Sunnyside Evelyn sat beside the
crib of her sleeping babe, busy with her
needle, fashioning a dainty robe for the
darling, when Lucilla stole softly in, came
to her side, and speaking in an undertone,
not to disturb the little sleeper, said :
"Chester and I are going over to Woodburn
to help in the trimming of the Christmas
tree, and should be happy to have your com
pany. Will you go along ?"
"Thank you, Lu; I should like to but for
leaving baby, and I won't disturb her, taking
41
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
her up to carry her along, she is sleeping so
sweetly."
"You are quite right; it would be a shame
to rouse her out of that sweet sleep. The
darling; how lovely she is!" responded Lu-
cilla, leaning over the crib and feasting her
eyes with a long, tender gaze into the innocent
little face. "But could not you trust her to
the care of her nurse for a half hour or so ?"
"Thank you, but I think I am more needed
here than there just now. There will be a
good many to join in the fun of trimming
the tree good fun, too, it will be, I know."
"Yes ; and you have already sent over your
and Max's lovely gifts. Well, good-by, sister
dear. You will be missed, but no one will
blame you for staying beside your darling."
Eva was missed and her absence regretted,
but the work of trimming the tree went
merrily on, the captain, Violet, Harold,
Grace, Chester and Lucilla all taking part in
the work, while visiting relatives came pour
ing in, bringing both Christmas and wedding
42
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
gifts. There was a merry time, and Grace
seemed almost overwhelmed by the multitude
of rare and beautiful presents, some of them
yery costly, bestowed upon her. There were
laces, jewelry, gold and silver tableware,
several handsome pictures for her walls,
pretty toilet sets, books; and from Harold's
mother and Grace's father certificates of
valuable stock, which would add largely to the
income of the young couple.
The tree was a particularly large and hand
some one when brought in, and made a grand
appearance, indeed, at the conclusion of the
work of its trimmers.
There were many expressions of gleeful ad
miration, then all were invited to the dining-
room and feasted with cakes and ices.
"Dearest, I fear this has been almost too
much for you," Harold said in a low aside to
his betrothed when the last of the guests had
bidden adieu and departed. "I hope excite
ment is not going to keep you awake."
"I will try not to allow it to do so," she
43
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
returned in the same low key, and smiling up
into his eyes. "I hope to show myself to
morrow a patient to be proud of."
"As you are to-night, love, and always," re
turned Harold gallantly, taking her hand and
carrying it to his lips.
"In the estimation of my very partial lover
doctor," laughed Grace.
"Ah, yes ; and in that of many others. The
lover is craving a tete-a-tete with his best be
loved, but the doctor knows she should at
once retire to her couch of rest. Good-night,
darling. Only a week now till I can claim
you for my very own."
"Good-night, my best and dearest of
physicians; I will follow your prescription,
as has been my wont in the past," returned
Grace, gently withdrawing her hand from
his grasp, then gliding into the hall and up
the stairway, while Harold passed out to the
veranda, where the captain and Violet, arm
in arm, were pacing to and fro, chatting cosily
of what they had been doing and were still
44
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
to do to make the morrow a specially
happy day to their children and servants.
They paused in their walk at sight of
Harold.
"You are not going to leave us to-night?"
they asked.
"Yes; I have a patient to visit, and must
hasten, for it is growing late."
"Well, come in as early as you can to
morrow," said Violet, and the captain sec
onded the invitation warmly.
"You may he sure I will do that," laughed
Harold, "for both the enjoyment of your
society and the good of my patients here.
lAu revoir."
"Dear fellow!" exclaimed Violet, looking
after him as he moved with his firm, elastic
tread down the driveway and through the
great gates into the road beyond ; "he is worth
his weight in gold, both as brother and
physician, I think."
"And I am pretty much of the same opin
ion," smiled the captain. "Now shall we go
45
'ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
upstairs and oversee the doings of Santa
Claus with those stockings ?"
"Yes; for I presume the youthful owners
of the stockings are already safe from dis
turbance in the Land of E"od. Will Grace
hang her stocking up, do you think ?"
"Hardly, I suppose; but we might steal a
march upon the darling after she, too, has
reached that Land of Nod."
They had passed up the stairway while they
talked, and were now near the door of Grace's
sitting-room, and hearing their voices, though
their tones were rather subdued for fear of
waking the children, she opened it and came
smilingly out.
"Ah, papa and mamma, I presume you are
about to personate old Santa Claus, and I
should like to help a little," she laughed, hold
ing up to view a string of coral beads and a
pretty purse of her own knitting.
"Ah," said her father, "those will give
pleasure, I know. The children will be well
satisfied with those articles of Santa Clauses
46
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
selection. Ah, this reminds me of the first
Christmas in this house, and the delight of
my two daughters Lu and Grace over the
treasures they found in their stockings. Sup
pose you hang up yours to-night in memory
of that time."
"Oh, father dear, I, having already had so
many, many gifts far beyond my deserts,
should feel ashamed to be seeking more,"
Grace replied with a look of ardent, filial
love up into his face.
"But do you think you could be wrong or
foolish in following your father's advice?"
was Violet's smiling query.
"Not if it be given seriously and in earnest,
mamma," returned Grace, giving her father
a look of loving inquiry.
"You may as well take it in earnest,
daughter mine," he answered, drawing her to
his side, putting an arm about her and giving
her a fond caress; "should you find nothing
in it of more worth than a paper of sugar
plums, you will have lost nothing by the ex-
47
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
periment. But go on now with your prepa
rations for bed, and do not let anxiety con
cerning the filling of the stocking keep you
awake."
"Thank you, my dearest and best of fathers.
I shall do my best to obey your kind order.
Good-night to you and mamma," she said, re
treating into her room and closing her door.
She did not fasten it, though, and laughingly
hung up her stocking before getting into
bed.
She was quite weary from the unusual ex
ertion of the day and evening, and spite of
excitement, had presently fallen into pro
found slumber; nor did she wake till broad
daylight. Then the first thing her eye fell
upon was the evidently well-filled stocking.
With a light laugh she sprang out of bed,
seized the stocking, crept back into bed and
began an excited examination.
There were fruits and candies, then a paper
parcel labelled "A little Christmas gift from
papa." Hastily opening it, she found a
48
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
some new portemonnaie well filled with bank
notes and change.
''My dear father !" she murmured to herself
low and feelingly; "was there ever such an
other ! And mamma, too," as she picked up
a pretty knitted purse, between the meshes
of which shone some bright pieces of gold
and silver. "But it is Christmas morning;
no doubt everybody else in the house is up,
and so must I be," she added half aloud, and
suiting the action to the word.
She was looking very sweet and fair in a
pretty morning gown when, a few minutes
later, her father came in, took her in his arms
and wished her "A merry, happy Christmas,
to be followed by the happiest of New Years."
"Thank you, dear, dearest papa," she said,
returning his caresses. "I feel sure it will be
a happy year, because I am not to be parted
from you except for a few days till you
join us on the coast of Florida."
"Yes, daughter dear, Providence permit
ting, we shall follow you there very shortly
49
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKE'S
after you reach its shores. Now we will go
down to breakfast, which is ready and waiting
for us, and after that and family worship
children and servants are to see the Christ
mas tree and receive their gifts."
That programme was carried out, the last
act producing much mirth and jollity, amid
which Harold joined them. He came full of
good cheer, exchanged Christmas greetings,
and gave an amusing account of Christmas
doings and the effect of the Christmas tree at
Ion.
He and Grace had exchanged some trifling
gifts by means of the Christmas tree, but
now he drew her aside and added to the orna
ments she wore a beautiful diamond pin.
"OK, thank you!" she said, with a pleased
little laugh." I have a surprise for you, but
this lovely brooch quite casts it into the
sHade."
&s she spoke she drew from Her pocket a tiny
box and put it into his hand. He opened it
and found a diamond stud.
50
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Ah, what a beauty !" he exclaimed in tones
of pleased surprise. "Thank you, my dar
ling; thank you a thousand times. It is
valuable in itself and still more valuable as
the gift of my best beloved of earthly dear
ones."
"I am very glad you like my little gift," she
returned, smiling up into his eyes, "though it
compares but poorly with this lovely and
;costly one you have given me. Oh, but it is
a beauty ! I must show it to father, mamma
and the rest."
"Show us what ?" asked Violet, overhearing
the last few words, and turning toward the
speaker.
"This, that your good, generous brother has
just added to my already rich store of Christ
mas gifts," replied Grace, joyously display
ing her new treasure.
"Oh, what a beauty!" cried Violet. "I am
glad, Harold, that you show such good taste
and generosity to the dear girl you are steal
ing from us."
51
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
a l object to that last clause of your speech,"
returned her brother with mock gravity. "It
will be no theft, since her father has made it
a gift, in generous gratitude for my small
services to your small son."
"Oh, true enough," laughed Violet, "and our
saved son is worth more than any quantity
of such jewelry," she added in moved tones,
putting an arm around Ned, who had stolen
to her side in an effort to see what had caused
her pleased exclamation.
"Oh, what a beautiful pin, Gracie !" he ex
claimed. "Did you buy it for her, uncle ?"
"Yes, on purpose for her," replied Harold,
smiling down at the little fellow. "You do
not think it too fine for her, do you ?"
"No, no; oh, no! nothing could be too fine
for our dear, sweet, beautiful Gracie."
"Just what papa thinks," the captain said,
joining the little group. "Ah," glancing
through the window, "here come our Sunny-
side folks to spend the day with us."
Visits from other relatives followed some-
52
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
what later, and some who had not been heard
from the day before brought additions to the
store of wedding and Christmas gifts. Ned
was not forgotten or neglected, and in spite
of having to remain at home and within
doors, passed a very happy day.
CHAPTER IV
THAT CKristmas week was a busy and cheery
one to our Woodburn folk and their near and
dear ones on the neighboring estates. The
Fairview family were expecting to spend the
rest of the winter at Viamede ; Cousin Ronald
and his Annis had accepted a cordial invita
tion to do likewise, and Grandma Elsie's
brother and his family from the Oaks would
also pay her a visit there, the duration of
which was not settled, as -that would depend
upon how well Horace's affairs at home
should be carried on without his presence and
supervision. His little daughter Elsie was
to make one of the party on the yacht, but
the others would go by rail, as that would not
necessitate so early a start from home. The
^Dolphin was being put in readiness for her
trip, and the overseeing of that business occu-
04
pied quite a portion of Captain Kaymond's
time during that week.
Grace made a lovely bride, surrounded by
all her own and Harold's kith and kin. The
ceremony took place at noon ; a grand dinner
followed ; then wedding attire was exchanged
for a pretty and becoming travelling suit,
carriages conveyed bride, groom, his mother
and their young charges to the Dolphin, and
presently the southward journey was fairly
begun.
It had been rather Hard for Ned to part
from "papa and mamma" for even a few
days, though with dear grandma and unole
left to him, sister and cousins also, and
wearied with that grief and the exciting
scenes of the day, he was soon ready to take
to his berth and fall asleep.
The others found it too cool for comfort oa
the deck, but very pleasant in the well-
warmed and lighted saloon. They sat and
chatted there for some little time^ then re
tired to their staterooms for the night.
66
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
The morning found Ned refreshed and
strengthened, the rest in fine health and
spirits. They made a cheerful, merry little
company about the breakfast table, afterward
took some exercise on the deck, then gathered
about Grandma Elsie in the saloon and
pleaded for one of her "lovely stories."
"Well, dears, what shall I tell of?" she
asked with her own sweet smile. "Something
more of our Washington or of others of our
Presidents ?"
"Oh, tell us about the time of our Civil War
and the pictures Nast drew then," cried Elsie
excitedly. "I saw something about him and
his drawings the other day, and I should like
to know more of him and his wonderful work.
Was he an American, grandma ?"
"No, my dear ; he was born in the military
barracks of Landau, a little fortified town of
Germany, and came to this country at the age
of six. He and his sister were brought here
by their mother. The husband and father
was then on a French man-of-war ; afterward
56
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
he enlisted on an American vessel, and he did
not join his family until Thomas, his son,
was ten years old, and mother and children
had been four years in this country. A com
rade of his told them he was coming, and
the news made a great excitement in the
family.
"The mother sent Thomas to buy a cake witLi
which to welcome his father. As he was
coming home with that he was passed by a
closed cab. It suddenly stopped, a man
sprang out, caught him up and put him in the
cab, then got in himself. For an instant
Thomas was frightened, thinking he was kid
napped. Then he found he was in his father's
arms, and was full of joy; but he was
troubled when he saw that between them they
had crushed the calre. He thought his mother
would be greatly disappointed by that. But
she was so glad to see her husband that she
did not seem to mind it the damage to the
cake ; nor did the children, being so delighted
to see their father and the many presents he
57
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
had brought them from distant places, and to
listen to all he had to tell about his travels.
"Thomas was a short, stout, moon-faced lad.
He attended a German school for a short time
after his father came home, but he was con
stantly drawing pictures. His teacher would
say to him, 'Go finish your picture, Nast;
you will never learn to read.' Often he
would draw a file of soldiers or a pair of
prize fighters; sometimes things he remem
bered from his life in Landau as a little girl
with her pet lamb or old Santa Glaus with
his pack.
"In 1860 he went to England, where he still
made drawings. Every steamer brought
letters from him and papers to the New York
News. From England he went, that same
year, to Italy to join Garibaldi."
"Who was Garibaldi, grandma, and what
did ]STast want to join him for ?" asked !N"ed.
"To help him to get Italy free," replied
Mrs. Travilla. "But I will not tell the story
of Garibaldi now some other time, perhaps.
58
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The war was not very long, and Nast stayed
until it was over. In November of that same
year he said 'Good-by' to his friends in Italy.
Then he visited Rome, Florence and Genoa.
Late in December he reached Landau, his
native city. The old place had not changed,
except that to him it looked much smaller
than it had before. He went on through
Germany, visiting art galleries and cathe
drals. But he grew tired of it all and wanted
to get home. He crossed the channel to Eng
land, and there heard talk of the brewing of
war in this country, now his own land. He
stayed a few days in London, then sailed for
the United States, which he reached on Feb
ruary 1st, 1861. He had been gone a year,
and now arrived in New York with only a
dollar and a half in his pocket."
"Oh, how little after such long, hard work 1"
exclaimed Elsie Raymond.
"Yes," said Mrs. Travilla; <r but he was
brave and industrious and went on working
as before. Mr. Lincoln had been elected to
59
'ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the Presidency the November before, and in
March Nast went on to Washington to see his
inauguration."
A portfolio lav on the table beside which
Mrs. Travilla now sat, and she took it up and
opened it, saying, "I have some articles in
this which I have been saving for years past,
among them some things about Nast some
of his own writing ; for I have taken an inter
est in him ever since the time of our Civil
War. Listen to this, written of that time
when Lincoln was about to be inaugurated.
Nast had been ordered by his paperthe
News of New York to go on to Washington
to see the inaugural ceremony. Stopping in
Philadelphia, he was near Lincoln during the
celebrated speech and flag-raising at Inde
pendence Hall, and afterward heard the ad
dress Lincoln made from the balcony of the
Continental Hotel.
"At Washington Nast stopped at theWillard
Hotel, which was Lincoln's headquarters. A
feeling of shuddering horror, such as a bad
60
dream sometimes gives us, came over him
there. The men who had sworn that 'Abe
Lincoln' should not take his seat were not
gone. Now I will read you what he says
about that time."
The children sat very still, listening
attentively Elsie Raymond with almost
breathless interest while her grandmother
read.
" 'It seemed to me that the shadow of death
was everywhere. I had endless visions of
black funeral parades accompanied by mourn
ful music. It was as if the whole city were
mined, and I know now that it was figura
tively true. A single yell of defiance would
have inflamed a mob. A shot would have
started a conflict. In my room at the Willard
Hotel I was trying to work. I picked up my
pencils and laid them down as many as a
dozen times. I got up at last and walked the
floor. Presently in the rooms next mine
other men were walking; I could hear them
in the silence. My head was beginning to
61
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
throb, and I sat down and pressed my hands
to my temples. Then all at once, in the
Ebbett House, across the way, a window was
flung up and a man stepped out on the bal
cony. The footsteps about me ceased. Every
body had heard the man and was waiting
breathlessly to see what he would do. Sud
denly, in a rich, powerful voice he began to
sing "The Star Spangled Banner." The re
sult was extraordinary. Windows were
thrown up. Crowds gathered on the streets.
A multitude of voices joined the song. When
it was over the street rang with cheers. The
men in the rooms next mine joined me in the
corridor. The hotel came to life. Guests
wept and flung their arms about one another.
Dissension and threats were silenced. It
seemed to me, and I believe to all of us, that
Washington had been saved by the inspira
tion of an unknown man with a voice to sing
that grand old song of songs.' '
"Who was that man, grandma ?" asked Ned.
"I can't tell you that, Neddie," she replied.
62
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"I think it has never been known who he
was."
"Is there some more story about Nast and
his pictures ?" he asked.
"Yee ; he made a great many more pictures.
One, on the first page of the Christmas Harper ,
was called 'Santa Glaus.' It showed him
dressed in the Stars and Stripes, distributing
presents in the military camp. In the same
paper was another called 'Christmas Eve.' It
had two parts : one, in a large wreath, was a
picture of the soldier's family at home; and
in another wreath was the soldier by the
camp-fire, looking at a picture of his wife and
children. Letters came from all parts of the
Union with thanks for that picture. A
colonel wrote that it reached him on Christ
mas Eve ; that he unfolded it by the light of
his camp-fire and wept over it. 'It was only
a picture/ he said, 'but I couldn't help it.' "
"I don't wonder," sighed Elsie softly, "for
how he must have wanted to be at home with
his wife and children."
63
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
Harold and Grace, who had been taking
their morning exercise upon the deck, re
turned to the saloon and joined the group of
listeners just in time to hear their mother's
.story of last's Christmas pictures.
"Nast certainly did a great deal for
the Union cause," said Harold. "Do you
remember, mother, what Grant said of him
when asked, 'Who is the greatest single
figure in civil life developed by the Oivil
War?'"
"Yes. He answered without hesitation,
'Thomas Nast. He did as much as any one
man to bring the war to an end.' And many
of the Northern generals and statesmen held
the same opinion."
"Yes, mother; and all lovers of the Union
certainly owe him a debt of gratitude."
"Now, children, shall I tell you something
about Lincoln?" she asked. There was an
eager assent, and she went on. "He was a
noble, unselfish, Christian man ; came to the
Presidency in a dark and stormy time; did
64
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
all in his power to avert civil war without
allowing the destruction of the Union, deny
ing the right of any State or number of
States to go out of the Union. But the re
bellious States would not listen, declared
themselves out of the Union, began seizing
government property, firing upon those who
had it in charge, and Lincoln was compelled
to call out troops for its defence.
"But I shall not go over the whole sad story
now. After four years, when it was all over,
every loyal heart was full of joy and Lin
coln's praise was on every tongue. They felt
that he had saved his country and theirs, and
that at the expense of great suffering to him
self. But only a few days later he was fatally
shot by a bad fellow, an actor named John
Wilkes Booth."
"One of the Confederates, grandma ?" asked
Ned.
"I think not," she replied. "It is said that
his controlling motive for the dreadful deed
was insane conceit. That for weeks before-
65
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
hand he had declared his purpose to do some
thing that would make his name ring round
the world."
"As it has," remarked Harold ; "but in such
a way as I should think no sane man would
desire for his."
"And did they hang him ?" asked RTed.
"No," replied his uncle; "the awful crime
was so sudden and unexpected that for sev
eral minutes the audience did not comprehend
what had been done, and the assassin escaped
for the time. He ran out, leaped upon a
saddled horse kept waiting for him and gal
loped away into the country. He rode into
Maryland, from there into Virginia, and took
refuge in a barn. He was pursued, cavalry
surrounded the barn, and called upon him
and his companion to surrender. The other
man did, but Booth refused and offered to
fight the captain and all his men ; then they
set the barn on fire, and one of them, against
orders, shot Booth in the neck. That shot
made him helpless. He was carried out, laid
66
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
on the grass, and after four hours of intense
agony he died."
"That was a sad, sad time," sighed Mrs.
Travilla. "The whole North was in mourn
ing for Lincoln, and even the South soon saw
that it had lost its truest and best friend ; and
there was a movement of sympathy for our
nation in its great loss throughout the world."
"Yes, mother," said Harold ; "and time only
increases the esteem of the world for that
great and good man."
CHAPTER V
THE next day, after some Healthful exercise
upon the deck, the children returned to the
saloon, and gathering about Grandma Elsie,
begged for another story.
"Something historical ?" she asked with her
pleasant smile.
"Yes, grandma, if you please," replied
Elsie. "I liked your story of Marion so
much, and should be glad to hear about some
other Revolutionary soldier who helped to
drive away the British."
"Well, if you would all like that, I will tell
you of Sergeant Jasper and his brave doings."
The other children gave an eager assent,
and Mrs. Travilla began.
"History tells us that "William Jasper was
born in South Carolina in 1750. That would
make him about twenty-six years old when
the Revolutionary War began. He was
68
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
patriotic, and at once enlisted as a sergeant
in the Second South Carolina Regiment.
"In June, 1776, a British fleet appeared off
Charleston bar, and several hundred land
troops took possession of Long Island, sepa
rated from Sullivan's on which was our
Fort Sullivan only by a narrow creek. At
half-past ten o'clock on the morning of the
28th of June the British ships anchored in
front of our Fort Sullivan, which instantly
poured a heavy fire upon them.
"But I shall not go into a detailed account
of the battle, which, Lossing tells us, was one
of the severest during the whole war, re
dounded to the military glory of the Ameri
cans, greatly increased the patriotic strength
at the South, and was regarded by the BritisK
as very disastrous ; for the loss of life on their
ships was frightful.
"But I must tell you of a daring feat per
formed by Sergeant Jasper. At the begin
ning of the action, the flag-staff of our fort
yr&a cut away by a ball from a British ship,
69
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and the Crescent flag of South Carolina, that
waved opposite the Union flag upon the west
ern bastion, fell outside upon the beach.
Jasper leaped the parapet, walked the length
of the fort, picked up the flag, fastened it
upon a sponge staff, and in the sight of the
whole British fleet, whose iron hail was pour
ing upon the fortress, he fixed the flag firmly
upon the bastion. Then he climbed up to the
parapet and leaped, unhurt, within the fort,
three cheers greeting him as he did so."
"Oh, how brave he was!" cried Ned. "I
hope they gave him a reward for it."
"Yes," said his grandma, "the governor, on
the day after the battle, visited the fort, and
rewarded Jasper with the gift of his own
small sword, a handsome one which hung by
his side, and thanked him in the name of his
country. He also offered him a lieutenant's
commission; but the young hero declined it,
saying, 'I am not fit to keep officers' company ;
I am but a sergeant.'
"He seems to have had no educational ad*
70
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
vantages, as he could neither read nor
write."
"Oh, what a pity !" exclaimed several young
voices.
"Yes, it was," sighed Mrs. Travilla. "I
hope you are thankful, my dears, for your
superior advantages.
"I have read that Jasper was given a roving
commission, and choosing six men from the
regiment to go with him, he went here and
there, and often returned with prisoners be
fore his general knew of his absence.
"Jasper had a brother who had joined the
British, but he loved him so dearly that Be
ventured into the British garrison to see him.
The brother was greatly alarmed at sight of
him, lest he should be seized and hung as an
American spy, his name being well known to
many of the British officers. But Jasper said,
'Don't trouble yourself; I am no longer an
American soldier.'
" 'Thank God for that, William!' exclaimed
the brother, giving him a hearty shake of the
71
'ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
^hand; 'and now only say the word, my boy,
and hsre is a commission for you, with regi
mentals and gold to boot, to fight for his
Majesty, King George/
"But Jasper shook his head, saying that
though there seemed but little encourage
ment to fight for his country, he could not
fight against her. He stayed two or three
days with his brother, hearing and seeing all
that he could, then bade good-by and returned
to the American camp by a circuitous route,
and told General Lincoln all that he had
seen."
"Grandma," said Ned thoughtfully, "it
seems to me he did not tell the truth when
he said he was not an American soldier. Was
it right for him to say that ?"
"I think not, Ned ; but I suppose he thought
it was, as he meant by it to help his country's
cause. But remember, my dears, it is never
right to do evil even that good may come.
"But to go on with my story. Jasper soon
went again to the English garrison, this time
72
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
taking with him his particular friend, Ser
geant Newton, a young man of great strength
and courage. Jasper's brother received them
very cordially, and they remained several
days at the British fort without causing tEe
least alarm.
"On the morning of the third day the
brother said to them, 'I have bad news to tell
you.' 'Aye, what is it ?' asked William. His
brother replied that ten or a dozen prisoners
had been brought in that morning, as desert
ers from Savannah ; that they were to be sent
there immediately, and from all he could
learn, it would be likely to go hard with them,
as it seemed they had all taken the King's
bounty."
"What does that mean, grandma ?" asked Ned.
"That they had agreed to remain British
subjects instead of fighting for their country ;
and for that the British were to protect them
against the Americans. But it seems they
had changed their minds and gone over to the
cause of their country.
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Jasper asked to see the poor fellows, and
his brother took him and Newton to the spot
where the poor fellows were, handcuffed, and
sitting or lying upon the ground. With them
was a young woman, wife of one of the
prisoners, sitting on the ground opposite to
her husband, with her little boy leaning on
her lap. Her dress showed that she was poor,
and her coal-black hair spread in long, neg
lected tresses on her neck and bosom. Some
times she would sit silent, like a statue of
grief, her eyes fixed upon the ground; then
she would start convulsively, lift her eyes
and gaze on her husband's face with as sad a
look as if she already saw him struggling in
the halter, herself a widow and her child an
orphan. The child was evidently distressed
by his mother's anguish, and weeping with
her.
"Jasper and Newton felt keenly for them
in their misery. They silently walked away
into a neighboring wood, tears in the eyes of
both. Jasper presently spoke. 'Newton/ he
74
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
said, 'my days have been but few, but I be
lieve their course is nearly finished.' Newton
asked why he thought so, and he answered,
because he felt that he must rescue those poor
prisoners or die with them, otherwise the
remembrance of that poor woman and her
child would haunt him to his grave.
" 'That is exactly what I feel, too,' replied
Newton, 'and here is my hand and heart to
stand by you, my brave friend, to the last
drop. Thank God, a man can die but once,
and why should we fear to leave this life in
the way of our duty ?'
"Then the two embraced each other and at
once set about making the necessary arrange
ments for carrying out their desperate reso
lution."
"Oh, how brave and kind they were!" ex
claimed Elsie Raymond. "I am proud of
them as my countrymen."
"As we all may be," said her grandma, then
went on with her story.
"Shortly after breakfast the next morning
75
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the prisoners were sent on their way to
Savannah, guarded by a sergeant and corpo
ral with eight men."
"Why, that was ten men for our two men
to fight !" exclaimed Elsie Dinsmore.
"But I hope our brave fellows didn't give it
up," said Elsie Raymond.
"No," replied her grandma; "Jasper pres
ently took leave of his brother, and he and
Newton started on some pretended errand to
the upper country, but as soon as fairly out
of sight of the town they struck into the
woods and hurried after the prisoners and
their guard, keeping out of sight in the bushes
and anxiously watching for an opportunity
to strike a blow.
"I think that to most men it would have
seemed great folly for two unarmed men to
attempt to strike a blow at ten men carrying
loaded muskets and bayonets. But they were
very brave and not willing to give up their
countrymen to the dreadful fate the cruel
British had appointed for them.
T6
'ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Jasper said to Newton, Terhaps the guard
may stop at the Spa to quench their thirst,
and we may be able to attack them there/
"The Spa! What was that, grandma?"
asked Ned.
"A famous spring about two miles from
Savannah, where travellers often stopped for
a drink of its good water," she replied, then
went on with her story.
"Jasper and Newton hurried on and con
cealed themselves among the bushes that grew
thickly around the spring. Soon the soldiers
and their prisoners came in sight of it, and
the sergeant ordered a halt. That gave our
heroes a little hope, though the odds were
fearfully against them. The corporal, with
his guard of four men, led the prisoners to the
spring, while the sergeant, with the other
four, grounded their arms near the road, then
brought up the rear. The prisoners, wearied
with their long walk, were permitted to rest
themselves on the earth. Mrs. Jones took her
seat opposite her husband, as usual, and her
77
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
tired little boy fell asleep on her lap. Two of
the corporal's men were ordered to keep guard
and the other two to give the prisoners a
drink out of their canteens. They obeyed,
drew near the spring, rested their muskets
against a pine-tree, then dipped up the water,
drank, filled their canteens again and turned
to give the prisoners a drink.
" 'Now, Newton, is our time,' whispered
Jasper. With that they sprang from their
concealment, snatched up the two muskets
resting against the tree, and in an instant
shot down the two soldiers who were upon
guard. The other two Englishmen sprang
forward and seized their muskets ; but before
they could use them Jasper and Newton
with clubbed guns levelled a blow at their
heads, broke their skulls, and down they sank,
pale and quivering, without a groan. Then
snatching up the muskets, our heroes flew be
tween the other British soldiers and their
arms, grounded near the road, and ordered
them to surrender, which they immediately
78
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
did. Then they our men snapped the
handcuffs off the prisoners and armed them
with muskets."
"Oh, how good!" exclaimed Ned and the
little girls who were listening to Grandma
Elsie's story.
"But what did Mrs. Jones do while that
fight was going on?" asked Elsie Dins-
more.
"At the beginning of it she fainted," replied
Mrs. Travilla, "and her little son stood
screaming piteously over her. But when she
recovered her senses and saw her husband and
his friends freed from their fetters, she
seemed frantic with joy. She sprang to her
husband, and, with her arms about his neck,
sobbed out, 'My husband is safe, bless God,
my husband is safe !' Then snatching up her
child, she pressed him to her heart, exclaim
ing, 'Thank God, my son has a father yet/
Then kneeling at the feet of Jasper and New
ton, she pressed their hands vehemently, but
so full was her heart that all she could say
79
EL'SIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
was, 'God bless you. God Almighty bless
you.' "
"Oh, how nice!" exclaimed Ned, clapping
his hands in delight.
"Then what did they all do, grandma?"
asked Elsie Raymond. "Not go to Savannah,
I suppose, as the British were there ?"
"No; they recrossed the Savannah River,
taking the arms and regimentals of the dead,
their prisoners, too, and safely joined the
American army at Parisburg, where they
were received with great astonishment and
joy."
"No wonder there was astonishment," said
Elsie, "that two men could beat ten."
"That was because the two were Americans
and the others only Englishmen," chuckled
Ned. "Is there any more story about Jasper,
grandma ?"
"Not much," she replied. "He was killed
at the siege of Savannah in 17Y9. Several
gallant defenders of the French and Ameri
can colors had been shot down; Sergeant
80
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Jasper sprang forward, seized the standards
and kept them erect ; then he, too, was pros
trated by a bullet and fell into the ditch. He
was carried to the camp, and soon died.
Jasper's name is honored in Savannah; they
have made that evident by bestowing it upon
one of the city's squares."
81
CHAPTER VI
IT was Sabbath morning, and our little party
on the yacht were gathered about the break
fast table, Dr. Harold having just come down
from the deck, where he had spent the last
few minutes.
"What of the weather, Harold ?" asked his
mother.
"It is cool and cloudy," he said in reply;
"rather too cool and damp for ladies and
children to pass much time on deck, I think,
mother. I may gather the men there and
read them a sermon, but the rest of you, I
hope, will be content to pass at least most of
the day in these lower, warmer quarters."
"I think we can very contentedly, if mother
will lead us in some Bible lessons," said
Grace, with a loving, smiling look at her
whom, until of late, she had been wont to call
Grandma Elsie.
82
"Very willingly, daughter mine," was the
sweet-toned, smiling assent, received by all
the children with looks and words of pleased
anticipation.
On leaving the table they had family wor
ship in the saloon, Dr. Harold leading the
service as usual. Then he went upon the
deck and the others gathered about Grandma
Elsie.
Then Elsie Raymond, sitting there Bible in
hand, exclaimed eagerly, "Oh, grandma, I am
glad of this opportunity to ask you about
what I have been reading here this miracle
of the Lord Jesus feeding so many, many
folks five thousand men, besides women and
children on only five loaves and two fishes.
It couldn't have been nearly enough, except
by Jesus blessing it and making it more,
could it, grandma ?"
"No, indeed, Elsie. Five large loaves, such
as you are accustomed to seeing, would hardly
be enough to feed fifty such hungry men ; and
those five loaves were much smaller than
83
"EL'SIE AND HER NAMESAKES
ours probably little, if any, larger than our
soda crackers; hardly enough to satisfy tHe
appetite of one hungry boy."
"There were two fishes besides, you know,
grandma ; but if they were small ones, a boy
could eat them, too."
"Yes ; so no wonder the disciples thought it
utterly impossible to feed that great crowd
of hungry people, and begged Jesus to send
them away to go into the villages and buy
themselves victuals."
"Do you suppose they had any money to
buy with, grandma ?" asked the little girl.
"I think it probable that most of them were
poor people with little or no money about
them," replied Grandma Elsie. "And even
if they had money, they were too many to
find sufficient food in the little nearby towns.
Jesus knew all that ; He could see how weary
and hungry many, if not all of them, were,
particularly the women and little children.
Jesus pitied and was ready to help them as
no one else could, and no doubt he was glad
84
ELSIE AND REE NAMESAKES
He had the power. He bade His disciples not
to tell them to depart, but 'Give ye them to
eat/ He said ; and they replied, 'We have here
but five loaves and two fishes;' and Jesus
said, 'Bring them hither to me.' And He
said, 'Make the men sit down.' John tells us
there was much grass in the place, and that
the men sat down, in number about five thou
sand. Then He (Jesus) took the five loaves
and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven,
He blessed and brake the loaves, and gave
them to His disciples, and they distributed
them among that great multitude. All ate
till they were satisfied; then Jesus said,
'Gather up the fragments that remain, that
nothing be lost.' John tells us, 'Therefore,
they gathered them together, and filled twelve
baskets with the fragments of the five barley
loaves, which remained over and above unto
them that had eaten.' "
"It was very, very wonderful, grandma,
wasn't it ?" exclaimed the little girl thought
fully.
M
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, indeed ! a miracle that none but God
could work. It proved that Jesus was divine.
You have been reading Matthew's account
of this miracle ; now turn to the sixth chapter
of Mark, and you will find the same story
told by him. Then in the eighth we will find
that he tells of another time when Jesus had
worked a similar miracle when He fed four
thousand on seven loaves and a few small
fishes ; and they took up of the broken meat
that was left seven baskets."
"Yes," grandma," said the little girl, turning
over the leaves of her Bible, "and it says after
that first time that He departed into a moun
tain to pray. But after the second, 'and
straightway He entered into a ship with His
disciples, and came into the parts of Dal-
manutha.' Where was that, grandma ?"
"It was a town on the west coast of the
sea of Galilee. Read on now to the four
teenth verse."
Elsie read, "And the Pharisees came forth
and began to question with Him, seeking oi?
86
Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him.
And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said,
Why doth this generation seek after a sign ?
Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be
given unto this generation. And He left them,
and entering into the ship, again departed
to the other side."
"Weren't the had men wanting to do Jesus
harm ?" asked Xed.
"Yes, they were, indeed," replied his grand
ma ; "they hated Him because He told them of
their sins. 'Woe unto you, scribes and Phari
sees, hypocrites: for ye are as graves which
appear not, and the men that walk over them
are not aware of them.' Then to the people :
'Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy.' Again He said of them:
'In vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men. . . .
Woe unto you, lawyers, for ye have taken
away the key of knowledge ; ye entered not in
yourselves, and them that were entering ye
hindered.' And as He said these things unto
87
VLS1E AND HER NAMESAKES
them, the scribes and Pharisees began to urge
Him vehemently, and to provoke Him to
speak of many things ; laying wait for Him,
and seeking to catch something out of His
mouth, that they might accuse Him. They
were angry and wanted to kill Jesus, because
He exposed their wickedness. In another
chapter we are told, 'And He went into the
temple, and began to cast out them that sold
therein, and them that bought; saying unto
them, It is written, My house is the house
of prayer; but ye have made it a den of
thieves.' And He taught daily in the temple.
But the chief priests and the scribes and the
chief of the people sought to destroy Him,
and could not find what they might do; for
all the people were very attentive to hear
Him."
"So they went out at night, when the crowds
of people who loved Him were in their homes
and asleep, I suppose, the wicked, money-loving
Judas showing them where He was, and led
Him away to the high priest, and all the chief
88
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
priests and the elders and the scribes," sighed
Elsie Raymond.
"Yes," said her grandma; "and they went
through a mock trial, but could not get their
witnesses to agree. And the high priest stood
up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying,
'Answerest thou nothing ? What is it which
these witness against thee ? But Jesus made
no answer. And the high priest asked him,
'Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed ?'
Jesus said, 'I am; and ye shall see the son
of man sitting on the right hand of power,
and coming in the clouds of heaven.' Then
the high priest rent his clothes and said,
'What need we any further witnesses? Ye
have heard the blasphemy; what think ye?'
And they all condemned Him to be guilty of
death. And some began to spit on Him, and
to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to
say unto Him, Prophesy: and the servants
did strike Him with the palms of their
hands."
"And He could have struck them all dead
89
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
without a word, couldn't He, grandma?"
asked Ned.
"Indeed He could/' she replied ; "but in His
great love for you and for me and all His
people, He chose to bear it all all that and
all the awful agony of the death upon the
cross, that we might be saved. The Bible
tells us, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved.' The dear Saviour,
who died that awful death for us, invites us
all to come to Him and be saved. For God
so loved the world that He gave His only be
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Those are His own words, spoken to Nico-
deinus."
"Grandma, couldn't Jesus have hindered
those wicked men from treating Him so?
Couldn't He have made them all die that min
ute if He had chosen to ?" asked Ned.
"Yes, he could ; but as I have just told you,
He bore it all, and the awful death on the
cross, that we might be saved we and all
90
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
who would give themselves to Him. The
Bible says Christ died for our sins ac
cording to the Scriptures. He took upon
Himself our human nature that He might
bear our punishment and save us from eternal
death."
"And all His earthly life long He was look
ing forward to that awful, agonizing death,"
sighed Grace in tones tremulous with emo
tion. "Oh, how can we help loving Him with
all our hearts ?"
"And striving to be like Him," added
Grandma Elsie "so unselfish, so forbearing
and forgiving. Think of His loving, cheer
ing, sympathizing talk with His disciples in
that very night in which He was betrayed and
His awful suffering began. Remember, He
knew all the agony He was to go through that
very night in the garden of Gethsemane,
where He prayed in so great an agony that
His sweat became as it were great drops of
blood falling down upon the ground. After
that the betrayal, arrest, trial before the Jew-
91
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
ish authorities, with all the abuse heaped
upon Him there, then in the morning before
Pilate and Herod, the scourging, the clothing
with the purple robe and crown of thorns, the
mocking salutation, 'Hail, King of the Jews/
the smiting of His head with the reed they
had put in His right hand, the mocking bow
ing of the knees and spitting upon Him.
Then He was led out wearing the purple robe
and crown of thorns, the cry of the chief
priests and officers, 'Crucify Him! Crucify
Him ! Away with Him ! Away with Him !
Crucify Him!'"
Grandma Elsie paused, her eyes filled with
tears, her lips trembling with emotion.
"Oh, how wonderful it was that Jesus bore
it all, when even without a word He could
have made every one of those dreadful perse
cutors die," said Elsie Dinsmore.
"Yes," said her aunt; "His love and com
passion for us sinners was wonderfully great.
Oh, how we should love Him, how carefully
obey all His commands ! Ah, how sweet it ia
92
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
to belong to Him ! 'Since He is mine and I
am His, what can I want beside/ '
"Grandma, I want to belong to Him," said
Alie Leland ; "how shall I get to be His, and
know that I am?"
"Give yourself to Him, dear child, asking
Him to make you just what He would have
you to be. His promise is, 'Him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out;' and who
shall doubt His own word? And how kind
and forgiving He was! Peter, who had
denied Him, then repented with bitter weep
ing, seems to have been one of the first to
whom He appeared after His resurrection.
You remember, the angel whom the woman
found sitting in the tomb said to them, 'Go
tell His disciples and Peter.' '
"And if we are really His disciples we will
be forgiven, too, won't we, grandma?" said
Elsie Raymond.
"Yes ; we will ask Him to help us to be so,
and He will."
"Grandma," said Ned, "wasn't it strange
93
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
that when Jesus could make victuals so easily
He should say to the disciples, 'Gather up
the fragments that remain, that nothing be
lost' ?"
"I think it was to teach us all that waste is
sinful ; that nothing which could be made use
ful to us or to any one else should be thrown
away. Let us take the lesson to heart and
carefully obey this, and every teaching of our
dear Lord and Master," was the gentle, sweet-
toned reply, the eyes of the speaker shining
with love to Him of whom she spoke, and joy
that she was His very own for time and for
eternity.
CHAPTER VII
"WHERE are we now, uncle ? Have we come
down to Florida yet?" asked Ned at the
breakfast table.
"Yes; we are now moving along down the
east coast of that State," replied Dr. Harold ;
"and now we may as well decide at which and
how many of its ports we will call. Should
you enjoy visiting St. Augustine and Fort
Marion again, Elsie ?" he queried with a look
of amusement at his niece.
"Oh, no, indeed, uncle !" was the quick, em
phatic reply, accompanied by a little shiver,
as if the very name brought some unpleasant
recollection.
"But why not ?" asked Elsie Dinsmore with
a look of surprise and curiosity.
"Oh," exclaimed Elsie Raymond, "it's a
dreadful place, over three hundred years old,
with dungeons where people used to be tor-
95
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
tured long, long ago, and we seemed to hear
one of them saying, 'Here have I lain for
three hundred years with none to pity or help.
Oh, 'tis a weary while ! Shall I never, never
escape ?' '
"But as Cousin Ronald is not with us now
we needn't fear a repetition of that," re
marked Dr. Harold reassuringly. "Still,
perhaps we may as well pass St. Augustine
by this time, and visit places or things we did
not look at before. Mother, what do you say
to seeing something of the sponging busi
ness ?"
"That it would be instructive and probably
quite interesting," was the pleased reply.
"Sponging business !" echoed Ned. "What
does that mean?"
"The work of gathering sponges and making
them ready for the market," replied his uncle.
"Oh, I think that would be interesting!"
Cried the little fellow. "Do they grow down
under the water, and are they nice and clean
when they are brought up, uncle ?"
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"ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
"Not very, Ned," replied Dr. Harold,
smiling kindly upon his young questioner;
"but with your grandma's help I think I can
give you all needed information on the sub
ject ; and afterward you may be able to see for
yourself."
"Oh, that'll be good ! Will you tell me about
it, grandma?" asked Ned, turning excitedly
to her.
"Sonny boy, we will have a nice talk about it
in the saloon after our family worship," Mrs.
Travilla replied in her usual kindly tone.
"And I am sure we will all be glad to hear
whatever you can tell us on the subject,
mother," said Grace. "I know it will be
interesting to me, and a good preparation
for the sight of the spongers' work."
The two Elsies and Alie Leland expressed
their pleasure in the prospect of both the in
formation promised by Grandma Elsie and
the afterward sight of the doings of the
spongers.
"I think, if it suits you, mother," said Dr.
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ELSIE AND HER 'NAMESAKES
Harold, "we will have our talk on the spong
ing subject before our morning exercise upon
the deck. Sitting still for a while will aid
the digestion of this hearty breakfast, and the
sun will make the deck a little warmer for us
afterward."
Everybody seemed pleased with that plan,
and it was carried out, Dr. Harold making
one of his mother's little audience.
"Haven't you a map of Florida, Harold ?"
she asked.
"Oh, yes, mother, I have," he replied ; "also
some pictures that will be helpful." He
hastened to his stateroom and brought them
out.
"Ah, these will be quite a help," she said.
"Come, children, let us look at the map first."
Then, as they gathered round the table on
which she had laid the map, "There, on the
east coast, near the southern end of the State,
you see Miami, and starting from a point
near it a chain of keys, or islands, begins
which extends in the shape of a horn away
98
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
down into the Gulf of Mexico, the Dry Tor-
tugas being the westernmost. Sponges are
found in the waters surrounding most o
these keys, also between them and the main
land as far as Cape Sable. This is called
'the key grounds.' Some few of the people
living on the larger islands and spongers
from Key West are the only persons who
engage in that work there. In the Gulf of
Mexico, on the west coast, are the 'bay
grounds,' which yield the most. They extend
from John's Pass, a few miles north of the
entrance to Tampa Bay, to St. Mark's Light
house."
"How far is that, grandma ?" asked Ned.
"How far, Harold ?" she asked.
"About two hundred miles, mother," he re
plied.
"There are some few sponges found between
Tampa Bay and Cape Sable, but not enough
to make it worth while to take special trips
to that point," she continued.
"Now, who can tell me whether it is to the
99
vegetable or animal kingdom sponge be
longs ?"
"Oh, grandma," laughed Ned, "I'm sure a
sponge isn't an animal."
"Are you?" she queried with an amused
mile. "Now, little girls, what are your opin
ions in regard to the matter ?"
"Why, I never thought of a sponge as
being either an animal or a vegetable!"
exclaimed Alie Leland. "Which is it,
grandma ?"
"It belongs to the animal kingdom," was the
reply. "I have never seen it in its natural
state, but from what I have read and heard
I know it is a very different looking object
from what it becomes in being prepared for
the market. When first brought up from the
water it looks something like a jelly-fish or
mass of liver, its entire surface covered with
a thin, slimy skin, usually of a dark color,
and having openings into what we call the
holes of the sponge. What we call a sponge
is really only the skeleton of one."
100
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"And men go down into deep water to get
them, do they ?" queried Ned.
"Do you know how deep the water is on this
coast, Harold ?" asked his mother.
"I have been told from ten to fifty feet here
in Florida, mother, but considerably more
in the Mediterranean Sea; and the finest
grades are found in the deepest water.
Sponges from that sea^are said to be superior
in quality to those found in either Florida or
the West Indies."
"Go on, my son, and give us all the infor
mation you can," said his mother as he
paused.
"If you wish it, mother," he replied with an
affectionate look and smile. "In the waters
of Florida and the West Indies the fishing
is done in flat-bottomed boats called dingies.
'A tin or wooden pail with a glass bottom is
used to help locate the sponges by lowering
it into the water and looking down through
it. When that has been done, they are
brought up by means of a pole some thirty
101
ELSIE AND HETt NAMESAKES
feet long, with a sharp, curved, double hook,
with which they, the sponges, are detached
and drawn up to the surface. Having gotten
a boatload, it is laid out to decompose in a
kraal on the beach, where it is washed by th
sea. At that time the odor is very unpleasant.
When they have been in the kraal about a week
they are beaten out with a short, heavy stick,
which removes most of the slime and animal
matter still remaining in them, and where
the black scum still adheres they are scraped
with a knife. The sponges are next squeezed
out right thoroughly with the hands, then
taken to the shore and strung on pieces of
coarse twine about six feet long, and then
they are ready for sale by auction."
"What is a kraal, uncle ?" asked !N"ed.
"It is a pen, generally about ten feet square,
built of wattled stakes, and is placed in
shallow water near some key or island," re
plied Dr. Harold. "Here is a picture of one/'
he added, taking it from the table and holding
it out so that all could see.
102
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
It was gazed upon with interest. Then sev
eral other pictures were shown, examined and
commented upon interestedly one or two
spongers at work on the water, one of them
with the long, hooked pole, the other gazing
through the bucket with the glass bottom.
Another picture was of the sponge yard at
Key West, showing the sponges drying.
There were pictures of sponge auctions, too,
and of a boat bringing sponges to the wharf
at Key West.
"And can we see all these things when we
get there to Key West, I mean?" asked
Ned, adding, "I think it would be a good deal
better more interesting to look at them
than only at their pictures."
"I hope to give you that pleasure, Neddie
boy," replied his uncle, smiling on him and
patting his cheek. "We will very likely have
to wait a day or two at Key West for your
father and mother and the rest who are to
join us there and pass with us through the
Gulf of Mexico on the way to Viamede."
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ELSIE AND HER 'NAMESAKES
"Is there a town there, uncle ?" asked Elsie.
"Yes; a well-built one, with wide streets
crossing at right angles, and having churches,
schools and a fine Marine Hospital belonging
to the United States."
"Hotels, too, I suppose," remarked Elsie
Dinsmore, "but we won't care for them, hav
ing this delightful yacht to stay in."
"No ; and in it we can sail about and see the
originals of the pictures we have been looking
at. Large quantities of sponges, turtles and
fish are sent out from Key West to our At
lantic cities. But wrecking is the principal
business of the place."
"Why, what does that mean, uncle ?" asked
Ned.
"You know what we mean when we say a
vessel has been wrecked, don't you?" his
uncle asked in reply. "Well, about forty-five
or fifty vessels are wrecked in the course of
a year near Key West, and the people of that
island help to save the cargoes, doing so in a
way to benefit the owners as well as them-
104
pelves. I am told they derive an annual profit
of about two hundred thousand dollars."
"It (Key West) is considered an important
military station, is it not ?" asked Grace.
"Yes ; being the key to the Florida Pass and
the Gulf of Mexico," replied Harold. "It
has a large and safe harbor, which will admit
vessels drawing twenty-two feet of water ; and
Fort Taylor, which defends it, is a powerful
work." "
"Oh, I for one expect to have a good time
there!" exclaimed his cousin Elsie; "we can
visit the town and the fort to see what they
are like, then come back to this yacht and
have a good time here while waiting for the
rest of our party."
"Yes, I think we can," assented Dr.
Harold. "And now suppose we all wrap up
and go on deck for a little healthful exer
cise."
They did so, and all greatly enjoyed their
promenade, though Ned soon grew weary
enough to be glad to go below again and lie
105
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
down for a little nap. Grandma and sister
went with him, the other children soon fol
lowed, and Grace and her husband were left
alone together, a state of things by no means
disagreeable to either. It was still very early
in their honeymoon, and dearly as they loved
their mother and the little folks so nearly
related to them, they were glad now and then
to be left quite to themselves Harold that
he might pet and caress his heart's idol un
observed, and Grace that she might receive
and return such tokens of ardent affection"
unabashed by the thought of indifferent or
amused spectators of the scene.
But at length they began taking note of the
progress that they were making toward their
destination, and Grace asked:
"How soon do you think we will reach Key
West?"
"We are nearing it now," replied Harold,
"and will anchor in the harbor to-night, I
think."
"Oh, I am glad to hear that!" exclaimed
106
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Grace. "And how soon do you think father
and his party will join us ?"
"Doubtless in a few days we shall see them.
They will come down by rail to Cedar Keys,
from there by steamer to Key West."
"And they will want to stay a few days to
see the sponge auctions, sponge yard and
so forth ; and after that we will have the rest
of our pleasant journey in the yacht to Via-
mede, mother's beautiful and delightful
Southern home."
"To me it is both beautiful and delightful,"
returned Harold, smiling fondly upon her,
"and I am very glad that it is to my little wife
also."
"Oh, she's not so very little!" exclaimed
Grace with an amused and happy laugh,
drawing herself up to her full height as she
spoke.
"Yet rather small compared to your tall,
broad-shouldered husband," returned Harold,
accompanying his words with a very loverlike
caress.
107
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Now, Rory, leave off, sir;
You'll hug me no more;
That is eight times to-day
That you've kissed me before,"
eang Grace, ending with a merry laugh.
"Then here goes another on that to make sure,
For there's luck in odd numbers says Rory O'More."
rejoined Harold in laughing reply, and suit
ing the action to the word.
The Dolphin entered the harbor of Key
West early that evening and anchored near
the shore. All her passengers were on deck,
eager to take a bird's-eye view of the place,
expecting to do more than that in the morning.
"I suppose we will all go ashore directly, or
at least pretty soon after breakfast, won't we,
Harold ?" asked Elsie Dinsmore.
"Hardly all of us, Cousin Elsie," replied
Harold, giving Ned a regretful glance as he
spoke; "the exertion would be too great for
my young patient's strength, and surely some
one of us should stay here in our yacht with
him."
108
ELSIE AND BEE NAMESAKES
"And his grandmother is the very one to do
that/' quickly responded Mrs. Elsie Travilla.
"But, mother, you should not be deprived of
the sight of this town of Key West," remon
strated Harold, and Ned's sisters, Grace and
Elsie, each promptly offered to stay and take
care of their little invalid brother. "Very
good and kind of you both," remarked Harold
with a pleased smile, "but now I think of it,
we are likely to lie in this port for some days,
and that being the case, can divide forces and
make two trips to the town, some going to-day,
others to-morrow."
"That entirely obviates the difficulty," said
his mother. "I will be caretaker of my little
grandson to-day, and perhaps some one else
may be to-morrow."
A sailor had been sent ashore to inquire for
mail and telegrams, and now approached our
party with several letters and a telegram, that
last directed to Dr. Harold, who took and
promptly opened it.
"Ah ha !" he said with a pleased smile ; "the
109
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
rest of our party will be here with us soon
to-night or to-morrow, I think."
"Oh, that's good!" cried ISTed joyously;
"how glad I'll be to see dear papa and
mamma! With them here I sha'n't care at
all for not being able to go on shore."
Everybody else seemed to share his delight
at the prospect of the expected addition to
their company, and talked merrily of what
they hoped to do and see in the next few days.
"I wish you could go ashore with the rest
of us, Neddie dear," said his sister in a re
gretful tone, taking his hand in hers and
giving it an affectionate squeeze. "You poor
little brother, it does seem hard that you have
to miss so many of the pleasures the rest of
us have."
"It's good of you to feel so for me, Elsie
dear," he replied, returning the squeeze and
smiling up into her face, "but I don't mind it
a bit if I can have grandma or mamma or
papa with me; they're so kind and tell me
such nice stories ; and I can have a rest or a
nap whenever I want it."
110
CHAPTER VIII
THE departure of the bridal party from
Woodtmrn was soon followed by that of the
guests, till all were gone but those from
Sunny side. They were entreated to linger,
and assured there was nothing to hurry them
away from their father's house.
"I can't bear to have you go yet," said Violet
entreatingly. "You are the only ones of my
husband's children left to us, and the house
will seem desolate enough to him and me till
we, too, can start for Viamede. Besides, you
are none of you going there with us, so we
want to see all we can of you now and here."
"We do, indeed," said the captain; "and
especially of you, Max, as there is no know
ing how long it may be before Uncle Sam
will let us have you with us again."
"True, father, and I don't want to lose a
minute of the time I may have with you,"
111
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
returned Max feelingly, "or with the other
dear ones wife, child, sister and brother,"
he added, glancing from one to another.
"]STo; and we all want to be together while
we can; it is so sad to have to part even
for a time," sighed Lucilla, turning a regret
fully affectionate look upon one and another,
especially her father, her eyes filling as
they met the tenderly loving expression in
his.
"Yes, parting is hard," he said with forced
cheerfulness; "but we will console ourselves
with the thought that it is not likely to be
for very long. We seem to be in that respect
an unusually happy family."
"True, and I think our wedding party has
been an entire success," said Violet in her
usual sprightly tones ; "nothing went wrong,
and our darling Grace made the loveliest of
brides."
There was a word of cordial assent to that
from all present except Baby Mary, who ha<?
fallen asleep in her mother's arms.
112
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"How long may you stay with us this time,
Max?" asked Chester.
"I must leave next Tuesday morning,"
was the reply. "May I trust you to take
good care of my wife and daughter while
they are left alone with you and Sister
Lu?"
"Certainly; I intend to do the very best I
can for them," returned Chester with the air
of one making a very solemn promise. "I
hope you are willing to trust me, Sister Eva ?"
turning to her.
"Perfectly," she said with a pleasant little
laugh. "And Lu and I will try to take good
nare of Baby Mary's Uncle Chester."
"Ah, it seems it is worth my while to claim
to be that," he laughed.
"My dear," said Violet, addressing the cap
tain, "don't you think we can make our
arrangements to leave for Viamede by next
Tuesday morning ?"
"Yes; I think we can if you wish to go
then," he replied ; "and by so doing we should
113
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
probably reach Key West only a day or two
later than our party on the Dolphin."
"Which would be very pleasant for our dear
ones, especially Elsie and Ned."
"And how glad they will be to see papa and
mamma," remarked Lucilla, unable to re
press a sigh as she spoke.
"Daughter dear, I am sorry, indeed, that
you, Chester, Eva and Max are not all to be
of our party," her father said, regarding her
with a loving, regretful look; "but cheer up
with the thought that the separation is not
likely to be a very long one. We may hope
to be all together again in a few months ; and
I hope with Ned quite restored to wonted
health and strength."
"Oh, I hope so," she said. "Dear little
fellow ! His Sister Lu is very fond of him.
And, father, you will write frequently to
me?"
"Every day if you will do the same by me,"
he answered with a smile. "And in addition
to that we can have telegrams and 'phone
114
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
messages. So that the separation will not be
so bad as it was in the days when I was in
Uncle Sam's naval service. Now I think I'll
go to the 'phone and ask if cousins Ronald
and Annis can be ready to start on Tuesday
morning."
He did so, and the answer was in the affirm
ative. Everybody was glad, for those cousins
were esteemed good company by one and all,
and Ned was known to be always greatly
entertained by Cousin Ronald's use of his
ventriloquial powers.
"The fun he will make for our Neddie boy
will do the little chap a world of good, no
doubt," said Max with satisfaction.
"Surely it will," said Lucilla ; "and I am so
glad that Dr. Harold still has him in his
charge, for certainly Harold is a skilful
physician, even though related to us," she
added with a little laugh.
"Yes," said her father ; "I am glad he is to
be with us, and that our dear ones here will
still have the services of his brother Herbert
115
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and Dr. Arthur Conly, both equally skilful in
the practice of their profession. Don't let
them neglect you, daughter/' he added
earnestly. "Don't fail to summon them
promptly, Chester, should any one of you be
at all ill."
"Rest assured I will not, sir," returned
Chester with prompt decision. "Trust me to
do my very best for the health and happiness
of the two dear ladies left in my charge ; the
little newcomer also."
"Thank you, Brother Chester," said Max.
"It is a great comfort to me that I can leave
my dear ones in your care."
"It seems hard to give our dear ones into the
scare of others," sighed Violet. "It was hard
for us to part with our darling Neddie for
even a few days, but mamma and Harold can
and will take better care of him than we could,
and we hope to join them very soon."
"Yes," said the captain ; "and when we start
we may hope to overtake them in somewhat
less than two days."
116
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, father," responded Max; "and what
a blessing it is that travelling is so much
speedier work than it used to be even not so
very many years ago."
"And that messages can be sent and received
so promptly by telegraph and 'phone," re
sponded the captain. "It seems to bring dis
tant parts of the world much nearer than
they used to be, so that temporary separations
by land or sea are not now the sore trials they
were in former days."
"Eva and I feel it a great comfort," said
Max, turning to his wife and child with a
tender smile, "as in case I were needed here
I might be so easily summoned and come
promptly, even at the risk of having to resign
from the navy," he added in a half jesting
tone.
"Ah, Max, the possibility of tempting you
to so rash an act as that would certainly make
me hesitate to summon you, except in a case
of the direst necessity," said Eva in tones
tremulous with emotion.
117
"But we will hope that no such necessity
may ever arise," remarked Captain Raymond
in a cheery tone. "By the way, let us take
another look at Grace's bridal gifts. Many
of them are well worth close scrutiny."
"Yes, indeed," said Violet; "and I must
see them carefully packed away to-day or to
morrow."
"Oh, let us help you with it to-day, Mamma
Vi," said Lucilla.
"Thank you, I will," replied Violet.
Examining, chatting over and the packing
away of the numerous bridal gifts occupied
the greater part of the afternoon; an early
tea followed, and soon after that the Sunny-
eide folk returned to their homes, thinking
it not well to have the baby out any later
tfctt that in cold weather.
For the next few days Violet and the captain
felt it lonely enough without the dear ones
aboard the Dolphin, but busied themselves
with preparations for following them, and in
the meantime greatly enjoyed their daily in-
118
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
tercourse with their near and loved neigh
bors, his older children and the baby grand
daughter.
So the time passed, and to most of them it
seemed but a little while before Tuesday
morning dawned. Good-bys were then said;
Max went his way northward and the others
of the captain's party took a southward-bound
train of cars, which carried them to Cedar
Keys, on the western Florida coast. From
there they went down by steamer to Key
West. As we have seen, the captain had
sent a telegram ahead, and their arrival
was a glad event, but not a surprise to
the Dolphin's passengers. Ned's joy was
very great. He had been happy with grand
ma, uncle and sisters, but papa and mamma
were even' more to him than were they, so
that their coming seemed to quicken his re
covery. Several days were spent at that
port, that all might have abundant oppor
tunity to see all on both land and water that
they cared to see. Ned had no desire to visit
119
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the sponge yards or auctions, but some
sponges were brought on board the Dolphin^
and he was rather startled for a moment
when, on picking one up, a scream as of pain
and anger seemed to come from it. "Don't,
you naughty boy; just let me alone!"
"Oh," cried Ned, dropping it hastily, "I
didn't know you were alive. But don't be
seared; I'll not hurt you."
Then noticing a quizzical look in his father's
eye, and catching the sound of a half-smoth
ered laugh from his sister and some of the
others, he suddenly comprehended how it
happened that the sponge seemed so alive and
able to speak in good, plain English.
"Oh, I know ; it was Cousin Ronald making
the thing talk; for it can't be that it's alive
after being pulled up out of the water and
scraped and cleaned and all that."
"Silly boy! Dead folks can't talk, but I
can," the sponge seemed to reply, speaking
in a sneering tone.
," laughed Ned; "but Cousin Ronald
120
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
isn't dead, if you are. Besides, I don't
believe you could talk when you were
alive."
"Huh! Much you know about it. Some
silly little folks think they know a great deal
more than they do."
Ned seemed highly amused. "Oh, it's good
fun, Cousin Ronald, so please keep on," he
begged, looking up into the kindly face of the
old gentleman.
"Well, now," Mr. Lilburn exclaimed, as if
much surprised, "I don't live in that bit of
sponge."
"No," laughed Ned ; "it's much too little for
anybody to live in; but I think your voice
can get in it, and it's real fun to hear it talk,
so please make it say something more."
"I used to live on the rocks away down
under the water," the sponge seemed to say;
"that was my home, and I wanted to stay
there, but a cruel man came down, pulled
me off, and brought me up, and I've had an
awful time ever since; they shook me and
121
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
scraped me and squeezed me so hard and long
that now I'm more dead than alive."
"Oh, it's too bad!" exclaimed Ned. I
think they might have let you live on in your
own home. Maybe we might send you back:
to it, if you were alive ; but it's no use now if
you are dead."
"Well, Neddie boy, don't you think Mr.
Sponge has talked enough now?" asked
Cousin Ronald in his own natural voice.
"I am really afraid our good friends here
must be tired of the very sound of his
voice."
"Perhaps they are," replied Ned ; "and I'm
afraid you are tired making him talk. But
it has been good fun, and I am very much
obliged to you for it, Cousin Ronald."
"You are very welcome," replied Mr. Lil-
burn ; "and I am very glad to be able to give
a bit of amusement to a young cousin who has
been so ill."
"Thank you, sir ; you are ever so kind," re
turned Ned in grateful tones.
122
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
All this happened on deck, late in the after
noon, and Dr. Harold now said he thought it
time for his little patient to be taken down
into the saloon, as the air was growing quite
cool.
"Oh uncle, I don't want to go down yet,
leaving all this good company," exclaimed
"Ned imploringly.
"But you don't want to get worse, do you 3"
asked Harold in kindly tones.
"And mother will go with you," said Violet,
rising and taking his hand in hers.
"Father, too; and he'll carry you down,"
added the captain, taking the little fellow in
his arms and hastening toward the stairway
leading to the cabin of the vessel. Violet fol
lowed close behind them, and Dr. Harold and
Grace brought up the rear; Grandma Elsie,
the younger Elsies and Alie Leland following
them also, Annis and Cousin Konald, too, so
that in a few minutes the Dolphins passen
gers had all deserted the deck for the saloon.
Then presently came the call to supper, and
123
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
all gathered about a table well furnished with
wholesome, satisfying food and drink.
Grace sat at her father's right hand, be
tween him and her husband, and as he carved
the fowl and filled the plates, he every now
and then gave her a pleased, scrutinizing,
smiling glance.
"You are looking bright and well,
daughter," he said at length. "Your
honeymoon seems to agree with you, though
it is perhaps rather early to judge of
that."
"It has been very delightful so far, papa,"
she returned with a smiling glance first at
him and then up into Harold's face ; "it could
hardly be otherwise in such a vessel and in
such company with a dear mother, a good
doctor, a kind husband indeed, everything
heart could wish, except the dear ones left be
hind my dear father, mamma and sisters
Lu and Eva; not to mention darling Baby
Mary. And now," she concluded, "since two
of the dearest ones, and Cousin Ronald and
124
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Annis have joined us, I am full of content,
of joy, and very, very happy."
"Yes, Gracie, it's ever so nice to have them
all here- particularly papa and mamma," re
marked Ned, with a sigh of content ; "and I
hope Cousin Ronald is going to make lots of
fun for us."
"But maybe Dr. Harold won't approve of
BO much fun for his young patient," suggested
a voice that seemed to come from somewhere
in Ned's rear.
"Oh, who are you now?" queried the little
fellow, turning half round in his chair to look
behind him.
"Somebody that knows a thing or two," re
plied the same voice, now apparently coming
from a distant part of the room.
"Oh, you do, do you ?" laughed Ned. "Well,
I think I begin to know who you are," he
added, turning a half-convinced, half-inquir
ing look upon Cousin Ronald.
"Ha ! ha ! Some little boys think themselves
very wise, even when they don't understand
125
'ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
a matter at all," returned the voice of the
invisible speaker.
"But I do, though," returned Ned ; "I know
Cousin Ronald and a thing or two about what
he can do. But it's fun, anyhow; it seems
so real, even if I do know he's doing it."
"And you think I'm your Cousin Ronald, do
you ? Do I look like that old gent ?" asked the
voice, seeming to come from within an ad
joining stateroom.
"Old gent isn't a nice name to give a real
gentleman like our Cousin Ronald," retorted
Ned in a tone of disgust, which caused a
laugh of amusement from most of those about
the table.
"There, my son, that will do now ; let us see
you finish your supper quietly," said Captain
Raymond, and Ned obeyed.
126
CHAPTER IX
THE next morning the weather was such as
made the Dolphins saloon a more attractive
place to her passengers than was her deck ; so
there they all gathered and sat chatting cosily
together till at length the children began ask
ing Grandma Elsie for another of her inter
esting historical stories.
"I think it is Captain Raymond's turn to
be narrator now," she said with a smiling
glance at him, "and I feel inclined to be one
of the audience."
"And I am inclined to be a listener to a story
from you, mother," he returned pleasantly;
"or if you are unwilling to entertain us in
that way this morning, perhaps Cousin Ron
ald may feel inclined to do so."
"Thanks for the invitation, captain, but I
would vastly prefer the role of listener," was
Mr. Lilburn's response to that, and after a
127
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
moment's silent consideration the captain
said: "As we are now passing through the
Gulf of Mexico, some distance south of the
States of Alabama and Mississippi, I suppose
a few passages from their history may prove
interesting and instructive to at least the
younger members of my audience. Shall I
give them?"
The query seemed addressed to the children,
and was promptly replied to by a chorus of
expressions of pleasure in the prospect; for
all there knew the captain to be an interest
ing narrator of historical events.
"I shall begin with Alabama, just now the
nearer of the two States," he said. "The
word Alabama signifies 'Here we rest.' It is
an Indian expression. Fernando de Soto was
tHe first white man who ever entered the
State. That was in 1540. His coming dis
pleased the Indians who lived there and con
sidered the country their own, therefore they
opposed his progress in several battles. He
found them more civilized than in other see-
128
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
tions of America which he visited. Just
above the confluence of the Tombigbee and
Alabama rivers they had a place called Mau-
bila, consisting of eighty handsome houses,
each large enough to contain a thousand men.
Round about them was a high wall, made of
immense trunks of trees set deep in the
ground and close together, strengthened with
cross-timbers and interwoven with large
vines.
De Soto and his men entered the town, and
were presently treacherously attacked by ten
thousand of the Indians. The Spaniards re
sisted the attack, and a battle ensued which
lasted nine hours, and resulted in the de
struction of the town and the killing of six
thousand Indians. The Spaniards, too, suf
fered terribly, lost eighty men, forty-five
horses and all their baggage and camp equi
page."
"So it was very bad for both armies, wasn't
it, papa !" said Ned.
"Yes, it was, indeed," replied his father^
129
"but the Spaniards were the ones most to
blame. This country belonged to the In
dians ; what right had the Spaniards to come
here and try to take it from them ? Surely,
none at all. What presumption it was in the
sovereigns of Europe to give to whomsoever
they pleased great tracts of land in America
to which they themselves had no real right.
"But to go back to my story. The Indians
were desperate, and fought the invaders, con
testing every rood of the ground from the hour
of their landing. And naturally, whenever a
Spaniard fell into their hands, they returned
cruelty for cruelty; and the Spaniards were
very, very cruel to men, women and children ;
but De Soto grew tired of Having the cruelty
of his men returned upon them, therefore he in
vited a powerful Creek chief to meet him for
a friendly talk. But the chief scorned the
invitation, called the white men by the names
they deserved, and gave them warning that he
would never cease making war upon them as
long as one of their hated race remained in
130
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the country. And both he and his followers
carried out their threat, resorting to ambush
and stealthy surprises, killing scores, whose
heads they chopped off and carried on the
ends of poles.
"But some of this you have been told be
fore in our talks over the history of Florida.
"De Soto crossed Northern Georgia and
Northeastern Alabama to Maubila, where
they had that terrific fight of which I have
just told you. The following winter was a
severe one, passed by the Spaniards in the
country of the Chickasaws, around the tribu
taries of the Yazoo. In the spring a furious
engagement took place with the Chickasaws,
in which the Spaniards came near being anni
hilated. In April the forlorn remnant began
again tramping through the wilderness,
blindly groping for the land where De Soto
had been told he would find great quantities
of gold.
"In the month of May, 1541, De Soto and
his men reached the bank of the Mississippi
131
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
River, above the mouth of the St. Francis.
The men stood a long time, gazing upon it
with awe and admiration, for it is one of the
mightiest rivers of the world, and they were
the first Europeans to see it at any distance
above its mouth."
"And did they stop there, papa?" asked
Ned.
"No, my son; they were not yet ready to
give up their search for gold and for the
Pacific Ocean, which they believed was now
not far away."
"Didn't know much about geography, did
they ?" laughed Ned.
"No ; scarcely anything of that of this con
tinent," replied his father ; "but perhaps my
little son is not much wiser now in regard
to what was then the condition of what is now
this great country of ours. Can you tell him,
Grace, what it was at that time?"
"In 1540, papa ? A wilderness peopled only
by savages and wild beasts. It was not until
1620 that the pilgrims came to Massachusetts.
132
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The first settlement in Maryland was not
made until 1631. Virginia's first settlers
came in 160Y. But the French Huguenots
planted a colony in South Carolina as early
as May, 1562, twenty years later than De
Soto's visit to Alabama. Georgia was the last
settled of the thirteen original colonies."
"And those thirteen colonies were all there
was of our country at the time of the
Revolutionary War, weren't they?" asked
Elsie Dinsmore.
"Yes," replied the captain; "thirteen col
onies at the beginning of that war, thirteen
States before it ended.
"But to go back to the story of Alabama.
It seems to have been left to the Indians until
the spring of 1682, when Robert Cavalier
de la Salle descended the Mississippi to its
mouth, named the country Louisiana, and
took possession of it in the name of the King
of France. All the Mississippi valley was
then claimed by France, but in 1763 she
ceded it to England. West Florida, from
133
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
1764 to 1781, included quite a good deal of
the present territory of Alabama and Missis
sippi. In May of 1779 Spain declared war
against Great Britain, and the next MarcH
the Spanish governor of Louisiana captured
Mobile. In 1783 Great Britain ceded to the
United States all territory east of the Missis
sippi, except Florida, which she ceded bacK
to spain.
"Alabama was at that time almost entirely;
in the occupation of the Indians. There was
a garrison of Spanish troops at Mobile, one
at St. Stephen's, on the Tombigbee, and there
were trading posts at different points in the
South and West. And now the United States
bought the whole country west of what is now
Georgia to the Mississippi, and in 1817 made
it the Mississippi Territory. Fort Stoddard
was built near the confluence of the Alabama
and Tombigbee. During the War of 1812
with Great Britain there was a great deal of
fighting with the Indians of Alabama. The
Creeks were the principal tribe, and in 1812
134
'ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
they were stirred up to war by Tecumseh,
the celebrated Shawnee warrior. In August
they attacked Fort Mimms; the garrison
made a desperate resistance, but were over
come, and out of three hundred men, women
and children, only seventeen survived the
massacre.
"This aroused the adjoining States to action.
Generals Jackson, Claiborn, Floyd and Coffee
entered the Indian country and defeated tho
Indians at Talladega, where two hundred and
ninety of their warriors were slain. In the
same month (November) General Floyd
attacked the Creeks on their sacred ground,
at Autossee. Four hundred of their houses
were burned and two hundred of their war
riors killed, among whom were the kings of
Autossee and Tallahassee. The last stand of
the Creeks was at Horseshoe Bend, where the
Indians fought desperately, but were defeated
with the loss of nearly six hundred men. The
remaining warriors submitted, and in 1814
a treaty of peace was made, and the remain-
135
"ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
der of the Creeks have removed beyond the
Mississippi.
"After that people poured in from Georgia,
the two Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Virginia. The State grew rapidly in wealth
and population, so that in 1860 it was the
fourth of the South in importance and the
second in the amount of cotton produced."
"It was a slave State, wasn't it, papa, and
one that seceded in the time of the Civil
War ?" asked Elsie Raymond.
"Yes; on the llth of January, 1861, the
State seceded from the Union and joined the
Southern Confederacy. A sad thing for her,
for a great deal of the desperate fighting took
place within her borders. The losses in the
upper counties were immense, and raiding
parties frequently desolated the central ones.
Forts Gaines and Morgan, defending the en
trance to Mobile Bay, were besieged and
taken by the United States forces in 1865,
and in the same year the victory of Mobile
Bay, the severest naval battle of the war, was
136
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
won by the national forces under Admiral
Farragut."
"But the folks there are not rebs any more,
I suppose," remarked Ned in a tone of in
quiry.
"No, my son," replied the captain. "I be
lieve the most, if not all, of them are good
Union people, now proud and fond of this
great country, the United States of America."
137
CHAPTER X
"YouB story of Alabama was very interest
ing, I think, papa," said Elsie Raymond,
"and if you are not too tired, won't you no~vr
tell us about Mississippi?"
"Yes," replied the captain. "I have told
you about De Soto and his men coming there
in 1540. At that time what is now the terri
tory of that State was divided between the
Chickasaw, Choctaw and Natchez Indians.
It was more than a hundred years afterward,
in 1681, that La Salle descended the Missis
sippi River from the Illinois country to the
Gulf of Mexico; and in 1700 Iberville, the
French governor of Louisiana, planted a col
ony on Ship Island, on the gulf coast. That
settlement was afterward removed to Biloxi,
on the mainland. Bienville, another gov
ernor of Louisiana, established a post on the
138
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Mississippi River, and called it Fort Rosalie.
That was in 1761, and now the city of Nat
chez occupies that spot. A few years later,
in 1729, the Natchez Indians, growing
alarmed at the increasing power of the
French, resolved to exterminate them. On
the 28th of November of that year they at
tacked the settlement of Fort Rosalie and
killed the garrison and settlers seven hun
dred persons. When that terrible news
reached New Orleans, Bienville resolved to
retaliate upon the murderers. The Chicka-
saws were enemies of the Natchez; he ap
plied to them for help, and they furnished
him with sixteen thousand warriors. With
them and his own troops Bienville besieged
the Natchez in their fort, but they escaped
in the night and fled west of the Mississippi.
The French followed and forced them to sur
render, then took them to New Orleans, sent
them to the island of St. Domingo, and sold
them as slaves."
"AH of them, papa ?" asked Ned.
139
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Nearly all, I believe," replied his father;
"they were but a small nation, and very little
was heard of them after that. The Chicka-
saws were a large and powerful tribe living
in the fertile region of the upper Tombigbee ;
the French knew that they had incited the
Natchez against them, and now Bienville re
solved to attack them. In 1736 he sailed
from New Orleans to Mobile with a strong
force of French troops and twelve hundred
Choctaw warriors. From Mobile he ascended
the Tombigbee River in boats for five hun
dred miles, to the southeastern border of the
present county of Pontotoc. The Chickasaw
fort was a powerful stronghold about twenty-
five miles from that point.
"Bienville took measures to secure his boats,
then advanced against the enemy. He made
a determined assault on their fort, but was
repulsed with the loss of one hundred men,
which so discouraged him that he dismissed
the Choctaws with presents, threw his cannon
into the Tombigbee, re-embarked in his boats,
140
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
floated down the river to Mobile, and from
there returned to New Orleans.
"He had expected to have the co-operation
of a force of French and Indians from Can
ada, commanded by D'Artaguette, the pride
and flower of the French at the North, and
some Indians from Canada, assisted by the
Illinois chief Chicago, from the shore of Lake
Michigan. All these came down the river
unobserved to the last Chickasaw bluff. From
there they penetrated into the heart of the
country. They encamped near the appointed
place of rendezvous with the force of Bien-
ville, and there waited for some time for in
telligence from him. It did not come, and
the Indian allies of D'Artaguette became so
impatient for war and plunder that they
could not be restrained, and at length he
(D'Artaguette) consented to lead them to the
attack. He drove the Chickasaws from two
of their fortified villages, but was severely
wounded in his attack on the third. Then
the Indians fled precipitately, leaving their
141
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
wounded commander weltering in his blood.
Vincennes, his lieutenant, and their spiritual
guide and friend, the Jesuit Senate, refused
to fly, and shared the captivity of their gal
lant leader."
"And did the Indians kill them, papa?"
asked Ned.
"No, not then; hoping to receive a great
ransom for them from Bienville, who was
then advancing into their country, they
treated them with great care and attention;
but when he retreated they gave up the hope
of getting anything for their prisoners, there
fore put them to a horrible death, burning
them over a slow fire, leaving only one alive
to tell of the dreadful fate to their country
men."
"Oh, how dreadful!" sighed Elsie Eay-
mond. "I'm thankful we did not live in those
times and places."
"Yes, so am I," said her father. "God Has
been very good to us to give us our lives in
this good land, and these good times. It is
142
ELSIE r AND HER NAMESAKES
years now since the Indians were driven out
of Alabama and Mississippi. They and
Florida passed into the hands of the English
in 1763. In 1783 the country north of the
thirty-first parallel was included within the
limits of the United States. According to the
charter of Georgia, its territory extended
to the Mississippi, but in 1795 the legislature
of that State sold to the general government
that part which now constitutes the States of
Alabama and Mississippi. In 1798 the
Territory of Mississippi was organized, and
on the 10th of December, 1817, it was ad
mitted into the Union as a State. On the
9th of January, 1861, the State seceded from
the Union and joined the Southern Confed
eracy. And some dreadful battles were
fought there in our Civil War those of luka
and Corinth, Jackson, Champion Hills and
other places. That war caused an immense
destruction of property. The State was sub
ject to military rule until the close of the
year 1869, when it was readmitted into the
"Union." 143
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The captain paused, seeming to consider his
story of the settlement of the State of Missis
sippi completed; but Grandma Elsie pres
ently asked: "Isn't there something more of
interest in the story of the Natchez which
you could tell us, captain ?"
"Perhaps so, mother," he replied. "It was
a remarkable tribe, more civilized than any
other of the original inhabitants of these
States. Their religion was something like
that of the fire-worshippers of Persia. They
called their chiefs 'suns' and their .king the
'Great Sun.' A perpetual fire was kept burn
ing by the ministering priest in the principal
temple, and he also offered sacrifices of the
first fruits of the chase ; and in extreme cases,
when they deemed their deity angry with
them, they offered sacrifices of their infant
children to appease his wrath. When Iber-
ville was there, one of the temples was struck
by lightning and set on fire. The keeper of
the fane begged the squaws to throw their
little ones into the fire to appease the angry
144
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
god, and four little ones were so sacrificed
before the French could persuade them to de
sist from the horrid rite. The 'Great Sun/
as they called their king, had given Iberville
a hearty welcome to his dominions, paying
him a visit in person. He was borne to Iber-
ville's quarters on the shoulders of some of
his men, and attended by a great retinue of
his people. A treaty of friendship was made,
and the French given permission to build a
fort and establish a trading-post among the
Indians things that, however, were not done
for many years. A few stragglers at that
time took up their abode among the Natchez,
but it was not until 1716 that any regular
settlement was made ; then Fort Rosalie was
erected at that spot on the bank of the Missis
sippi where the city of Natchez now stands.
"Well, as I have told you, Grand or Great
Sun, the chief of the Natchez, was at first the
friend of the whites; but one man, by his
overbearing behavior, brought destruction on
the whole colony. The home of the Great
145
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Sun was a beautiful village called the White
Apple. It was spread over a space of nearly
three miles, and stood about twelve miles
south of the fort, near the mouth of Second
Creek, and three miles east of the Mississippi.
M. D. Chopart, the commandant of the fort,
was so cruel and overbearing, so unjust to the
Indians, that he commanded the Great Sun
to leave the village of his ancestors because
he, M. D. Chopart, wanted the grounds for
his own purposes. Of course the Great Sun
was not willing, but Chopart was deaf to all
his entreaties, which led the Natchez to form
a plot to rid their country of these oppressors.
"Before the attempt to carry it out, a young
Indian girl, who loved the Sieur de Mace,
ensign of the garrison, told him with tears
that her nation intended to massacre the
French. He was astonished, and questioned
her closely. She gave him simple answers,
shedding tears as she spoke, and he was con
vinced that she was telling him only the truth.
So he at once repeated it to Chopart, but he
146
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
immediately had the young man arrested for
giving a false alarm.
"But the fatal day came November 29,
1729. Early in the morning Great Sun, with
a few chosen warriors, all well armed with
knives and other concealed weapons, went to
Fort Rosalie. Only a short time before the
company had sent up a large supply of powder
and lead, also provisions for the fort. The
Indians had brought corn and poultry to
barter for ammunition, saying they wanted it
for a great hunt they were preparing for, and
the garrison, believing their story, were
thrown off their guard, and allowed a number
of the Indians to come into their fort, while
others were distributed about the company's
warehouse. Then, after a little, the Great
Sun gave a signal, and the Indians at once
drew out their weapons and began a furious
massacre of the garrison and all who were
in or near the warehouse. And the same
bloody work was carried on in the houses of
the settlers outside of the fort.
147.
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"It was at nine o'clock in the morning the
dreadful slaughter began, and before noon
the whole male population of that French
colony seven hundred souls were sleeping
the sleep of death. The women and children
were kept as prisoners, and the slaves that
they might be of use as servants. Also two
mechanics, a tailor and a carpenter, were per
mitted to live, that they might be of use to
their captors. Chopart was one of the first
killed by a common Indian, as the chiefs
so despised him that they disdained to soil
their hands with his blood.
"The Great Sun sat in the company's ware-
house while the massacre was going on, smok
ing his pipe unconcernedly while his warriors
were piling up the heads of the murdered
Frenchmen in a pyramid at his feet, Cho-
part's head at its top, above all those of his
officers and soldiers. As soon as the Great
Sun had been told by his Indians that all the
Frenchmen were dead, he bade them begin
their pillage. They then made the negro
148
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
slaves bring out the plunder for distribution,
except the powder and military stores, which
were kept for public use in future emer
gencies."
"And did they bury all those seven hundred
folks that they killed, papa ?" asked Ned.
"No," replied his father; "they left them
lying strewed about in every place where they
had struck them down to death, dancing over
their mangled bodies with horrid yells in their
drunken revelry; then they left them there
unburied, a prey for hungry dogs and vul
tures. And all the dwellings in all the settle
ments they burned to ashes."
"Didn't anybody at all get away from them,
uncle?" asked Alie Leland.
"Nobody who was in the buildings at the
time of the massacre," replied the captain;
"but two soldiers who happened to be then in
the woods escaped and carried the dreadful
tidings to New Orleans."
"I'm glad they didn't go back to the fort and
get caught by those savage Indiana," said
149
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Elsie Dinsmore. "But how did they know
that the Indians were there and doing sucK
dreadful deeds?"
"By hearing the deafening yells of the
savages and seeing the smoke going up from
the burning buildings. Those things told
them what was going on, and they hid them
selves until they could get a boat or canoe in
which to go down the river to New Orleans,
which they reached in a few days ; and there,
as I have said, they told the sad story of the
awful happening at the colony on the St.
Catherine."
"Were there any otter colonies that the
Indians destroyed in that part of our country,
papa ?" asked his daughter Elsie.
"Yes ; one on the Yazoo, near Eort St. Peter,
and those on the Washita, at Sicily Island,
and near the present town of Monroe. It was
a sad time for every settlement in the prov
ince."
"When the news of this terrible disaster
reached New Orleans, the Erench began a
150
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
war of extermination against the Natchez.
They drove them across the Mississippi, and
finally scattered and extirpated them. The
Great Sun and his principal war chiefs were
taken, shipped to St. Domingo and sold as
slaves. Some of the poor wretches were
treated with barbaric cruelty four of the
men and two of the women were publicly
burned to death at New Orleans. Some
Tonica Indians brought down a Natchez
woman, whom they had found in the woods,
and were allowed to burn her to death on a
platform erected near the levee, the whole
population looking on while she was con
sumed by the flames. She bore all that
torture with wonderful fortitude, not
shedding a tear, but upbraiding her tor
turers with their want of skill, flinging at
them every opprobrious epithet she could
think of."
"How very brave and stoical she must have
been, poor thing!" remarked Grace. "But,
papa, have not the Natchez always been eon-
151
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
sidered superior to other tribes in refine
ment, intelligence and bravery ?"
"Yes," he replied ; "it is said that no other
tribe has left so proud a memorial of their
courage, independent spirit and contempt of
death in defence of their rights and liberties.
The scattered remnants of the tribe sought
an asylum among the Chickasaws and other
tribes who were hostile to the French; but
since that time the individuality of the Nat
chez tribe has been swallowed up among
others with whom they were incorporated. In
refinement and intelligence they were equal,
if not superior, to any other tribe north of
Mexico. In courage and stratagem they were
inferior to none. Their form was noble and
commanding, their persons were straight and
athletic, their stature seldom under six feet.
Their countenances indicated more intelli
gence than is commonly found in savages.
Some few individuals of the Natchez tribe
were to be found in the town of Natchez as
late as the year 1782, more than half a cen
tury after the Natchez massacre."
152
CHAPTEK XI
"WELL, well, well! I should think you
youngsters might be ashamed to keep that
poor captain talking and telling stories so
long, just for your amusement," remarked a
strange voice, coming apparently from the
half open doorway of a nearby stateroom.
"Can't you let him have a little rest now?"
"Of course," replied Ned. "He tells splen
did stories, and we like to listen to them ; but
we don't want him to go on if he feels tired,
for he is our own dear, kind, good papa,
whom we love ever so much."
"Huh !" returned the voice ; "actions speak
louder than words. So don't coax for any
more stories now. Have a good game of
romps instead."
"The rest can do that," said Ned ; "but uncle
doctor wouldn't be likely to let me romp very
much."
153
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"And you think you have to obey him, do
you?"
"Of course, if I want him to cure me ; and
I'm very sure you would think me a naughty
boy if I didn't."
"If you didn't want to be cured^'
"No ; if I didn't mind my uncle doctor."
"I thought he was your brother; he's
married to your sister, isn't he ?"
"Yes," laughed Ned ; "and that makes him
my brother; but he's my mother's own
brother, and that makes him my uncle. So
he's both uncle and brother, and that makes
him a very near relation indeed."
"So it does, my little fellow, and you would
better mind all he says, even if he is a young
doctor that doesn't know quite all the old
doctors do."
"He knows a great deal," cried Ned indig
nantly ; "lots more, I guess, than some of the
other doctors that think they are very smart
and know everything."
"Well, you needn't get mad about it," re-
154
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
turned the voice. "I like Dr. Harold Tra-
villa, and when I get sick I expect to send
for him."
"But who are you?" asked Ned. "Why
don't you come out of that stateroom and
show yourself?"
"Perhaps I might if I got a polite invita
tion," replied the voice.
Ned was silent for a moment, first looking
steadily toward the door from which the
voice had seemed to come, then turning a
scrutinizing, questioning gaze upon Cousin
Ronald.
The others in the room were all watching
the two and listening as if much entertained
by the talk between them.
"I just know it's you, Cousin Ronald,
making fun for us all," the little boy re
marked at length; "and that's very kind in
you, for fun is right good for folks, isn't it,
Uncle Harold?"
"Yes, I think so," replied the doctor;
" 'laugh and grow fat' is an old saying. So I
165
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
hope the fun will prove beneficial to my
young patient."
"I hope so," said the captain, and now sup
pose you young folks rest yourselves with
some sort of games."
"I think we would all better wrap up and
try a little exercise upon the deck first, and
after that have some games," said Harold,
and everybody promptly followed his advice.
When they had had their exercise and
played a few games, dinner was served. After
that they again gathered in the saloon, and
presently the young folks aaked for another
of the captain's interesting stories of the
States.
"Well, my dears, about which State do you
wish to hear now ?" he asked.
"I believe we all want Louisiana, papa,"
replied his daughter Elsie. "We know the
story of the battle of ~New Orleans under
General Jackson that grand victory and
pretty much all that went on in the time of
the Civil War, I believe ; but I don't remem-
156
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
ber that you have ever given us any of the
early history of that State."
"Well, I shall try to do so now," her father
said in reply, and after a moment's silent
thought he began.
"Louisiana is the central Gulf State of the
United States, and has the Gulf of Mexico
for its southern boundary; the Sabine River
and Texas form the western boundary, and
on the east is the Mississippi River, sepa
rating it from the State of that name, which
is the northern boundary of that part of
Louisiana east of the river. The part west
of that river is bounded on the north by
Arkansas.
"That part of what is now our country was
not taken by the whites from the Indians so
early as the more northern and eastern parts.
History tells us that Robert Cavalier de la
Salle descended the Mississippi to its mouth
in April, 1682, named the country Louisi
ana, and took possession of it in the name of
the King of France. In 1699 Iberville tried
157
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
to form a settlement along the lower part of
thie river, but succeeded only in forming the
Colony of Biloxi, in what is now the State of
Mississippi. In 1712, Louis^IV. of France
named the region for himself, and granted it
to a wealthy capitalist named Antony Crozat,
giving him exclusive trading rights in Louisi
ana for ten years. In about half that time
Crozat gave back the grant to the King, com
plaining that he had not been properly sup
ported by the authorities, and had suffered
such losses in trying to settle the province as
almost to ruin him.
"In the same year a man named John Law
got the King to give him a charter for a bank
and for a Mississippi company, and to grant
the province to them. "For a time he carried
out his scheme so successfully that the stock
of the bank went up to six hundred times its
par value ; but it finally exploded and ruined
every one concerned in it.
"It had, however, accomplished the settle
ment of New Orleans. In 1760 a war was
158
EL'SIE AND HER NAMESAKES
begun between England and France, in which
the former took Canada from the latter.
Then a good many Canadians emigrated to
Louisiana, and settled in that part of it west
of the Mississippi. In 1762 France ceded
her possessions in Louisiana west of the
Mississippi to Spain, and the country east
of that river to England. New Orleans was
soon taken possession of by the Spanish au
thorities, who proved themselves so cruel and
oppressive that the French settlers were filled
with dismay. The Spaniards still held that
province at the time of the American Revo
lution, and near the close of that war the
Spanish governor of New Orleans captured
the British garrison at Baton Rouge."
"I suppose that was hardly because he
wanted to help us," laughed Elsie Dinsmore.
"No," smiled the captain; "I rather think
he wanted to help himself. The navigation
of the Mississippi River was opened to all
nations by the treaty of 1783, but the New
Orleans Spaniards completely neutralized it
159
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
by seizing all merchandise brought to that
city in any but Spanish sh^ps. In 1800 Spain
ceded Louisiana back to France, but it suited
Napoleon, then emperor of that country, to
keep the transfer a secret until 1803, when he
sent out Laussat as prefect of the colony, who
informed the people that they were given
back to France, which news filled them with
joy.
"Jefferson was then our President, and on
learning these facts, he directed Robert Liv
ingston, the American Minister at Paris, to
insist upon the free navigation of the Missis
sippi, and to negotiate for the acquisition of
New Orleans itself and the surrounding terri
tory. Mr. Monroe was appointed with full
powers to assist him in the negotiation.
"Bonaparte acted promptly. He saw that
the English wanted Louisiana and the Missis
sippi River, and was determined that they
should not have them. They had twenty
vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, and he saw
that they might easily take Louisiana, and
160
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
to deprive them of all prospect of that, he
was inclined to cede it to the United States.
He (Bonaparte) speedily decided to sell to
the United States not New Orleans only, but
the whole of Louisiana, and did so. On the
30th of April, 1803, the treaty was signed.
Our country was to pay $15,000,000 for the
colony, be indemnified for some illegal cap
tures, and the vessels of France and Spain,
with their merchandise, were to be admitted
into all the ports of Louisiana free of duty
for twelve years. Bonaparte stipulated in
favor of Louisiana that as soon as possible it
should be incorporated into the Union and its
inhabitants enjoy the same rights, privileges
and immunities as other citizens of the
United States; and the third article of the
treaty, securing these benefits to them, was
drawn up by Bonaparte himself and pre*
sented to the plenipotentiaries with the re
quest that they would make it .known to the
people of Louisiana that the French regretted
to part with them, and had stipulated for all
161
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the advantages they could desire; and that
in giving them up France had secured them
the greatest of all ; for in becoming indepen
dent they would prosper as they never could
have done under any European government.
But he bade them, while enjoying the priv
ileges of liberty, ever to remember that they
were French, and preserve for their mother
country the affection which a common origin
inspires.
"This was a most important transaction, and
its completion gave equal satisfaction to both
parties. Livingston said, 'I consider that
from this day the United States takes rank
with the first powers of Europe, and she is
entirely escaped from the power of England ;'
and Bonaparte said, 'By this cession of terri
tory I have secured the power of the United
States, and given to England a maritime
rival who at some future time will humble
her pride.'
"And that seems like a prophecy which came
true, when one thinks of Jackson's victory on
162
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the 8th of January, 1815," remarked Grand
ma Elsie.
"Yes," assented the captain; "that was a
signal overthrow to British troops on the
plains of Louisiana."
"Yes ; I remember that was a great victory
for our United States troops," said Elsie
Dinsmore. "But who of our folks took pos
session now that it was bought from the
French, and just when did they do it ?"
"It was on the 20th of December of that
same year," replied the captain, "that Gen
eral Wilkinson and Governor Claiborne, who
were jointly commissioned to take possession
of the country for the United States, entered
!NVw Orleans at the head of the American
troops. The French governor gave up his
command, and the tri-colored flag of France
gave place to the star-spangled banner."
"Oh, that was good," said Elsie Dinsmore;
"and was Louisiana made a State at once,
captain ?"
"'No" he replied; "it was erected into a
163
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Territory by Congress in 1804. In 1810 the
Spanish post at Baton Rouge was seized by
the United States forces under General Wil
kinson and the territory connected with it
added to Louisiana, which in 1812 was ad
mitted into the Union as a State."
"But, papa, was what is now the State of
Louisiana all we bought from France by that
treaty of 1803 ?" asked Grace.
"No, by no means," replied the captain.
"The territory purchased by that treaty is
now occupied by the States of Louisiana,
Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kan
sas, Nebraska, Oregon, Dakota, Colorado,
Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Wash
ington."
"My, what a big purchase it was!" cried
Ned. "But how did France get so much?"
"No doubt she just helped herself," laughed
his sister. "The State went out of the Union
in the time of the Civil War, didn't it, papa ?"
"Yes ; on the 26th of January, 1861, but was
readmitted into tne Union on the 25th of
June, 1868." 164
CHAPTER XH
"THESE stories of the States have been very
interesting to me, captain," remarked Mr.
Lilburn, breaking a little pause which had
followed the conclusion of the brief sketch
just given of the early history of Louisiana.
"I feel flattered that my crude efforts in that
line should be so highly appreciated," re
turned the captain, with a gratified smile as
he spoke, then added, "And now, if you feel
like making a return in kind, Cousin Ronald,
suppose you give us a page or two of Scottish
history, than which I think there is hardly
anything more interesting."
"I acknowledge that it is very interesting
to me, a native of that land, though now feel
ing myself a full-fledged American, but how
is it with these younger folk ?" returned Mr.
Lilburn, glancing inquiringly around upon
the ladies and children.
165
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
It was Grandma Elsie who answered in
tones of pleased anticipation, "Indeed,
cousin, I should be delighted; for to me the
history of that grandfather land of mine is
only secondary in interest to that of this, my
dear native land, largely peopled by the
descendants of those who struggled so
bravely for civil and religious liberty in
Scotland."
"Ah, cousin mine, I am glad to ken that you
care for that auld fatherland o' yours and
mine," returned the old gentleman, smiling
affectionately upon her. "There are many
passages in her history that are interesting
and heart stirring to the pride and love of
the descendants of the actors in the same.
But to what particular passages in her his
tory shall I call your attention now ?"
The query seemed addressed to all present,
and Elsie Dinsmore answered quickly and
earnestly, "Oh, tell us all you can about that
beautiful, unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots.
I suppose you must have seen all the palaces
166
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and castles she ever lived in there in Scot
land?"
"Yes, my bonny bairn, I have, and regard
them with great interest because of her one
time occupation of them. Linlithgow Castle
is now only a picturesque old ruin, yet one
may stand in the very room, now roofless,
to be sure, where Queen Mary was born. The
walls of that castle were very thick and
strong, but not then deemed strong enough
to protect the royal infant, born on the 7th of
December, 1542. There was rejoicing at her
birth, but it would have been greater had she
been a lad instead of a lass. Her father, then
on his deathbed, exclaimed when he heard
the news, 'Woe to the crown of Scotland ; it
came with a lass and it will go with a lass.'
"Her sex was a disappointment to Scottish
hearts, yet still they loved her, and would do
all in their power to protect and defend her,
especially from the English King, Henry
VIII., with whom they were then at war,
and who was doing all in his power to get
167i
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
possession of the little princess, purposing in
time to marry her to his son, and so unite the
two kingdoms under one crown."
"Why, that would have been a fine way to
put a stop to the fighting between the two
kingdoms, I should think," said Elsie Dins-
more.
"Perhaps, if he had offered good terms, but
those he did offer were so harsh that Scot
land's Parliament rejected them, and for
greater security both Mary and her mother
were taken from Linlithgow to Stirling
Castle, a grand fortress atop of a lofty hill
above the beautiful valley of Monteith. It
seemed a safe place for the bonny baby queen,
but some wicked, treacherous men formed a
plot to carry her off to England ; but it failed
because her guardians were so very cautious
as never to admit more than one person at a
time to see her.
"So many dangers threatening her, it was
thought best to crown her queen as soon as
possible, and when she was nine months old
168
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
she was one Sunday morning taken from her
nursery to the chapel of the castle. There one
of her nobles held her on the throne and spoke
for her the words she should have spoken had
she been old enough. Then the Cardinal held
the crown over her head, and for a moment
clasped her tiny fingers about the scepter, and
buckled the sword of state around her waist.
Then every peer and prelate present, one
after another, knelt before her, held his right
hand above her baby head, and swore to de
fend her with his life. But alas, alas! few
o' them proved faithful to their oath.
"A strange life lay before that little babe.
She was perhaps six years of age when taken
to France as a safer place for her than Scot
land. She was married early in life to the
young King Francis II., but in seventeen
months his death made her a widow. She left
France for her own land, and arrived at Leith
in August, 1561, doubtless little dreaming
the sad fate in store for her in the British
Isles," sighed the kind-hearted old gentleman,
169
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
then for a moment he seemed lost in
thought.
"Can you tell us in what town and castle
she made her home ?" asked Elsie Dinsmore.
"Holyrood Castle in Edinburgh," replied
Mr. Lilburn. "It was in the chapel of that
Castle she was married to her cousin,
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, in July, 1565.
She was then about twenty-three years of
age."
"Did she love him, Cousin Ronald ?" asked
Elsie Raymond.
"No doubt of it, lassie, for she had plenty of
other offers ; it really seemed as though every
royal bachelor and widower wanted her for a
wife. And small wonder, for she was very
sweet and beautiful.
"She called Darnley the handsomest man
she had ever seen; doubtless it was his good
looks she fell in love with, but a few weeks
of wifehood with him showed her that his
character was far less admirable than his
looks; He was vain, selfish, ungrateful, took
1TO
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
all her favors as a matter of course and asked
for more. Soon after their marriage the
English ambassador wrote of them, 'The
Queen doth everything in her power to oblige
Darnley, but Darnley does not do the least
thing to oblige her.' She had a few weeks of
happiness during their wedding journey
through the interior of Scotland, but soon
after that Darnley began treating her with
brutal unkindness. 'At a public banquet, only
four months after their marriage, he began to
drink to excess, urging his guests to do the
same. Queen Mary tried quietly to check
him, but he turned upon her with such vulgar
violence that she left the room in tears. And
he was so insolent to the Court in general
that he was soon almost universally detested."
"And I should hardly think it was possible
for poor Queen Mary to go on loving him,"
said Elsie Dinsmore.
"Nor should I," said Mr. Lilburn ; "for cer
tainly he was very different from what she
had believed him to be when she married hin.
171
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
And, poor lady, she greatly needed the right
sort of husband to protect and help her, for
the nobles who surrounded her were treach
erous, unprincipled men, ready to commit any
crime that would enable them to govern Scot
land to suit themselves, by making the sov
ereign a mere cipher in their hands. I
presume you all know something of the brutal
murder of Rizzio ?"
"Yes, sir, I believe we do ; but please tell us
the whole story about it," said Elsie Ray
mond.
"He was a singer in the chapel of Holyrood
Castle, had a voice of wonderful power and
sweetness, which so pleased the Queen that
she made him leader of the singing in her
chapel services. He was a homely man, but
a clever linguist, faithful and prudent, and
Queen Mary made him her private secretary.
The treacherous lords wanted to get rid of
him because he was not one of them, yet had
so great influence with the Queen; they de
termined to murder him, and that on the pre-
172
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
tence that the Queen was so fond of him as
to make Darnley jealous. It was all a pretence,
just to trump up a reason for murdering
Rizzio.
"One evening in March, 1566, Queen Mary
was in her library at supper, with three
friends as her guests a lady, a gentleman
and Rizzio. She did not know that her Lord
Chancellor Morton had, just after dusk, led
a body of armed men into the courtyard of
this, her Holyrood Castle. Some of these
men had hidden themselves in Darnley's
room, just underneath these apartments of
hers, and a winding staircase led up from
them. Suddenly Darnley, who had come up
this private stairway, entered the room, sat
down in a vacant chair beside her, put his
arm around her waist and gave her an affec
tionate kiss.
"It was a Judas kiss, for at the same time
the murderers whom he was assisting had
stolen softly into the Queen's bedroom, and
now they crowded through the doorway into
173
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
her presence. She was alarmed, and at once
demanded the reason for their intrusion.
"They said they meant no harm to her, only
to the villain near her.
"Rizzio understood, and said to her,
'Madam, I am lost !' Tear not,' she answered,
'the King will never suffer you to be slain ia
my presence, nor can he forget your many
faithful services.'
"The words seemed to touch Darnley's heart
and make him unwilling to perform his part
in the wicked work, and Ruthven ex
claimed fiercely, 'Sir, look to your wife and
sovereign.'
''At that Darnley forced Mary into a chair
and held her there so tightly that she could
not rise, while one of the ruffians presented
a pistol to her side and swore a horrible oatK
tHat he would shoot her dead if she resisted.
" Tire,' she replied, 'if you have no respect
for my life,' and her husband pushed away
tHe weapon.
"But now others of the murderous crowd
174
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
were in the room, lighting it up with the glare
of torches, and Rizzio, clinging to the Queen's
dress, begged piteously, 'Save my life,
madam ! Save my life for God's dear sake !'
"But she could not. The assassins rushed
upon him, overturning the table with its lights
and dishes. Queen Mary fainted, and Rizzio
was dragged out into a narrow passageway
and stabbed again and again until his shrieks
were hushed in death. There is still a stain
upon Holyrood's floor said to have been,
caused by his blood."
"And what about Queen Mary? Did they
hurt her, Cousin Ronald ?" aaked l^ed, much
interested in the story.
''"When she came out of her faint, poor lady !
those lawless nobles, wicked murderers, told
her she was their prisoner, then set a guard
at her door, and left her to spend the night
in anxiety, horror and fear."
"Oh, how wicked and cruel they were !" ex
claimed Elsie Raymond. "I hope they got
punished for it somehow!"
1T5
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"It looks as though Darnley did," said Mr.
Lilburn, "for in a little less than a year after
the murder of Rizzio he, having gone with a
few friends to a private house, was in the
night blown up with gunpowder; and only
about two months afterward Queen Mary
married the Earl of Bothwell. That dis
gusted her best subjects, so that they made
her a prisoner and forced her to abdicate in
favor of her son, James VI.
"Queen Mary escaped from her prison, col'
lected a large army, and fought for the re
covery of her crown and throne, but was de
feated, then fled to England. But Queen
Elizabeth, though her cousin, was very
jealous of her, kept her imprisoned for many
years, then had her beheaded."
"Had she any right to do that ?" asked Elsie
Dinsmore in indignant tones.
"No," replied Mr. Lilburn; "none but the
might that is said to make right. Queen
Mary was in her power, with none to defend
her. Queen Mary, when on trial, said to het
176
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
judges, 'I am a Queen, subject to none but
God. Him do I call to witness that I am
innocent of all the charges brought against
me. And recollect, my lords, the theatre of
the world is wider than the realm of Eng
land.' "
"And did they kill her, Cousin Konald?"
asked ISTed.
"Yes; they beheaded her in Fotheringay
Castle. It is said that every one was im
pressed by the melancholy sweetness of her
face and the remains of her rare beauty as she
drew near the spot where her life was to be
ended. Her executioners knelt down and
asked her forgiveness for what they were
about to do, and she replied, 'I forgive you
and all the world with all my heart.' Then
turning to the women who attended her, she
said, 'Pray do not weep. Believe me, I am
happy to leave the world. Tell my son that
I thought of him in my last moments, and
that I sincerely hope his life may be happier
than mine.'
177
ELSIE r AND HER NAMESAKES
"Then there was a dreadful silence as she
knelt down and laid her head upon the block.
In another minute the chief executioner held
it up in his hand, saying, 'So perish all the
enemies of Queen Elizabeth.' '
"What a shame !" cried ISTed. "I hope the
time came when Queen Elizabeth had to have
her head chopped off."
"No," replied Mr. Lilburn; "but hers was
not a happy death. She seems to have been
almost crazed with grief and remorse over
the death of Essex, threw herself on the floor,
and lay there, refusing food and medicine for
several days and nights, till death came to
end the sorrowful scene."
"Then, perhaps, she suffered more than
'Queen Mary did in her dying time, as I
certainly think she deserved to," said Elsie
Dinsmore.
"Yes, I think she did," responded Mr. Lil-
burn ; "it seems very possible that Her cruel,
unjust treatment of her cousin, Queen Mary,
may have helped to burden Her conscience
ITS
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and increase her remorse till she felt that life
was a burden too heavy to bear."
"Do you think she really wanted to die, and
was courting death, Cousin Konald?" asked
Grandma Elsie.
"Her refusal of food and medicine looks like
it," he replied; "yet one can hardly suppose
that death would be anything but a terror
to one whose character was so far from Chris
tian. Her public conduct was worthy of the
highest encomium, but not so with her
private life. Yet I wadna wish to sit in
judgment on her at this late day."
If*
CHAPTER XIII
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, "Sup
pose 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 be-
lieveth unto righteousness; and with the
180
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believ-
eth 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.
181
'AND HER NAMESAKES
Now, friends, please read in turn texts bear
ing upon this great subject."
Then Grandma Elsie read, " Tor God so
loved the world, that He gave His only be
gotten 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 believ
eth.' "
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 be
lieved in Jesus Christ, that we might be justi
fied 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.' "
182
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Harold was the next, " 'God hath not ap
pointed 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 tKe
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.
183
fL8iS 'AND HER NAMESAKES
"It will be ever BO nice to get there," ex
claimed 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 gath
ered 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
18.4
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES^
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 Grand
ma Elsie and all the others a lovely baby
girl, another Elsie. And Dr. and Mrs. John
son 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 hon
ored," she said ; "so many naming their dar
lings 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 neighbor
hood 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
185
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
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 im
proving 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,
186
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
luxurious meal had been made ready for the
occasion, and soon all were seated about the
hospitable board regaling themselves upom
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."
187
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"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 an
other 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."
188
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"No; I den't believe it will, or make her,
your mother, and Dr. Harold feel at all differ
ently 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 en
joyment.
"We understood, Cousin Elsie," said Dr.
Percival, "that the cousins from the Oaks and
Fairview were to be here."
189
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"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
190
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Dick," returned Harold brightly. "I .know
of no physician to whom I would sooner trust
the life of any ailing dear one than to your
self."
"Thanks ; that is certainly a very strong en
dorsement you give me," laughed Dick, color
ing 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 Cap
tain 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
191
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
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 inter
fere 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."
192
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
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 de
parted for their own homes.
Little, feeble E"ed had already been taken
to his nest for the night, but the other chil
dren 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.
193
CHAPTEK XIV
IT was a bright, cheerful party that gathered
about the Viamede breakfast table the next
morning.
"Southern air seems to agree finely with
my young patient thus far," remarked Dr.
Harold, looking smilingly at Ned, who was
partaking of the good fare provided with an
appetite such as he had not shown before
since the beginning of his illness.
"Yes, uncle doctor, I'm hungry this morn
ing, and everything tastes good," laughed
Ned. "But Viamede victuals always were
ever so nice."
"And home victuals poor and tasteless?"
queried the lad's mother, feigning a look of
grieved surprise.
"Oh, no, mamma ; home victuals are good
very good when one is well, so as to have a
good appetite," returned Ned reassuringly.
194
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Very true, son," said his father ; "and you
used to show full appreciation of them. So
mamma need not feel hurt that you so greatly
enjoy your present fare."
"And p'raps his good appetite will make
the little chap strong enough for a row on
the bayou a bit arter gittin' done his break
fast," said a rough voice, seemingly coming
from an open doorway into the outer
hall.
"Now, who are you talking that way about
me?" queried Ned, turning half way round
in his chair in an effort to catch sight of the
speaker.
"Who am I ? Somebody that knows a thing
or two 'bout boys an' what they can do, an'
what they like; an' I guess you're not much
different from other fellows o' your age an'
sect. Be ye now ?"
"No, I guess not," laughed Ned. "I don't
belong to any sect, though. But I suppose
you mean sex. I'm of the male kind."
"Oh, you are. Then I s'pose you're brave
195
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
enough to venture a row on the bayou without
fear o' bein' drowned ?"
"Yes, indeed, with all these grown-up folks
along to take care of me," laughed Ned. Then
looking across the table at Mr. Lilburn, "Now
that was just you talking, Cousin Ronald,
wasn't it?"
"Why, Neddie boy, do you think that is the
kind of English I speak?" queried Mr. Lil
burn in a hurt tone, as if he felt insulted by
such a suspicion in regard to his knowledge
and use of the English tongue.
"No, Cousin Ronald, I didn't mean
any harm; but haven't you different
kinds of voices for different times and
occasions?" returned Ned. "And weren't
you kindly trying to make a bit of fun for
me?"
"Ah, little chap, you seem to be good at
guessing," laughed Mr. Lilburn; "a bit of a
Yankee, aren't you?"
"No, sir ; I'm a whole one," cried Ned, echo
ing the laugh. "But, papa," turning to his
196
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
father, "can't we get in a boat and have a
row on the bayou ?"
"Well, Ned, I suppose that might be pos
sible," was the smiling rejoinder. "Suppose
we take a vote on the question. All in favor
of the proposition say aye."
At that there was a simultaneous aye from
the voice of each one at the table.
Then Grandma Elsie said, "I think it would
be enjoyable, but probably the cousins may
be coming in to make their party calls before
we get back."
"I think not, mamma, if we start early and
do not go too far," said Violet ; "and we can
leave word with the servants that our absence
will be short, so that any one who comes will
be encouraged to wait a bit."
"I should think they well might," smilingly
added Mrs. Lilburn, "seeing what a delight
ful place they would have to wait in, and
plenty of interesting reading matter at
hand."
"Yes, I think we really might venture it,"
107
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
said Dr. Harold, "especially as the little jaunt
will probably be for the health of all taking
part in it."
So it was decided upon, and the plan carried
out shortly after leaving the table.
Every one, especially the younger folk,
seemed delighted with the idea and eager for
the start. Ned was well wrapped up under
the supervision of his mother and uncle, and
seated in a part of the boat where there could
not be any danger for him of even a slight
wetting.
All found it a delightful trip, and returned
refreshed and strengthened, the younger ones
full of mirth and jollity.
It so happened that they were just in time
to greet an arrival of cousins from Magnolia
Hall and the Parsonage, presently followed
by those from Torriswood. Cordial greet
ings were exchanged and an hour or two
spent in pleasant intercourse, in which plans
were laid for excursions here and there
through the lovely surrounding country and
198
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
entertainments at one and another of their
homes.
"Don't wait for the coming of the rest of
your party of relatives," said Dr. Percival.
"We will look forward to the pleasure of
having you all again, with that agreeable
addition to the company."
"Thank you, Dick," returned Grandma
Elsie with her own sweet smile, "we can
hardly have more than would be agreeable of
these lovely excursions or the delightful visits
to the hospitable homes of our kith and kin
in this region. And the oftener any or all
of you visit us here at Viamede, the better."
"And please understand that we all echo in
our hearts the sentiments just expressed by
our mother," supplemented Violet in her
sprightly way.
"Yes," laughed the captain; "I can vouch
for the correctness of my wife's strange and
strong assertion."
"And I," added Harold, "join with my
brother physician in recommending for the
199
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
health, as well as present enjoyment of us all,
the taking of an unlimited number of these
delightful excursions by land and water."
"Now let's follow that good prescription,"
laughed Elsie Dinsmore, and the other young
people received the suggestion with clapping
of hands and words of most decided approval.
A merry, enjoyable fortnight followed be
fore the expected increase in their numbers,
during which Cousin Ronald often enter
tained them with exhibitions of his skill as a
ventriloquist. It did not mystify and puzzle
them as it had done when they first made his
acquaintance, but, nevertheless, was the
exciting cause of much mirth and hilarity.
Especially when there happened to be some
neighbor present who was ignorant of the old
gentleman's peculiar talent; and that often
made the call of such casual acquaintances
the more desirable and welcome. The rela
tives from Magnolia Hall, Torriswood and
the Parsonage were often visitors at Via-
mede, sitting with its family on the veranda
200
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
in the afternoons and evenings, and quite
frequently callers, more or less intimate,
would be there with them ; and if Mr. Lilburn
felt in the mood or was urged by one or more
of the young folks of the family to try his
skill, he would kindly do so.
Early one evening, when the gathering was
larger than usual, ISTed crept to Cousin
Ronald's side and whispered in his ear an
urgent request for a bit of the fun he alone
could make. "Perhaps, sonny boy, if an idea
comes to me," replied the old gentleman in
the same low key. "Go back now to your
mother and be quiet and easy for your
health's sake."
Ned obeyed, and leaning on his mother's
lap, with her arm around him, listened
eagerly for he hardly knew exactly what.
Presently a voice was heard, seemingly
Coming from a clump of bushes not far away,
"Ladies and gentlemen, young folks too, what
good times you're having! While I'm but a
poor fellow, wandering and homeless in a
201
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
strange land, no roof to cover me, no bed to
sleep in, and nothing to eat. Ah, woe's me !
What can I do but lie down and die ?"
"No, you needn't," called out Ned. "Go
round to the kitchen and ask politely for
something to eat, and you'll get it."
"I don't believe they'd give me a bite. I'm
not a beggar, either, an' to take to that trade
wad be worse nor dying an honest, upright,
self-supporting man."
"Why, who is it, and what does he want !"
queried one of Viamede's visitors in tones of
surprise and disgust.
"Let's go down and see; give him some
money, if he'll take it, to buy himself some
supper and pay for a night's lodging," said
another guest, jumping up and moving
toward the veranda steps.
"Tell him we will give him something to
eat send it out there to him, if he wishes,"
said Grandma Elsie, speaking very soberly,
though she felt pretty certain they would find
no one there.
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The lads hurried down to the bushes that
seemed to hide the stranger, and Ned clapped
his hands in ecstasy over the idea that they
had been so easily and completely duped.
"They'll be greatly surprised and disap
pointed," said Elsie Dinsmore, "and it's
almost too bad, for they seem very kind-
hearted and ready to help one in distress."
The other young folks were laughing in an
amused way.
"And it was just you, Cousin Ronald,
wasn't it ?" asked Elsie Raymond.
"Why, what a strange idea !" exclaimed the
old gentleman. "I haven't been down there
on the lawn for hours."
"But maybe your voice has," laughed Elsie.
"Oh, here they come to tell us about it,"
exclaimed Alie Leland, as the lads were seen
hurrying back in a very excited way.
"There's nobody there!" cried one. "We
searched all about and couldn't find a soul."
"No, indeed, we couldn't, and it's very my-
terious, I think," added the other.
203
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Looks as if he'd run off before you got
there," said Ned.
"He couldn't. There wasn't time," panted
the foremost lad as they came up the steps
of the veranda.
"Well, then, it's his own fault if he misses
getting something to eat," said Ned, trying
hard to keep from laughing.
"Strange how blind some folks are," re
marked the same strange voice, seeming now
close to the veranda, and followed by a pro
found sigh.
"Why, there he is again, and nearer than
before !" cried one of the lads who had been
trying to find him, and both peered eagerly
over the railing ; but to their evident astonish
ment, could see no one.
"Dear me, where in the world is he?"
exclaimed again the boy who had first
spoken. "His voice sounded even nearer
than before and yet he's nowhere to be
Been."
"Oh, let's look tinder the veranda," sug-
204
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
gested the other. "Perhaps he may have
crept in there."
"Oh, yes, if Mrs. Travilla is willing," re
turned his companion.
"I have no objection," she said pleasantly,
and they proceeded to look, but soon an
nounced that there was no one to be found
there.
"And it certainly isn't worth your while to
take such trouble to find so good for naught
a scamp," returned Mr. Lilburn in his nat
ural voice. "I wadna try it any more, lads."
"Ha, ha, ha. I knew you couldn't find me !"
laughed the invisible speaker, the voice this
time apparently coming from the roof of the
veranda.
"Well," cried Ned, "how in the world did
he get up there ? What a famous climber
he must be !"
At that the mystified stranger boys hurried
down the veranda steps again and some little
distance down the path leading across the
grounds from the front of the dwelling,
205
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
turned there and stood looking up at the
veranda's roof.
"Why, there's nothing and nobody there!"
they exclaimed breathlessly as they hurried
back again.
"It certainly is a most mysterious thing,"
panted one. "How a fellow could be so close
by and then disappear so suddenly and com
pletely I can't imagine."
"Well, well, lads, such a slippery ne'er-do-
weel isna worth worrying about," said Mr.
Lilburn. "And we needna trouble oursel's
if he goes hungry."
"But I should be sorry indeed to have any
of my guests do that," said Grandma Elsie
as just at that moment servants appeared
carrying silver salvers laden with fruit and
cakes.
That seemed a welcome interruption to even
the sorely puzzled stranger boys, and when
that feasting was over the captain called for
music, and his wife, going to the piano, played
"Yankee Doodle" with variations, then "Star-
206
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Spangled Banner," in the singing of which
all joined heartily. Just as the last strain
died away the strange voice was heard again
from the far end of the veranda.
"That's a grand old song. Just the kind
for every American to sing, whether he's rich
or poor."
"Oh, there he is again !" cried the stranger
lads, springing to their feet and looking
eagerly in the direction of the sounds.
"But just as invisible as ever," gasped one.
"How on earth does he manage to disappear
so quickly?"
At that there was a half-suppressed titter
among the young folks of the house, while
Mr. Lilburn said in his own natural tones,
"Tut, tut, young fellows ; I'd pay no attention
to him. He isn't worth minding."
"No, indeed," said Dr. Harold, "he isn't,
and wouldn't attempt to harm any one of us,
even if he wanted to, as we are so many and
he but one."
"!No," said the voice, "I'm not worth mind-
207
ing, not at all dangerous, for I wouldn't hurt
anybody if I wanted to, and wouldn't dare do
it if I had sic a wicked inclination."
"Well, sir, it's very, very queer how you can
be so plainly heard and not seen at all," re
marked one of the puzzled young fellows.
Then pulling out his watch, "But it's high
time for me to go home now."
"For me, too," said his companion, and
bidding good-night to their hostess and the
company, they went away together.
"Good! They didn't find out anything,"
chuckled ISTed when they were beyond hear
ing.
Then began plans for the next day's outing,
and conjectures as to when they might look
for the expected addition to this Viamede
party from their more northern homes. That
was brought about in a few days, and added
pleasure to their picnics, excursions and fam
ily gatherings at Torriswood, Magnolia Hall,
the Parsonage and Viamede itself.
208
CHAPTER XV
To Lucilla it seemed hard to part for some
months, just after the wedding, from her
darling sister Grace, from Elsie and Ned
also, to say nothing of Harold and his lovely
mother; and for the fortnight or more that
elapsed before the other company left she
clung very closely to her father and Max,
not neglecting Violet either. But when they
also were gone she gave herself more unre
servedly to Eva and Baby Mary, enjoying
them keenly through the day while business
claimed Chester's attention, then him in the
evenings and early mornings until he must
hie away to his office in Uniontown.
During the time that elapsed between the
departure of the first and second party of
relatives and friends to the South there was
an almost daily exchange of visits with the
Oaks and Fairview families, those at Ion also,
209
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and it was a joy to know that they the Ion
people were not to flit with the others, and
that the Roseland and Beechwood friends had
planned to remain at home through the
winter also; and particularly that Drs.
Arthur Conly and Herbert Travilla were evi
dently intending to do likewise, except as they
travelled about the adjacent country in the
practice of their profession. And the Ion
family Edward Travilla, his wife and chil
dren having visited Viamede only the year
before, were expecting to spend their winter
at their own home; and Zoe, with kind-
hearted concern for Evelyn and Lucilla, made
frequent little visits to Sunnyside, which she
urgently invited them to return ; and they did
so when there were no other more important
calls upon their time and the weather was
suitable for little Mary to be taken out ; for
to both mother and aunt she seemed too dear
and precious to be left behind.
Then there was the pleasant task of the
daily correspondence with their nearest and
210
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
dearest of absent relatives and friends Eva
with her husband, father-in-law and Violet,
Lucilla with her father, brother and sister.
How delightful it was to get their letters.
How eagerly they both watched for the com
ing of the daily mail.
Lucilla sadly missed her morning strolls
with her father about the grounds; yet not
so much as she might have done at another
season of the year, for it was often too cold
and stormy for such rambles even had he been
there; and she would console herself with
writing to him what she might have said with
her tongue had he been there to listen to her
loving, daughterly confidences and expres
sions of affection. And she could seek his
wise counsels and receive them in his answer
ing epistle. So she strove to be patient and
content, rejoicing in the glad hope that the
separation was to be for but a few short
months.
"And," she would say to herself, "how much,
better off I am than poor, dear Eva, my hus-
211
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
band coming home every night, while hers is
to be gone for weeks or months."
Eva sorely missed her absent husband, but
the darling baby daughter was a great joy
and comfort.
So passed January, February and March,
and with the coming in of April Eva and
Lucilla rejoiced in the thought that in a few
weeks the dear ones now at Viamede would be
returning to their more northern homes, as
were the Ion folks, the kith and kin, or those
left in charge, at the Oaks, Fairview, Beech-
wood, Roselands, the Laurels and Riverside.
Dr. Arthur Conly and his Marian, strongly
attached to each other, and almost idolizing
their baby boy, were an ideally happy pair,
and Roselands had grown even more lovely
than it was in earlier days. As they were
about to leave the breakfast table one fair
April morning a ring from the telephone bell
summoned the doctor to make a prompt call
at Sunnyside.
He replied that he would be there as soon
212
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
as possible, which would be in a few minutes,
his gig being already at the door. Turning
about, he found his wife close at his side.
"I must set off at once for Sunnyside," he
said ; "Lucilla is ill. Will you go along ?"
"Yes, indeed. She has been such a dear,
kind friend to me that I love her as if she
were my own sister. And we can safely trust
our darling Ronald for an hour or two to the
care of his nurse."
"With perfect safety. She is his devoted
slave," laughed the doctor.
So the two set off at once on their errand of
mercy and loving kindness.
They found Chester at home, Dr. Herbert
Travilla already there, Lucilla in bed, suffer
ing but patient, Zoe from Ion and Ella from
Beechwood already there to do what they
could for her, and Eva passing in and out,
anxious to do all in her power, yet not willing
to neglect Baby Mary.
An hour or two later a baby boy was gently
laid down by Lucilla's side.
213
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Your son, dearest," Chester said in raptu
rous tones; "the little Levis Raymond we
have been hoping for."
"Oh, how glad I am!" she cried. "My
father's first grandson, and bearing his name.
Baby dear, you shall be your mother's Ray
of Sunshine. Oh, how I want to show you
to my father, your grandfather."
"There, love," Chester said, giving her a
kiss of ardent affection, "that will do; don't
talk any more now, lest you wear yourself
out."
"That is good advice, Cousin Lu, and I hope
you will follow it," said Dr. Conly. "You
must take care of yourself now for the sake
of your husband and son."
"I will," she answered; "but, oh, Chester,
send father word as soon as you can."
"Dearest," he said with a happy laugh, "I
have already done so. Before leaving us he
charged me not to delay a moment to let him
know if you were taken ill; to send word
promptly, and I have obeyed."
214
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"And he will soon be here to see this, hig
first grandson! I am so glad I could give
him one," she exclaimed in tones of delight.
"As I am," responded Chester. "But, love,
don't talk any more just now, but try for
a nap such as the tiny newcomer seems to be
taking."
"I will, if only to please and satisfy you,
my dear husband," she returned with a happy
little laugh, and almost instantly passed into
the land of dreams, while Chester softly with
drew from the room, leaving her in the charge
of a skilful, trustworthy nurse.
He found Eva with her baby and Marian
and the doctors on the front veranda.
"You are looking very happy, Chester,"
laughed Dr. Herbert ; "almost as if you had
fallen into a fortune since I came here this
morning."
"Pretty much as I feel," returned Chester,
his countenance telling more of joy and
thankfulness than his tongue. "Lu has fallen
into a comfortable sleep," he went on. "The
215
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
little newcomer seems to be as welcome to her
as to me."
"And I think my wife and I can fully ap
preciate her and your joy over him," said
Dr. Conly, exchanging an affectionate, smil
ing glance with his Marian.
"The 'phone has already carried the news
to all our relatives in this neighborhood and
brought pleased and congratulatory replies,"
said Herbert; "and you 'phoned her father,
did you not, Chester ?"
"Yes," replied Chester; "and there, no
doubt, comes his response," he added, as the
ringing of his telephone bell was heard at that
moment, "so now we may learn how he feels
about it," and he hastened to the instrument,
the others following, all eager to learn what
the message from the absent dear ones might
be.
The captain's own breathed of thankfulness
and ardent parental love for his dear daugh
ter, who, he hoped, would soon be well and
strong. He was glad to have a grandson, and
216
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
appreciated the naming of the child for
him.
"A most kind, affectionate message," re
marked Chester, with a sigh of satisfaction
as he turned from the instrument to Eva
and the others. "Lu will be pleased when I
tell her what her father says. How she does
love and cling to him! I am glad, indeed,
that we may hope to see him and all the party
here again in a few weeks."
"So am I," said Dr. Conly; "and in the
meantime we will do our best to bring Lu
safely on to her usual robust health and
strength."
"And to have her son in like flourishing con
dition," added Dr. Herbert with genial look
and smile directed to the father of the little
lad.
21T
CHAPTER XVI
CAPTAIN RAYMOND was sitting alone in the
library at Viamede, busily engaged in exam-
ining and answering letters received by that
morning's mail when the telephone brought
him Chester's message in regard to Lucilla
her illness and the birth of their little son.
It was news of deepest interest and impor
tance to the loving, anxious father. He
answered at once, then went out into the
grounds to seek his wife, who, with Elsie and
Ned, had remained at home while the rest
of their party and neighbor friends had gone
off on various excursions by land or water.
Ned was not yet strong enough to be con
tinually on the go, and his parents and sister
had elected to stay at home with him on this
occasion. Violet was now sitting under the
orange-trees with a child on each side, who
were listening with .keen interest to a story
218
which she was reading to them. She paused
at the sound of her husband's footsteps, and
looking up into his face laughingly exclaimed,
"Why, how happy you look, my dear ! Have
you good news ?"
"Yes, love," he replied. "I have a grand
son ; and mother and child seem to be doing
well."
"Oh, papa ! a grandson. Why, whose baby
is it? Another for Eva?" queried Elsie in
great excitement.
"No ; it is your sister Lu who is the mother
this time, and Chester is its father."
"Oh, a dear little boy! I wish we were
there to see him," cried Ned.
"I hope to take you there in a few weeks,"
returned his father with a pleased smile.
"We won't delay much longer, for I should
really like a sight of the little fellow myself."
"As I certainly should," said Violet. "Dear
Lu ! I have no doubt she is very happy over
it. And they have named him for you,
haven't they, Levis ?"
219
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, my dear; for me, his only living
grandsire," returned the captain, tone and
accompanying smile both showing the pleas
ure he felt in being thus affectionately
remembered by both parents of the little
one.
"Yes, so you are; and I should have been
exceedingly surprised had they given the
child any other name ; for Lu loves you with
all her heart, and Chester seems to feel quite
as if you were his own father."
"I believe that is so," returned the captain,
his tone and countenance expressing satis
faction. "I am fortunate as concerns sons-
in-law, except in the mixture of relationship
in the gaining of the last, and that seems
to work well enough thus far."
"I think it does, and it has ceased to trouble
me," said Violet. "But this news makes me
feel like hurrying home to Woodburn, and I
am sure will have that effect upon Grace when
she hears it."
"I dare say," assented the captain; "and I
220
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
think we need not linger here longer than
another fortnight."
"I am so glad," cried Grace when she heard
the news. "Lu wanted to give you your first
grandson, and now she has got her wish."
"I fully appreciate the affection whicK
prompted the wish, and am glad, especially
for her sake, that it has been granted," re
turned the captain with a look that said even
more than the words.
"As I am," said Dr. Harold ; "especially as
I know that it was Chester's wish as much as
hers."
The Torriswood folk had come in with the
Travillas, and now expressed their gratifica
tion at the news.
"A little nephew for us," exclaimed Maud.
"And I am glad for Chester as well as Lu,
as it seems he wanted it; but I'm glad our
baby is a girl that we could name for dear
Cousin Elsie," giving a warmly loving look
to Grandma Elsie as she spoke.
"As I am," said her husband, adding, "and
221
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
I only hope that a close resemblance in both
looks and character may accompany the
name."
"As I do in regard to my little darling,"
said Sidney and Dr. Johnson, speaking simul
taneously; then they laughed, and Sidney
added, "I shall write to the happy parents,
offering my warm congratulations."
"And I shall do likewise," said Maud, "tell
ing them I am glad I am aunt to the wonder
ful little chap."
"And I shall write to Lu that she may con
sider me both his cousin and his grandma,"
laughed Violet.
"Oh, mamma," exclaimed her daughter
Elsie, "you know I don't like to have you
called a grandma. It sounds as if you were
old, and you are not at all old."
"Well, dear child, you needn't mind. It
won't make me a day older," laughed Violet.
"Nor me, although it would seem to make
me a great-grandmother," added Grandma
Elsie pleasantly.
222
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"While no one would suspect you from your
looks of being even a grandmother," re
marked the captain gallantly.
"No" said Dr. Percival ; "I have seen many
much younger women who looked a great deal
older."
"Oh, Dick, Dick, Cousin Dick, don't turn
flatterer," she laughed, though looking not at
all displeased. "Though I am not very sorry
to hear such flattering remarks, as they are
evidently pleasing to my children."
"Indeed they are," said Violet; "all the
more so because we see that they are perfectly
truthful."
"Well, it is high time that we busy doctors
and proposed letter writers were going home,"
said Dr. Percival, rising to take leave.
"Yes," said Maud, following his example,
"especially as Elsie P. and Elsie J. must be
wanting their mothers by this time."
"So we are off for Torriswood," said Sidney.
"G-ood-by, dear friends and relatives, till next
time. We hope to have this call returned
223
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
this evening or to-morrow morning," and
with that the four took their departure.
"And I must write at once to dear Lu a
letter of warm congratulation," said Grace,
following her father into the library, and
being herself followed by Dr. Harold, an
nouncing his intention to do likewise.
They were all letters which, when received
by Lucilla, seemed to her very sweet and re
freshing, her father's even more so than
either of the other two. But before they
reached her she and Chester had had several
messages from him by telegram or telephone.
And all these were shared with Evelyn, Lu-
cilla's constant, loved companion and dear
sister. Most of them also by the nearby
friends and relatives, whose love and sym
pathy were shown by almost daily calls and
hours of pleasant intercourse.
No one came oftener or showed more sym
pathy and kindness than Zoe, Mrs. Edward
Travilla.
"I am glad for you, Lu, that your baby is a
224
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
boy, since that was what you wanted," she
remarked to Lucilla one day; "but for my
part, if I have another child I hope it may
be a girl, so that I can name it for mamma.
She is and has always been such a dear, kind
mother to me."
"Yes, she is certainly one of the dearest and
sweetest of women," responded Lucilla
heartily ; "but there are so many Elsies that it
really seems a little confusing. I believe I
should rather like to have one myself if that
were not the case," she added laughingly,
"for I do dearly love Grandma Elsie, as I
have been used to calling her. My, what a
mixed-up set we are becoming! For, as you
know, she is mother now to my sister Grace."
"Who, to my delight, is my sister now, since
she is the wife of my husband's brother," re
turned Zoe exultingly.
"And mine, since I am the wife of her
brother," laughed Evelyn. "Oh, we are a
mixed-up set, but perhaps none the less happy
and well off for that."
225
"No, I think not," said Zoe.
"And I am quite sure of it," said Lucilla;
"and as my husband is a distant relative of
yours, Zoe, you and I can claim kin, can't
we?"
"Yes, and we will. We will call ourselves
cousins from this time forward."
"And as my Aunt Elsie, Grandma Elsie's
oldest daughter, is sister to your husband,
can't you and I claim kin, Zoe?" asked
Evelyn.
"Certainly," promptly replied Zoe ; "we will
consider ourselves cousins now."
"So we will ; it is a very comfortable way to
settle matters," laughed Evelyn. "We have
been calling you Aunt Zoe, but you are too
young for that, and we have been growing
up to you in age."
"So you have. Well, how soon do you ex
pect our kith and kin to come from Viamede
to their more northern homes ?"
"Father says in two or three weeks," replied
Lucilla, "and I hope I shall be allowed to sit
226
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
up by that time. Oh, you don't know how I
long to show him my little Ray of Sunshine 1"
she added, gently patting the sleeping babe
by her side. "Oh, both Chester and I want
very much to have him resemble his grand
father, my dear father, in looks, character
and everything."
"As I hope and believe he will," said Zoe in
tones of sympathy and encouragement.
227
CHAPTER XVII
&T Viamede, Chester's daily message by
'phone or telegraph was eagerly awaited and
greatly rejoiced over, as it reported steady
improvement in Lucilla's health, constant
gaining in strength, and the new baby also in
most flourishing condition. All wanted to see
him; no one more than Grace, who felt
that the child of her beloved only own sister
must and would be very near and dear to her,
while to the others he was fully as near and
dear as darling Baby Mary.
They would have returned home immedi
ately but for the fact that Dr. Harold and his
brother physicians considered it safer for both
Grace and Ned to remain in the warmer
climate until some day late in May.
The older Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore and the
Oaks and Fairview families went home some
what earlier, travelling by rail, but Mr. and
228
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Mrs. Lilburn accepted an invitation to return
in the Dolphin, as did Grandma Elsie ; and,
of course, Grace and Harold were to be pas
sengers in her, making with Violet, her two
children, and the captain himself quite a
party much the same party that had come
in her.
During these weeks of waiting they con
tinued their pleasant little excursions by land
and water and their sociable evening parties
on the veranda, or out under the trees, gen
erally enlivened by exhibitions of Cousin
Ronald's ventriloquial skill, or made interest
ing by a bit of history or some sort of story
told by Captain Raymond.
On Sunday mornings they all attended
church and heard a sermon by their pastor,
the Rev. Cyril Keith, and in the afternoon
the colored people were invited to assemble on
the lawn, when the captain would give them a
brief and plain discourse about the dear Lord
Jesus and His dying love, making the way
of salvation very clear and plain. They
229
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
would have prayer, too, and the singing of
gospel hymns, the colored people joining in
with fervor and in many cases rich melody,
having beautiful voices.
In the evening the captain would catechise
his own children, and there would be religious
conversation and the singing of hymns. They
were sweet, peaceful, improving Sabbaths, en
joyable at the time and pleasant to look back
upon. It was on a lovely morning in the
latter part of May that they left beautiful
Viamede and sailed away for their more
northern homes, going with mingled feelings
of joy and sorrow, for who could leave Via
mede or part with the dear relatives in that
region without regret ? Or who could fail to
rejoice in the prospect of soon seeing the
sweet homes for which they were now bound
and the tenderly loved ones there?
Harold was very happy in the consciousness
of being able to take both Grace and Ned
back to their home in almost perfect health,
and very careful was he to watch against any
230
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
exposure for them to wind or weather that
might result in the renewal of any of their
ailments. When the weather was bright,
clear and not too cold he encouraged them
to be on the deck in the bracing air, but in
cloudy or damp weather insisted on their re
maining below in saloon or stateroom.
At such times Grandma Elsie, Cousin Ron
ald or the captain would be called upon to
provide entertainment, and one or another
was sure to comply.
"Papa," said Elsie Raymond on one of these
occasions, "I should like it very much if you
would give us a little history of Texas."
"If I should attempt to give you all its
history it would be a very long story," he
said with a smile; "but I shall give a brief
outline and try to make it interesting, for I
want you to have some knowledge of the early
history of each of our States.
"A colony of Frenchmen were the first
whites who settled in Texas. They were led
by La Salle. He meant to found a colony;
231
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
near the mouth of the Mississippi, but by
mistake entered Matagorda Bay, went five or
six miles up the Lavaca, and there built Fort
St. Louis. That was about the year 1686.
In the spring of the next year he was mur
dered by his men. They had been quarrel
ling and killing each other, and when the
Indians heard of the death of La Salle they
attacked the fort and killed all the men left
but four, whom they carried into captivity.
Some two years later a Spanish expedition
sailed into Matagorda Bay, intending to drive
away the French, but found they were gone
and their fort destroyed. A few years after
ward several settlements were made in that
State what is now that State by the Span
iards, but soon abandoned because of Indian
hostilities.
"It seems that both the Spaniards and
French considered the province their own,
though it did not really belong to either of
them, for the Indians were the rightful
owners. In 1712, Louis XIV. of France
232
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
granted it to Crozat, the man to whom he had
granted Louisiana. That so alarmed the
Spaniards in Mexico that they promptly
made numerous settlements in Texas, think
ing in that way to secure the province for
themselves. The French tried to expel them,
but did not succeed.
''Some years later four hundred families
were sent by the Spanish Government from
the Canary Isles to Texas, and joined there
by others from Mexico. These founded the
city of San Antonio.
"For some time the Indians of Texas and
Louisiana were very troublesome, but in 1732
the Spaniards defeated them in a great battle,
and so quieted them for some years.
"You know our Revolutionary War began
in 1775. Spain declared war against Eng
land in 1779 and carried on active hostilities
against the British on the Mississippi. Then
a prosperous trade was carried on between
the Spanish settlement of Natchez, in Missis
sippi, and the interior of Texas, and became
233
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the means of making that province known
to the Americans.
"After the United States came into posses
sion of Louisiana, a treaty between them and
Spain fixed the Sabine River as the eastern
boundary of Texas upon the gulf. West of
that river was a tract called the Neutral
Ground, occupied by bands of outlaws and
desperate men, who lived by robbery and
plunder. The Spanish authorities had tried
to expel them, but could not. Our govern
ment sent a force against them and drove
them away, but they came back and went on
with their robberies.
"About that time a civil war was raging in
Mexico, and that favored the plans of a man
who wanted to conquer Texas to the Rio
Grande and establish a republican govern
ment. There was a good deal of fighting and
much slaughter of both Americans and Span
iards, the latter being victors in the end ; but
I shall not go into particulars at this time,
but leave you young people to read the whole
234
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
sad story when you are older. For years it
was fighting, wounding, killing, the Mexicans
murdering many Americans in cold blood
after they had surrendered as prisoners of
war. But at last the independence of Texas
was secured. And after a little she asked to
be annexed to the United States, which re
quest was finally granted. By a joint resolu
tion of Congress she was annexed to the
Union on February 28, 1845."
"She seceded in the time of the Civil War,
did she not, papa?" asked Grace.
"Yes," he replied ; "but was readmitted into
the Union in March, 1870."
"Texas is a very big State, isn't it, papa 3"
asked Elsie.
"Yes, the largest of all our States," he re
plied ; "and it has every variety of surface
plain, mountain, hill and desert. Its coast
is lined with a chain of low islands, forming
a series of bays, lagoons and sounds. There
are a number of rivers, several of them very
long; 1800 miles is the length of the Rio
235
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Grande, which is the largest of them. It
forms the southwestern boundary. There is
a salt lake near it, from which large quan
tities of salt are taken every year."
"The climate is warm, is it not, papa?"
asked Grace.
"Yes," he said; "it claims to be called the
Italy of America. It has a delightful, un
wavering summer sea breeze and the nights
are always cool enough to make a blanket
acceptable, even when the day has been
oppressively hot. But now that surely is
enough of that one State for to-day."
"Yes, papa, and many thanks to you for
giving us so interesting an account," said
Grace. Elsie and Ned added their thanks,
then Elsie took up a book, and Ned went to
his berth for a nap.
236
CHAPTEE XVHI
GRANDMA ELSIE, Violet and Grace were all
sewing on some delicate pink silk material,
trimming it with bows of ribbon of the same
color and duchess lace. Young Elsie pres
ently drew near and asked what they were
making.
"Guess," laughed her mother. "What does
it look like?"
"As if it might be going to be a baby
afghan," ventured the little girl. "Oh, is it
one for Sister Lu's new baby ?"
"It is," returned her mother; "you must
indeed be a bit of a Yankee to guess so
well."
"I believe I am, as papa says he is one/'
replied Elsie. "I hope it will be as pretty
as the one you made for Baby Mary's car
riage. Oh, are you going to give little Kay
a carriage, too ?"
237
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, indeed; we must do all for him that
we did for his little cousin."
"But you use different colors, so that they
will always know which is which, don't you,
mamma ?"
"Yes, for that reason and because of the
different complexions of the" two children.
Mary is fair, golden haired and has blue eyes,
while Ray has his mother's dark eyes and
hair."
"Oh, yes, and I think it's nice that they
differ in that way, and really suppose one is
just about as pretty as the other. Anyhow,
I expect to think so, because I'm aunt to both
of them."
"That's right," laughed her mother ; "be as
impartial as you can."
"Mary we know to be a dear little thing,
whom no one with any heart could help lov
ing," said Grandma Elsie, "and I am pretty
certain we will find Ray equally lovable/'
"And isn't he some relation to you, grand
ma ?" asked Elsie.
238
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, through his father, who is a Dins-
more a cousin of mine. Lucilla's married
name is the same as was my maiden name."
"And Lu is my sister, and that makes me
aunt to the dear little fellow, just as I am
to Brother Max's little daughter. I think
it's nice to be aunt to such dear babies."
From that time on Elsie watched with great
interest the work of getting the little coach
quite ready for its intended baby owner,
which was entirely completed before the
Dolphin reached the dock at Uniontown.
Meantime, great preparations for the coming
of her passengers had been going on at Wood-
burn, Ion, the Laurels, Riverside, Fairview,
Eoselands, Sunnyside and Beechwood. Nearly
all the relatives from those places met them
on the landing, ready to convey them to their
homes, or wherever they might want to go.
But that was to Woodburn for all, the cap
tain told them, great preparations having
been made there, by his orders sent on some
days previously, for a grand welcoming feast.
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The Woodburn and Sunnyside carriages
were in waiting, were entered as soon as the
glad greetings had been exchanged, and all
went on their way rejoicing.
Lucilla, now quite able to be up and about,
was there in the library, with her babe sleep
ing in a crib by her side. She would stay
there, she told Eva, who, with her baby, sat
there with her; that she would want her
father to come to her there and see her and
Ray alone before she should meet the others.
"I want a private interview first, if only for
five minutes," she said. "Then I shall be
ready and glad to see the others."
"I shall see that it is as you wish, dear
sister," said Evelyn, and she kept her word.
The captain met her and Baby Mary as he
stepped upon the veranda, gave a warm em
brace to each, then sent a hurried glance
around, evidently in search of Lucilla.
"Sister Lu wants to see you alone first,
father, and show you her baby boy your
first grandson with no one else to look on,"
240
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Evelyn said with a smile. "She is in the
library waiting for you."
"Ah, yes, that is well," he said, and hastened
there while the others were still engaged in
the exchange of greetings.
As he entered Lucilla started to her feet
with a glad cry, "Oh, father, father, my own
dear father!"
He caught her in his arms and held her fast,
caressing her with exceeding tenderness.
"'My darling, my own dear, dear child. God
be thanked that I come home to find you here,
restored to usual health and strength."
"And you, father? You are well?" she
asked, looking lovingly into his eyes.
"Quite well, daughter mine," he answered
with another tender caress, "and if I were
not, the sight of this dear child of mine would
be almost enough to make me so."
"And the sight of your new grandchild, your
first grandson, might help the cure, might it
not?" she answered with a proud, joyful
glance directed at the tiny sleeper in the crib*
241
ELSIE "AND HER NAMESAKES
"Ah, what a darling!" her father said, re
leasing her and leaning over the crib. "His
grandfather's heart has wide room in it for
him. He is a beautiful babe in his grand-
eire's eyes, a dear one to his grandfather's
heart. I feel very rich with two lovely grand
children."
"May I come in?" asked Violet's voice at
the door.
"Oh, yes, indeed, Mamma Vi," answered
Lucilla in joyous tones. "How glad I am
to have you at home again," she added as they
exchanged a hearty embrace. "Now come
and look at my baby boy, my little Ray of
Sunshine, from Sunnyside," she added with
a gleeful laugh.
Violet's expressed admiration was quite
equal to the mother's wishes. "Oh, he is a
lovely little fellow!" she exclaimed, leaning
over the crib as his grandfather had done;
"and it's so fortunate that it is a boy, so that
now we have both granddaughter and grand-
ion."
242
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Just then Grace's voice at the door asked,
"May I come in ?"
"Indeed you may!" cried Lucilla, running
to meet her with delighted look and out
stretched arms. "Oh, Gracie dear, how I
have been longing for you, to see your dear
face and show you my new treasure, my son
and your nephew. Come and look at him."
The words were accompanied by an ardent
embrace each to the other, then Lucilla drew
Grace to the side of the crib, the captain and
Violet making room for her there, and bend
ing over it she exclaimed, "Oh, Lu, what a
darling, beautiful little fellow! As pretty,
as lovely and sweet looking as Max and Eva's
little Mary, whom we all love so dearly."
Just then other voices were heard at the
door, asking permission to enter, familiar
voices those of Dr. Harold, Elsie and
Ned and it being granted, the children
rushed in, the doctor following with the baby
carriage that had been trimmed on board
the Dolphin.
243
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"A gift for that young gentleman from
his loving grandsire, Mrs. Dinsmore,"
he announced with a graceful bow to
Lucilla,
"Oh," she cried, clapping her hands in de
light, "what a beauty! Thank you, father
dear, and you, too, Mamma Vi, and Sister
Grace, for the beautiful work is yours, I
know. Oh, how good and kind you all are
to me and my baby boy !" She was gloating
over the pretty little vehicle and its adorn
ment as she spoke. "What lovely lace and
ribbons, the colors exactly such as will show
off to the best advantage my baby boy's com
plexion, hair and eyes. It is a delightful
surprise, for I was not expecting anything of
the kind."
"I am very glad it pleases you, my dear
daughter," her father said, with his own kind
emile, and laying a hand affectionately upon
her shoulder.
'"As I am," said Violet; "and I want yon
lo know that mamma helped largely with* the
244
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
work of trimming the little coach. Your
baby boy is related to her, she says."
"Yes, and I am glad to know it," smiled
Lucilla; "and glad that my marriage gives
me some small claim to relationship to her.
!No one could have a right to claim it to a
better, lovelier, dearer person."
"That is true, daughter," the captain said
with emotion.
At that moment Chester came in with a
pleased and cordial welcome to the returned
travellers, and presently all went out together
to join the others returned travellers, dear
relatives and welcome guests.
To Grandma Elsie Lucilla gave the warm
est of greetings and thanks for her share in
trimming the lovely little coach for her baby
boy.
"You are very welcome, my dear; it was a
labor of love," was the gentle-spoken, smiling
response.
There were hearty greetings, loving caresses,
merry jests and happy laughter. No one waa
245
ELSIE r AND HER NAMESAKES
weary, for voyaging in Captain Raymond's
well-conditioned, well-furnished yacht was no
strain upon the physical nature ; his late pas
sengers were, therefore, in prime condition,
as were the other guests, coming from luxuri
ous homes and not weary and worn with toil
beyond their strength.
But soon came the call to the hospitable
board, laden with all the luxuries of the land
and season, to which they brought good,
healthful appetites and where were enjoyed
also to the full the pleasures of social inter
course between those nearly related and of
similar views and temperament. And that
last went on after they had left the table for
parlors and porches.
But at length the guests began to bid adieu
until all had departed except the Sunnyside
folk, who still sat on the veranda with the
immediate Woodburn family. The babies
were both awake now, each resting on its
mother's lap or in her arms.
"I feel very rich with two sueK grandchil-
246
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
dren," observed the captain, glancing with a
happy smile from one to the other.
"As we do, though they are not our grand
children," laughed Chester. "Don't we, Lu
and Eva ?"
Both ladies replied in the affirmative, each
looking down with intense, joyful affection
upon her little one.
"I should think you might, because they are
both so pretty, sweet and good," remarked
their young aunt Elsie.
"Of course they are, and I'm glad to be their
UMcle," said ISTed.
"As I am to be yours," said Dr. Harold,
drawing him to a seat upon his knee. "Are
you glad to be at home again ?"
"Yes, sir ; and glad that you are to live here
in our house now, instead of taking Gracie
away from us to some other place."
"I should be sorry, indeed, to take her away
from you and the rest of the family here,
and I don't think I shall ever carry her G&
very far from you and the others who lovo
247
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
her so dearly," replied Harold; "but you
wouldn't mind my going, if I left her behind
with you, would you ?"
"Why of course I should, uncle doctor. I
might get sick again and perhaps die if I
hadn't you to cure me."
"Oh, that needn't follow while you have
your other uncles my brother Herbert and
Dr. Arthur Conly. Either of them would
be as likely to succeed in curing you as I."
"By the blessing of God upon their efforts,"
said the captain. "But without that no one
could succeed."
"Most true, sir, and I did not mean to ignore
that undeniable and important fact," said Dr.
Harold. "I never use a remedy without
craving His blessing upon it, and I desire
to give to Him all the glory and the praise."
"Yes, we know you do, brother dear," said
Violet, "and that is why we are so ready to
trust our dear ones to your care when they
are ill."
"And please understand that I was not
248
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
doubting that or your knowledge or skill,"
added Captain Raymond with most cordial
look and tone.
Just then a colored man was seen coming
up the driveway with two little monkeys in
his arms.
"Oh," cried the children in delighted chorus,
"there are our tee-tees. Ajax has brought
them from Ion." And they ran to meet him,
holding out their arms to their pets.
"Yaas, little massa and missus, I'se brung
um, an' I reckon dey's glad to come," re
turned Ajax, loosening his hold, when the
little fellows sprang from his arms to those
of their young master and mistress, who at
once carried them up into the veranda and ex
hibited them with great pride and pleasure,
while the captain stepped down to the side of
Ajax and rewarded him liberallv for the ser
vice done; thanking him, too, and bidding him
carry warm thanks to those who had cared
for the little animals and returned them ia
prime condition.
249
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"We are so glad to get them back, the dear,
funny little fellows," remarked Elsie to Lu-
cilla and Evelyn; "and they will make fun
for our little nephew and niece when they are
old enough to understand and enjoy it."
"Thank you, Elsie dear," returned Eva with
her own sweet smile.
"You are very kind, Sister Elsie, to begin
so soon to think of amusement for our babies,"
laughed Lucilla, "and I hope you and !N"ed
may be able to keep your monkeys alive and
well till they are old enough to enjoy them."
"Yes, indeed, I hope so," responded Elsie.
<f l want both Mary and Ray to have lots of
fun when they are old enough for it."
"Yes," said Dr. Harold, "I am always in
favor of timely, innocent fun as a great pro
moter of health."
"Yes," said Lucilla, " 'laugh and grow fat*
is an old adage, and we'll try to have our
babies do it, won't we, Eva ?"
"I certainly intend to do all I can to make
my darling bit lassie botK healthy and happy/'
250
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
returned Evelyn, looking down with a tender,
loving smile at the little one on her knee.
"But fun and frolic need not fill up all the
time. There is a quiet kind of happiness that
would be better as a steady diet, I think, than
constant frolic and fun. I hope she will be
a contented little body, for there is much
truth and wisdom in that other old adage,
'Contentment is better than wealth/ "
Both Violet and the captain expressed warm
approval of her sentiments, as did Lucilla,
Chester and Dr. Harold also.
"But I'd like to have some fun now with
our tee-tees," said Ned, stroking and patting
his as he held it in his arms. "I wish we had
Max or Cousin Ronald here to make them
talk."
"I'd wish so, too, if it would do any good,"
said Elsie.
"No," laughed Lucilla, "it wouldn't, and
I am reminded of the old saying, 'If wishes
were horses, then beggars might ride.' '
"As you two are so glad to get your tee-tees
251
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
back again, don't you feel sorry for Lily and
Laurie, that they had to part with them?"
asked Violet.
"Yes, mamma," replied Ned, "I do; but
they have had them a good while."
"I'm sorry for them," Elsie said in a regret
ful tone, "and I wish we could buy them
tee-tees or something else that they'd like just
as well."
"Perhaps we can," said their father. "We
will think about it."
"Oh, papa, I'm glad to hear you say that,"
she said in joyous tones, "for I do feel sorry
for them."
"And so do I," said Ned ; "sorry enough to
give all the pocket money I have now to buy
them something nice."
252
CHAPTEK XIX
'AT Ion was now gathered as pleasant m
family party as that now in session at Wood-
burn. Grandma Elsie was there with her
father and his wife, her son Edward with
Zoe, his wife, and their two children, the
twins Laurie and Lily, Ion being their home.
Herbert and Walter were also present, and
all the Fairview folk ; for Mrs. Elsie Leland
wanted a chat on family affairs and relatives
with her mother, whom, until to-day, she had
not seen for several weeks ; such a chat as they
could not well take in the larger company
of relatives and friends whose society they
had just been enjoying at Woodburn. And
Mr. Leland and his little daughters had
naturally accompanied the wife and mother,
knowing that they were always welcome
guests at Ion.
They seemed to be enjoying themselves, &&
2S3
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
older ones in a quiet, cheerful way, the
younger ones, gathered in a separate group
at the farther end of the veranda, with a good
deal of fun and frolic until Ajax was seen,
coming round the corner of the house with
the two little tee-tees in his arms and passing
down the driveway in the direction of the
front entrance to the grounds.
"Ajax, what are you doing with those little
monkeys? Where are you taking them?'*
cried Lily, hurrying down the steps and run
ning after him.
"Ober to Woodburn, where dey b'long, Miss
Lily," he answered, pausing in his walk and
turning toward her.
"Oh, I wish you wouldn't. I was most in
hopes they'd let us keep them. They are such
funny little fellows, I don't like to give them
up."
"But I'se tole to take 'em dar, an' I'se got to
do it," replied Ajax in a regretful tone. "I'll
fetcH 'em back hyar ef de Woodburn folks
low me to."
254
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
"But they won't. They'll be sure to keep
them if they're there," sobbed the little girl,
tears rolling down her cheeks.
But even as she spoke a hand was laid gently
on her shoulder, and her father's voice said
in kindest tones, "Don't cry, daughter dear.
We must let the tee-tees go home to their
owners, but you and Laurie shall have other
pets in place of them. I have a pretty
Maltese kitten bought for you and a fine
dog for your brother. Come back to the
veranda and these new pets shall be brought
out."
"Oh, papa, how nice! Thank you ever so
much!" cried Lily, brushing away her tears
and putting her hand in his to be led back
to the veranda, where the new pets were
speedily produced, to the evident delight of
the young owners and the admiration of their
guests.
And when Ajax returned with Captain Ray
mond's kindly expressed thanks, Lily's grief
seemed fully assuaged.
255
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
The older people, who had paused in their
more important conversation to observe what
was going on among the children, now re
sumed it, Grandma Elsie asking Walter of his
engagements during the past winter. He re
plied that he had been busy with his studies,
but had found some time for missionary work,
especially on the Sabbath, among the poor
and degraded, particularly foreigners of the
lower class.
"And, mother," he added, "I have quite de
cided that I want to go into the ministry.
I want to be a missionary to the poor and
needy, the ignorant and helpless."
"My dear son," she replied with emotion,
"how glad I am to hear it ! I want you to be
a winner of souls, a helper of the helpless,
in this, your own land, or in some other;
preferably this, because you will be nearer
to me and I can see you oftener."
"Yes, mother," he returned, "and I think
I could hardly find a better field than among
the mountains of Kentucky or Tennessee."
256
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"No, I don't believe you could," said his
grandfather approvingly. "Those moun
taineers are our own people, destitute as re
gards both temporal and spiritual things, and
have a prior claim to that of those in heathen
lands; and love for our land and nation
should draw us strongly to their aid,
even if we did not care for their eternal
salvation."
Others in the little company gave expression
to similar views and feelings, then they dis
cussed ways and means of helping the work
already going on among those mountaineers,
and there was a general expression of inten
tion to do more for that corner of the Lord's
vineyard than they had ever yet done.
"And by way of carrying out our intentions,
suppose we take up a collection now," sug
gested Edward Travilla.
"I doubt if that would be our wisest course
if we want to give liberally," remarked his
sister Elsie, "for I presume no one has much
in hand at this moment."
257
ELSIE AND BEE NAMESAKES
"So I dare say our motto just now would
better be a lazy one, 'Not to-day, we'll do it
to-morrow," laughed Zoe.
"Yes; let us appoint a collector for to
morrow," said her husband. "I propose
Walter for the job. All in favor say 'aye.' "
An invitation which all immediately ac
cepted.
"I am quite willing," he said, "and shall in
clude Woodbnrn folks and maybe some of the
other nearby relatives in my list of hoped-for
and tried-for subscribers. I expect to beg in
good season to-morrow morning. So please
all be ready for prompt compliance with my
solicitation."
Then Mr. Dinsmore suggested that it might
be well now to have the evening family de
votions ere the young folks grew too weary
and sleepy to enjoy a share in them, and in
response all were called within doors and the
service held.
About the same time similar services were
going on at Woodburn, after whicH the Sun-
258
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
njside folk bade good-night and sought their
own homes, Chester drawing Ray in his new
coach and a servant doing a like service for
Baby Mary, her devoted mother walking close
by the side of the dainty little vehicle.
The next morning Chester set off for his
place of business at his usual hour, and just
as he disappeared down the road, Lucilla, still
standing upon the veranda, saw, to her de
light, her father approaching from Wood-
burn.
"Oh, father," she cried, "I am so glad to
see you."
"Are you?" he said, coming up the steps
and taking her in his arms for a tender
caress; "well, daughter dear, the joy is
mutual. How is my little grandson this
morning ?"
"Well, I believe, father, but still asleep.
Won't you come in and have a cup of
coffee ?"
He accepted the invitation, and they chatted
together while she finished her breakfast,
259
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Chester's hurried departure having called her
away from the table a trifle too soon.
The nurse girl brought Ray in, ready
washed and dressed for the day, just as they
finished their meal.
"Give him to me," said the captain, and
taking him in his arms, carried him out to the
veranda, Lucilla following.
It was a warm morning, and they sat down
there side by side.
"To his grandfather he seems a lovely little
darling," the captain said, caressing the child
as he spoke. "Lucilla, my daughter, I hope
you will prove a good, kind, patient, faithful
mother, bringing him up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord."
"Oh, father," she replied in tones tremulous
with emotion, "I want to do so, but oh, you
know what a bad natural temper I have, and
I very much fear that I shall not always be
patient with him, dearly as I love him."
<f Watch and pray, daughter dear; ask the
Lord daily, hourly for strength, grace,
260
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
wisdom according to your need. God is the
hearer and answerer of prayer. He says,
'Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will
deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me.' Trust
in Him, and He will deliver you from the
power of the tempter and your own evil
nature."
"I will, father ; I do," she said ; "and it helps
and comforts me to know that you pray for
me; especially remembering that gracious,
precious promise of our Lord, 'If two of you
shall agree on earth, as touching anything
that they shall ask, it shall be done for them
of my Father which is in heaven.' '
"Yes, it is indeed a gracious, precious prom
ise, and can never fail," he said. "But now
I must go, daughter. Do you and Eva come
over to Woodburn again to-day as early as
may suit your convenience," he added, put
ting the child into her arms and giving to each
a good-by caress.
Shortly after breakfast at Ion that morning
Walter walked over to Fairview and called
261
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
upon the Lelands for their contributions for
the benefit of the Kentucky and Tennessee
mountaineers. All, father and mother to
youngest child, gave liberally in proportion
to their ability.
"Oh, I am delighted!" exclaimed Walter.
"I think I shall go on and present the cause
to all the kith and kin in this neighborhood."
"Do," said his sister; "there won't be one
who will not give according to his or her
ability. And when through with this, brother
dear, come here and pay us as long a visit as
you can."
"Thank you, I think I shall, especially if
you get mother to be here at the same time;
but I don't want to miss a minute of her
society."
"Which you cannot love better than I do,"
returned his sister, with a look that said more
than her words, "and as she is decidedly fond
of us both, I think she will not refuse to ac
company you here at my earnest request, or
to stay as long as you do."
262
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"No, indeed ; I am very sure she won't. I
am going back now to Ion, and mother will
go with me in the gig to drive round to the
home of each of our relatives and near con
nections in this neighborhood, and ask them
to give what they can or like to give to this
good object. We will take Woodburn last,
and get either Harold or the captain to put
the money in the right shape a check, I sup
pose and mail it so that it will reach the
spot as soon as possible."
With that Walter bade good-by and hastened
to carry out his programme, which he, with
his mother's help, did successfully, every one
solicited by them giving liberally to the good
cause, and the captain attending promptly
to the dispatch of the funds.
263
CHAPTER XX
THAT May day ended in a lovely evening,
warm enough to make outside air the most
agreeable, so directly after an early tea the
Woodburn family gathered upon the veranda,
where they were presently joined by the
Sunnyside folk, babies and all, who received
the warmest of welcomes, though they had
been absent from the older home but a few
hours.
Naturally the first topic of conversation re
lated to that day's visit from Grandma Elsie
and Walter and its main object the appeal
for help to the good work going on among
the mountaineers of Kentucky and Tennes-
nr\s\
P^d
"I am glad we were given the opportunity
to help it," remarked the captain. "It has
set me to thinking of the pioneers and early
264
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
settlers of that section of our land. Among
them Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton."
"Oh, papa, please tell us about them!" ex
claimed Elsie.
"Some time, daughter," he answered pleas
antly; "but the rest of this little company
may not care to hear the old stories repeated
just now."
At that there was a unanimous expression
of desire to do so, and he presently began.
"Simon Kenton's lifetime took in both our
wars with England, as he was born in 1755
and lived until April, 1836. Virginia was
his native State, but his father was Irish and
his mother Scotch. They were poor, and
Simon received but little education. At the
age of sixteen he had a fight with another
young fellow named William Veach about a
love affair. He thought he had killed Veach,
so fled over the Alleghanies. There he called
himself Simon Butler. He formed friend
ships with traders and hunters, among them
Simon Girty."
265
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Girty, that cruel, cruel wretch!" cried
Elsie. "How could anybody want to have
him for a friend?"
"He was a bad, cruel man," replied her
father, "but perhaps never had any good
teaching. His father had died and his
mother married again, and they were all taken
prisoners by the Indians and his step-father
burned at the stake when Simon Girty was
but five years old. It was three years before
he was released, and I do not know that he
ever had any education. Many cruel deeds
are told of him, but he was really a good
friend to Simon Kenton, and once saved him
from being burned at the stake by the
Indians.
"But to go back, Kenton was soon persuaded
by a young man named Yager, who had been
taken by the Western Indians when a child,
and spent a good many years among them,
to go with him to a land called by the Indians
Kan-tuc-kee, which he described as a most
delightful place.
266
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"They two, with a third young man named
Strader, set off in high spirits, expecting to
find a paradise. But they wandered througK
the wilderness for weeks hoping to find the
promised land, but without success. Then
they tried hunting and trapping for nearly
two years. But being discovered by the
Indians, they had to abandon those hunting
grounds and try elsewhere; but to tell of it
all would make too long a story.
"In 1778 Kenton joined Daniel Boone in
his expedition against the Indian town on
Paint Creek. On his return from that he
was sent by Colonel Bowman, with two com-
<fc
panions, to make observations upon the In
dian towns on Little Miami, the colonel con
sidering the idea of an expedition against
them. Kenton reached the spot in safety, and
if he had attended only to what he was sent
to do he might have succeeded well and been
very useful to the settlers in Kentucky, but
before leaving the towns he stole a number
of the Indians' horses.
267
"The Indians missed their horses early the
next morning, found the trail of those who
had taken them, and at once pursued after
them. Kenton and his companions soon
heard the cries of the Indians in their rear
and knew they were being pursued, so saw
the necessity of riding for their lives, which
they did, dashing through the woods at a
furious rate, with the hue and cry of the
Indians after them ringing in their ears ; but
suddenly they came to an impenetrable
swamp.
"There they paused a few moments, listen
ing for the sounds of pursuit; but hearing
none, they started on again, skirted the
swamp for some distance, hoping to be able
to cross it, but finding they could not, they
dashed on in a straight line for the Ohio.
For forty-eight hours they continued their
furious speed, halting only once or twice for
a few minutes to eat a little, and reached the
Ohio in safety. But there they had to pause
and consider what to do, for the river was
268
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
high and rough and the jaded horses could
not be induced to try to swim it. The men
might yet have escaped if they had only aban
doned the horses ; but that Kenton could not
make up his mind to do. He and his com
panions consulted over the matter, and feel
ing sure that they were as much as twelve
hours in advance of their Indian pursuers,
they decided to conceal the horses in the near
by ravine and themselves in an adjoining
wood, hoping that by sunset the high wind
would abate and the river become quiet
enough for them to cross safely with the
animals.
"But when the waited-for time came the
wind was higher and the water rougher than
ever. Still they stayed where they were
through the night. The next morning was
mild, and they heard no sound of pursuing
Indians, so they again tried to urge the
horses over the river. But the animals
seemed to remember its condition on the pre
vious day, and could not be induced to go into
it at alL 269
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"It was quite a drove of horses they had
stolen, but now they found they must aban
don all but the three they could mount; so
that they did, and started down the river,
with the intention to keep the Ohio and Indi
ana side till they should arrive opposite
Louisville.
"But they had waited too long, and even now
were slow in carrying out their intention.
They had not gone more than a hundred
yards on their horses when they heard a loud
halloo, coming apparently from the spot they
had just left. They could not escape; were
quickly surrounded by their pursuers, one of
Kenton's companions killed, the other, effect
ing his escape while Kenton was taken
prisoner, falling a victim to his love of
horses."
"I suppose he deserved it, as he had stolen
the horses," remarked Elsie.
"Yes," replied her father, "he had no more
right to steal from the Indians than from
white people, and his sin found him out."
270
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Did they kill him, papa ?" asked Ned.
"No; they kicked and cuffed him as much
as they cared to, then made him lie down
upon his back and stretch his arms to
their full length, passed a stout stick across
his breast and fastened his wrists to each ex
tremity of it by thongs of buffalo-hide. Then
they drove stakes into the ground near his
feet and fastened them in the same way.
After that they tied a halter round his neck
and fastened it to a sapling growing near.
Lastly they passed a strong rope under his
body, wound it several times round his arms
at the elbows, so lashing them to the stick
which lay across his breast, and to which his
wrists were fastened; all this in a manner
that was peculiarly painful. He could not
move at all, either feet, arms or head, and
was kept in that position till the next morn
ing. Then, as they wanted to go back to the
spot from which they had come, they un
fastened him, put him on the back of a wild,
unbroken colt, one of those he had stolen,
271
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
lashed him by the feet to it and tied his hands
behind him. And so he was driven into the
cruel captivity, a captivity which has been
spoken of as being as singular and remark
able in other respects as any in the whole
history of Indian warfare upon this con
tinent.
"Kenton refused with strange infatuation
to adopt proper measures for his safety while
he might have done so. With strange ob
stinacy he remained on the Ohio shore until
flight became useless. He was often at one
hour tantalized with a prospect of safety and
the next plunged into the deepest despair.
Eight times he had to run the gauntlet, three
times he was tied to a stake and thought him
self about to suffer a terrible death. Any
sentence passed upon him by one council,
whether to give him mercy or death, would
presently be reversed by another. Whenever
Providence raised up a friend in his favor,
some enemy immediately followed, unex
pectedly interposed and turned his glimpse
272
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
of sunshine into deeper darkness than ever.
For three weeks he was in that manner see
sawing between life and death."
"And did they kill him at last, papa ?" asked
Ned.
"No," replied the captain. "An Indian
agent of the name of Drewyer, who was
anxious to gain intelligence for the British
commander at Detroit in regard to the strength
and condition of the settlements in Kentucky,
got Kenton free from the Indians just as for
the fourth time they were about to bind him
to a stake and burn him. He (Drewyer) did
not get anything of importance out of Kenton,
who was three weeks later sent a prisoner to
Detroit, from which place he made his
escape in about eight months; then he went
back to Kentucky. He was very brave, a
valuable scout, a hardy woodsman, a good
Indian fighter. He performed many daring
feats as the friend and companion of Daniel
Boone, once saving his life in a conflict with
the Indians."
273
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Had not Logan something to do with Ken-
ton's rescue by that Canadian trader
Drewyer?" asked Harold, who had been
listening with interest to the captain's story.
"Yes," was the reply; "Logan, the Mingo
chief. At Detroit Kenton was held as a
prisoner of war, and there he worked for the
garrison at half pay, till he was aided by a
trader's wife to escape. That was in July,
1779. He commanded a battalion of Ken
tucky volunteers as major under General
Anthony Wayne in 1793-94, became brig
adier-general of Ohio militia in 1805, and
fought at the battle of the Thames in 1813."
"I hope his country rewarded his great
services as it ought," remarked Grace in tones
of inquiry.
"Ah!" replied her father, "I am sorry to
say that in his old age he was reduced to
poverty, the immense tracts of land which
he possessed being lost through the invasion
of settlers and his ignorance of law.
"In 1824 he went to Frankfort to petition
274
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
the legislature of Kentucky to release the
claim of the State upon some mountain land
owned by him. He was in tattered garments,
and his appearance excited ridicule, but on
being recognized by General Thomas
Fletcher, he was taken to the capitol, seated
in the speaker's chair, and introduced to a
large assembly as the second great adventurer
of the West. His lands were released and
a pension of $240 was procured for him from
Congress.
"He died near the spot where, fifty-eight
years before, he had escaped death at the
hands of the Indians. Kenton County, Ken
tucky, was named in his honor.
"Now let me read you a passage from a book
I was examining the other day, in which there
is an interesting account of Kenton's appear
ance and manner in his old age," said the
captain. "It is in the library, and I shall
be back with it in a moment."
Several of the younger ones in the little
company at once offered to do the errand
275
"EL'SIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
for him, but thanking them, and saying that
he could find it more readily than they, he
went in, and soon returned with the book
in his hand. Then he read aloud, " 'Kenton's
form, even under the weight of seventy-nine
years, is striking, and must have been a
model of manly strength and agility. His
eye is blue, mild and yet penetrating in its
glance. The forehead projects very much
at the eyebrows, which are well defined, and
then recedes, and is neither very high nor
very broad. His hair, which in active life
was light, is now quite gray; his nose is
straight, and his mouth before he lost hia
teeth must have been expressive and hand
some. I observed that he had yet one tooth,
which, in connection with his character and
manner of conversation, was continually re
minding me of Leatherstocking. The whole
face is remarkably expressive, not of turbu
lence or excitement, but rather of rumination
and self-possession. Simplicity, frankness,
honesty and strict regard to truth appeared
276
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
to be the prominent traits of his character.
In giving an answer to a question which my
friend asked him, I was particularly struck
with his truthfulness and simplicity. The
question was, whether the account of his life,
given in the "Sketches of Western Adven
ture" was true or not. "Well, I'll tell you, 1 "
said he, "not true. The book says that when
Blackfish, the Injun warrior, asked me, when
they had taken me prisoner, if Colonel Boone
sent me to steal their horses, I said 'JSTo, sir.'
Here he looked indignant and rose from his
chair. "I tell you I never said 'sir' to an
Injun in my life ; I scarcely ever say it to a
white man." Here Mrs. Kenton, who was
engaged in some domestic occupation at the
table, turned round and remarked that when
they were last in Kentucky some one gave
her the book to read to her husband, and that
when she came to that part he would not let
her read any further. "And I. tell you," con
tinued he, "I was never tied to a stake in my
life to be burned. They had me painted black
277
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
when I saw Girty, but not tied to a stake."
We are inclined to think, notwithstanding
this, that the statement in the Sketches of
his being three times tied to the stake is cor
rect, for the author of that interesting work
had' before him a manuscript account of the
pioneer's life, which had been dictated by Mr.
Kenton to a gentleman of Kentucky a num
ber of years before, when he had no motive
to exaggerate and his memory was compara
tively unimpaired. But he is now beyond the
reach of earthly toil, or trouble, or suffering.
His old age was as exemplary as his youth
and manhood had been active and useful.
And though his last years were clouded by
poverty, and his eyes closed in a miserable
cabin to the light of life, yet shall be occupy
a bright page in our border history and his
name soon open to the light of fame.' "
A slight pause followed the conclusion of
the captain's reading of the sketch of the life
of Kenton, then Grace said earnestly, "ThanK
you, father, for giving us so extended an ac-
278
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
count of Kenton's life and services to our
country. He deserved the kindly and grate
ful remembrance of his countrymen."
"So I think," said Harold, "and that he will
lever be forgotten. Poor fellow ! I am sorry
indeed that he was robbed of his lands, and
so spent his old age and died in poverty."
279
CHAPTEE XXI
THE next day was the Sabbath, the first since
the return of our friends from Viamede.
They attended, as usual, the morning ser
vices of the sanctuary, and in the afternoon
gathered upon the veranda at Woodburn for
the private, conversational study of some
scriptural theme.
"What is to be our lesson for to-day, cap
tain?" queried Mr. Lilburn when they had
seated themselves, each with Bible in hand.
"I have thought of the sacrificial shedding
of blood," was the reply. "Here in Hebrews
9 : 22, 'And almost all things are by the law
purged with blood ; and without shedding of
blood is no remission.' The blood of sacri
fices was typical of the atoning blood of
Christ. Paul tells us, 'Neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by His own blood He
entered in once into the holy place, having
280
EL8IE AND HER NAMESAKES
obtained eternal redemption for us. ...
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins
of many.' Now let us read in turn texts
bearing upon this great subject. Violet, my
dear, will you begin ?"
"Yes," she replied. "Matthew, Mark and
Luke each tell us of Jesus' words in giving
His disciples the cup of wine at His last sup
per on earth; He said to them, 'This is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many for the remission of sins.' '
It was now Harold's turn, and he read:
" 'Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have
no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I
will raise him up at the last day. For my
flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drink
eth my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.' '
It was now Grace's turn, and she read:
" 'Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and
281
'ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKE'S
to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made ye overseers to feed the church
of God, which He hath purchased with His
own blood/ '
Then Elsie read: " 'Whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in His
blood, to declare His righteousness for the
remission of sins that are past through the
forbearance of God.' '
Then ISTed : " 'Much more, then, being now
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through Him.' '
Grandma Elsie, sitting next, now read from
Ephesians : " 'But now in Christ Jesus ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by
the blood of Christ. ... In whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgive
ness of sins, according to the riches of His
grace.' "
Then Lucilla : " 'Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by His blood He entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us. For if the blood
282
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an
heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to
the purifying of the flesh, how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to
God, purge your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God ?' '
Then Chester read : " 'Having, therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of J esus, by a new and living way,
which He hath consecrated for us, through
the veil, that is to say His flesh, of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be
thought worthy who hath trodden under foot
the Son of God and hath counted the blood
of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified,
an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of Grace ?' "
Evelyn, sitting next, then read : " 'Unto
Him that loved us and washed us from our
sins in His own blood, and hath made us
kings and priests unto God and His Father;
to Him be glory and dominion for ever and
ever.' " 283
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Then Mrs. Annis Lilburn, sitting next, read :
" 'And they sung a new song, saying, Thou
art worthy to take the book and to open the
seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast
redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of
every kindred and tongue and people and
nation.' '
Walter sat next, and he read : " 'These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and
have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb.' '
Then Mr. Lilburn, next and last, read:
" 'And they overcame him by the blood of
the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.'
The one there spoken of as overcome is, as
doubtless you all know, Satan, spoken of in
this chapter of Revelation as the accuser of
our brethren, accusing them before God day
and night; but by the blood of the Lamb of
God, and only by that, could they or any one
overcome him."
" 'Who His own self bare our sins in His
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
284
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
sins, should live unto righteousness : by whose
stripes ye were healed/ " quoted Grandma
Elsie in low, moved tones. "Oh, how can we
help loving Him with all our hearts and serv
ing Him with all our powers ?"
" 'For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that He might
bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,' " quoted
the captain, then added : " 'The blood of Jesus
Christ His son cleanseth us from all sin.' '
Lucilla followed : " 'Herein is love, not that
we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent
His son to be the propitiation for our sins.' ' ;
Evelyn followed : " 'Ye know that He was
manifested to take away our sins ; and in Him
is no sin. . . . He is the propitiation for
our sins ; and not for ours only, but also for
the sins of the whole world.' '
" 'And we have seen and do testify that the
Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the
world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus
ie the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
he in God,' " quoted Violet with feeling, then
she started a hymn, in which all joined with
fervor :
"Come, let us sing of Jesus,
While hearts and accents blend;;
Come, let us sing of Jesus,
The sinner's only Friend;
His holy soul rejoices,
Amid the choirs above,
To hear our youthful voices
Exulting in His love.
"We love to sing of Jesus,
Who wept our path along;'
We love to sing of Jesus,
The tempted and the strong;
None who besought His healing
He passed unheeded by,
And still retains His feeling
For us above the sky.
"We love to sing of Jesus,
Who died our souls to savef
We love to sing of Jesus,
Triumphant o'er the grave f
And in our hour of danger
We'll trust His love alone
Wn once slept in a manger,
And now sits on the thronfc
286
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Then let us sing of Jesus
While yet on earth we stay,
And hope to sing of Jesus
Throughout eternal day;
For those who here confess Him
He will in heaven confess,
And faithful hearts that bless Him
He will forever bless."
That hymn finished, Grandma Elsie started
another beautiful one, in which all joined:
"I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
Because I knew it's true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.
CHORUS :
"I love to tell the story,
'Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story,
Of Jesus and His love.
"I love to tell the story;
More wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies
Of all our golden dreams.
287
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
I love to tell the story,
It did so much for me;
And that is just the reason
I tell it now to thee.
**I love to tell the story;
'Tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it,
More wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
For some have never heard
The message of salvation
From God's own holy word.
"I love to tell the story;
For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting
To hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
Twill be the old, old story
That I have loved so long.'*
Several prayers followed the singing of the
hymns, and then the meeting closed with the
singing of the Doxology, in which all, old and
young, took part.
288
CHAPTEK XXII
THAT week, the first after the return of the
Dolphin, bringing the last instalment of
visitors to Viamede, was filled with family
parties, given in the daytime for the sake of
the little ones, who in each case were quite as
welcome guests as the older folk. But the
weather was growing warm, and the doctors
advised a speedy flitting northward.
"To go speedily will be best for you all,
especially my Grace, Ked and the little ones,
Mary and Ray," said Dr. Harold, addressing
the usual family party gathered for the even
ing upon the veranda at Woodburn.
"So I think," said the captain; "and as on
like occasions in the past, the Dolphin is at
the service of you all; can be made fully
ready in a day."
"And Crag Cottage will be ready and glad
289
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
to accommodate you all as soon as the Dolphin
can carry you there," added Evelyn in pleas
ant, playful tones.
"Oh, thank you, Eva," cried several voices,
Lucilla adding: "There is no place I should
prefer to that." Then turning to her
husband, "You can go too, can't you,
Chester?"
"Perhaps for a brief sojourn ; then leave my
wife and son there for a longer time, going
for them when fall weather shall have made
it safe for them to come home again," he
replied in cheerful tones. Then turning to
Dr. Harold: "I hope," he added, "that you
are intending to spend the summer there,
keeping guard over our family treasures com
mitted to your care?"
"I have planned doing so, provided Cousin
Arthur and my brother Herbert will under
take the care of all our patients in this neigh
borhood, of which I have no doubt," was the
ready reply. "Then I must take charge in
the fall, giving them a vacation in their turn."
290
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"Yes, I am very sure you will do right and
generously by them/' remarked Grace, giving
him a look of love and confidence.
"Oh, I am glad to think of being on our
good Dolphin again and then at dear, sweet
Crag Cottage," cried !N~ed, clapping his hands
in delight. "Oh, papa, can't we have a
voyage out in the ocean, too?"
"Perhaps so," said his father. "I see noth
ing to prevent, if all my passengers desire it.
However, we can decide that question after
going aboard the yacht."
"Yes, and I feel pretty sure we will all be
in favor of a little trip far enough toward
the east side of the ocean to be at least for a
few hours out of sight of land on this side,"
laughed Lucilla.
"And how soon shall we start?" asked
Chester.
"The yacht can be ready by the day after to
morrow," said the captain; "and if all the
passengers are ready, we will start in the
evening of that day."
291
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Violet, Evelyn and Lucilla all replied at
once that they could be ready almost at a
moment's notice, having for weeks past been
looking forward to this flitting and preparing
for it.
"And, father," added Evelyn, "I should like
to have Cousins Ronald and Annis Lilburn
as my guests for the summer. Can you not
invite them now through the 'phone, and ask
how soon they can be ready, if willing to go ?"
"I can," he replied in a pleased tone, and
went at once to the instrument.
Their answer was that they would be de
lighted to go, and would be ready by the time
mentioned for the starting of the vessel.
Captain Raymond then 'phoned to Ion, told
of the proposed starting of the Dolphin for a
northern trip, to end finally at Crag Cottage
on the Hudson, and gave a warm invitation
from Evelyn to Grandma Elsie and Walter
to join the party and be her guests for the
summer, if they should care to stay so long.
A gratified acceptance, with an assurance
292
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
that they would be ready in season, came
in reply, and all the Woodburn company were
jubilant over the prospect of the pleasant trip
and the enjoyable summer at Crag Cottage
likely to follow.
Captain Raymond kept his promise to have
the Dolphin ready in good season, and all the
passengers were aboard when the anchor was
lifted early in the evening of the appointed
day. The weather was fine, and they found
the deck a delightful place for promenading
or sitting at ease on the comfortable seats pro
vided. There was much cheerful chat, some
times mirthful, sometimes serious ; there were
jests and badinage, fun and frolic, especially
among the children, with Cousin Ronald to
help it on, and there was music first songs,
afterward hymns of praise, repetitions of
passages of Scripture and prayers of thank
fulness and petitions for God's protecting
care. Then the little ones were sent to their
nests for the night, and somewhat later the
older ones retired to theirs.
293
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Lucilla's idea of an eastward trip till out
of sight of land was carried out to her satis
faction and amusement, then the Dolphin
turned, passed through Long Island Sound
and up the Hudson River to Crag Cottage,
which they reached in safety and all in good
health.
There, as always before, they had a pleasant,
restful time, often enlivened by the fun
Cousin Ronald's talent could make, and after
a while varied by trips here and there in the
yacht. Chester spent a few days there, then
returned home with the understanding that
he would probably be with them again before
the season was over. He was missed, but
with Mr. Lilburn, Captain Raymond,
Dr. Harold and Walter Travilla still left,
the ladies and children were not without
protectors and helpers of the stronger
sex.
And in a few days a glad surprise was given
them all, Evelyn in especial, by the unex
pected arrival of Max. He had obtained a
294
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
furlough and could be with them for some
weeks.
"Now I think with two ventriloquists here
we shall have some fun," exclaimed Ned
shortly after his brother's arrival.
"Ah, Ned, Ned, is that all you care about
in seeing your only brother?" queried Max
in tones of heartfelt disappointment and an
expression of deep despondency.
"Oh, no, no, indeed !" cried Ned. "I'm ever
so glad to have you here, Maxie, if you never
do any ventriloquism at all. Please believe
me."
"Well, I suppose I must, since I know you
have been trained up to speak the truth," re
turned Max, brightening a little, "and I hope
the company of your only brother may afford
you some slight enjoyment, even should there
be no practice of ventriloquism."
"Yes, brother, you may be sure of it," re
plied Ned, striving to suppress a slight sigh.
"And your brother must be allowed a good,
enjoyable time with his wife, little daughter
295
JSLSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and new little nephew before we trouble him
to attend to anything else," remarked Violet
in an amused tone.
"And in the meantime the rest of us can,
perhaps, be depended upon to entertain your
young laddie, Cousin Violet," said Mr. Lil-
burn, with a kindly, amused look at Ned.
"I see that, as usual, you have the Dolphin
lying here at your dock, father," said Max,
"and I suppose that you all take occasional
trips in her."
"Yes, son, and I think you will not object
to accompanying us in that, will you ?"
"Oh, no, sir ; no, indeed ; I shall be very glad
to do so, as babies and all can be made as
comfortable there as anywhere on land."
"By the way," said Dr. Harold, "a lady
patient was telling me the other day of a visit
she had paid to the village of Catskill, inter
ested in it because of having seen Joseph
Jefferson playing 'Rip Van Winkle,' and that
has given me a desire to see the place."
"So you shall," said the captain; "the
296
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Dolphin can readily be persuaded to make
that trip, and I presume none of our party
would object to going there in her."
He sent a smiling glance around as he spoke,
and it was responded to by smiles and ex
clamations of pleasure in the prospect.
"I don't know anything about Rip Van
Winkle," said Elsie, turning toward her
father. "Is it a story, papa, and will you tell
me about it ?"
"Yes, daughter," he replied; "it is a story
and only a story ; not fact at all, but seeming
so real as played by Jefferson that very many
people were and are greatly interested in it.
Rip Van Winkle is represented as an igno
rant, good-natured man, made and kept poor
by love of liquor, which so soured his wife
against him that she drove him out of the
house. Once it was at night and in a terrible
thunder storm. He goes into a steep and
rocky clove in the Kaatskill Mountains, and
meets with some queer, silent people, who
give him drinks of liquor that put him to
297
sleep, and he does not wake again for twenty
years, and in that time he had changed from
a comparatively young man to a feeble, old
one with white hair and a long white beard.
In the meantime his wife, thinking him dead,
had married the man Derrick by name
who had stolen his house and land. She had
done it in order to keep herself and little
daughter from starvation, and he was now try
ing to force little Meenie, Rip's daughter, to
marry his nephew, Cookies, though she did
not want him, as she loved another, young
Hendrick, who was her playmate when they
were children, but is now a sailor and away
on his vessel has been gone five years but
now he comes back just in time to put a stop
to the mischief Derrick and his nephew,
Cookies, are trying to do to Meenie and
Gretchen in order to get full possession of the
house and land. He and Rip are able to
prove that those, the house and land, are not
his and never were.
"So the story ends well ; the scamps are &&
298
feated, and the rightful owners are happy
in regaining the property and being restored
to each other r " concluded the captain.
"Thank you, papa," said Elsie; "it was a
nice story, because it ended well."
"And wouldn't you like to see the place
where all that is said to have happened?"
asked Dr. Harold.
"Yes, indeed," she answered; and after a
little more chat on the subject, it was decided
that they would visit the village of Catskill
the next day and see the very spot where all
these strange events were supposed to have
taken place.
"The scenery about there is said to be very
fine, is it not ?" asked Mr. Lilburn.
"It is," replied Captain Raymond; "and I
think we who are strong enough to climb steep
ascents will be well repaid for the effort. Our
best plan will be to leave the yacht for a
hotel, as in order to see all that is worth seeing
we must spend some days in the vicinity."
"Yes," said Dr. Harold; "and the ladies
299
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
and babies and our not very strong
little Ned will need to stay in the vil
lage while we stronger ones climb about the
cliffs."
"I think you are right in that," assented his
mother. "By the way," she continued, "do
you think, gentlemen, that it was quite cor
rect for the author of the play to bring in
Hudson and some of his men as taking part
in causing Kip's long nap? From the ac
counts given of his life and death, it would
seem that he was set adrift by his sailors con
siderably more to the north, and perished in
the sea."
"That is so, mother," returned the captain ;
"but it is about as true as the story of Rip's
long nap."
"And that couldn't be true," remarked Elsie
wisely, "for nobody could live half as long as
that without eating anything, could they,
Uncle Harold?"
"No, certainly not," replied her uncle,
smiling at the very idea. "No one but a very
300
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
ignorant person could be made to believe the
story true."
"Still, we can enjoy looking at the scenes of
the supposed occurrences," remarked Cap
tain Raymond. "Shall we go to-morrow ?"
Every one seemed in favor of that propo
sition, and the next morning, the weather
being favorable and the yacht in excellent
condition, they started upon their trip shortly
after breakfast.
Comfortable accommodations were found in
the hotel at Catskill, and the ladies seemed
well satisfied with what they could see and
enjoy in going about the valley while the
stronger members of the party should climb
the steep cliffs and explore all the places where
Rip was said to have wandered, and espe
cially the spot where his very long sleep was
supposed to have been taken.
The beautiful scenery of that region was
greatly enjoyed by all, male and female, old
and young, so all agreed in prolonging their
visit to the stay of several days. Then, they
301
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
boarded the yacht and started for their Crag
Cottage home again.
Max was very fond of his baby daughter,
and when they were all comfortably estab
lished aboard the yacht he took her in his
arms to pet and fondle her ; but as he did so
he was startled for an instant by a joyous
exclamation that seemed to come from her
lips, "Oh, papa, I love you, and am so glad
you are here with mamma and me again."
But glancing at Cousin Ronald, Max laughed
and replied: "Are you, daughter? Well, I
hope the time will never come when you will
be other than very glad to see your father."
"Ah, that's the first talking she has done in
quite a while," laughed her mother.
"Oh, was it you who made her do it, Brother
Max ?" asked Ned excitedly.
"No," replied Max; "I was as much sur
prised at the moment as anybody else. But
isn't it natural that the joy of seeing her long
absent father should loosen her tongue ?"
''I guess it is more natural that Cousin
302
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Konald should do it," laughed Ned. "He
could, I know, and I suspect that he did."
"Do you plead guilty, Cousin Ronald?"
queried Evelyn, giving him a look of amuse
ment.
"Well, now, you should not be too curi
ous, Cousin Eva," was the non-committal
reply.
"Is she too curious?" asked Ned. "Don't
you think, Cousin Ronald, that it's all right
for her to want to know what has made little
Mary talk so well to-night?"
"Of course it is," little Mary seemed to say.
"And I hope to talk a good deal while my
papa is with us."
"Yes, I hope you will," said Ned. "I think
he'll help you about it. Don't you wish you'd
been climbing those mountains along with
him?"
"No, TJncle Ned; it was nicer to be with
mamma in the village."
Ned laughed at that, and turning to the
other baby, asked: "How was it with you,
303
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
Ray ? Didn't you want to go along with the
big folks?"
"No; you ain't one of the big folks, are
you ?" Ray seemed to reply ; and Ned colored,
as there was a general laugh from those
present.
"A good deal bigger and older than you are,"
was his rather ungracious rejoinder.
"Don't be vexed with my baby boy, little
brother," said Lucilla; "you know he didn't
say that of himself. Somebody put the words
into his mouth, or, to speak more literally,
caused them to seem to come from his tongue,
though he does not know how to talk at all."
"Oh, yes, I know, and I'm not vexed with
him now," said Ned. "I oughtn't be, as I'm
his uncle and want him to be fond of me,
as I hope he will be when he's old enough to
know about such things."
"Yes, Ned, you may be sure he will," said
Max. "You and I are going to try to be such
nice, good uncles that he will be proud to
own us as such."
304
ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES
"And I shall try to be such a grandfather
that he and Baby Mary will be proud to own
me as theirs," said the captain.
"It will be strange, indeed, if they are not,
father," said Lucilla.
"Yes, indeed! I am very proud of being
your daughter, papa, as I think the others
are," said Grace; "and I am sure Max and
K"ed are proud of being your sons."
"Indeed we are," said Max.
"I know I am," laughed Ned. "So now
I guess we are all pleased with each other
and are going home to Crag Cottage quite
happy."
Everybody laughed at that, and all reached
their temporary home in excellent spirits. It
was a lovely and enjoyable one, situated on a
charming part of the Hudson River's western
bank, the house most comfortable and con
venient, the grounds tastefully laid out and
kept in excellent order. Max and Eva had
reason to be proud and fond of their country
seat. They and most of their guests remained
305
ELSIE 'AND HER NAMESAKES
there for some weeks until Max's furlough ex
pired and fall weather rendered the return
to their warmer Southern homes desirable.
And the homeward journey in the Dolphin
was a most agreeable winding up of their
summer trip to the North.
THE END
30*
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