It had been growing colder all the afternoon, and continued to do so very rapidly through the night.  The next morning at the breakfast table some of the lads announced, with great glee that the lakelet was frozen over; the ice so thick and solid that it was perfectly safe for skating in every part.

The news caused quite a flurry of pleasurable excitement among the younger ones of the company.

“I move that we spend the morning there,” said Zoe.

“How many of us have skates, I wonder?”

“You have I think, have you not?” said Edward.

“Yes; yours and mine are both in good order; I examined them only the other day.”

The captain asked how many knew how to use skates, and from the replies it seemed that all the lads had been more or less accustomed to their use, some of the girls also.  Zoe had had quite a good deal of practice before her marriage, a little since.

The winters were usually too mild in this part of the country to give much opportunity for that kind of exercise.  She was therefore the more eager to avail herself of this one; for she was very fond of the sport.

Edward, Harold, and Herbert were all in the mood to join her in it and were prepared to do so; and Rosie and Max too were equally fortunate; but most of the others had come without skates.

But that difficulty could be easily remedied; their homes were not far off, nor was the village, with its stores where such things could be bought.  It was decided to despatch messengers for the needed supplies.

“Papa,” said Lulu, “may they get a pair for me?  I’d like to learn to skate.”

He turned to her with an indulgent smile.  “Would you? then you shall; I will send for the skates and give you a lesson in the art myself.  I used to be reckoned a good skater in my boyhood.  Would my little Grace like to learn too?”

“No, thank you, papa, I’d rather walk on the ground, or ride.”

“You shall ride on the ice if you will, little girlie,” said Harold.  “I think I can find a conveyance that will suit your taste.”

“You’re kind to think of it, Uncle Harold,” she said, with a dubious look, “but I’m afraid the horses would slip and fall on the ice.”

“I think not,” he said; “but if they should they will only have to pick themselves up again, and go on.”

“But I’m afraid they might get hurt and maybe tip me over too.”

Harold only smiled at that, as he rose and left the room to attend to the despatching of the messengers.

Grace wondered what he meant, but as the older people all about her were busily talking among themselves, she went on quietly with her breakfast and said no more.

“Are you a skater, my dear?” asked the captain, addressing his wife.

“I used to be a tolerably expert one and moderately fond of the exercise,” she replied.

“I should like the pleasure of taking you out this morning, for a trial of your skill,” he said.  “Shall I send for skates for you?”

“Thank you, no; I think I have a pair somewhere about the house, and perhaps can find another for you.”

“There are several pairs of gentlemen’s skates,” said her mother.  “I will have them brought out for the captain to try.”

He thanked her, adding that in case a pair should be found to fit, he could have the pleasure of taking his wife out without waiting for the return of the servant despatched to the village.

Upon leaving the breakfast table they all repaired to the parlor for family worship, as was their custom morning and evening.  Then those who had skates, and some who wanted the walk and a near view of the skating, Lulu among them, got themselves ready and went to the lakelet, while the others waited for the return of the messengers; most of them meanwhile gathered about the windows overlooking the lakelet, to watch the movements of the skaters Edward, Zoe, Harold, Herbert, Rosie, Evelyn and Max; presently joined by Capt.  Raymond and Violet, a pair of skates having been found to fit each of them.

When all were fairly started the scene became very animated and pretty.  The two married couples skated well, but Harold, and especially Herbert, far exceeded them, the swift, easy movement with which they glided over the glassy surface of the lake, the exact balancing of their bodies, and the graceful curves they executed called forth many an admiring and delighted exclamation from the onlookers, both near at hand and farther away at the windows of the mansion.

Among the latter were Grandma Elsie, her father and his wife Grandma Rose and Cousin Ronald.

“Bravo!” cried the two old gentlemen simultaneously, as Herbert performed a feat in which he seemed to fairly outdo himself.  Mr. Lilburn adding, “I feel the old ardor for the sport stir within me at sight o’ the lad’s adroit movements.  At his age I might have ventured to compete with as expert a skater as he.  What say you, Cousin Horace, to a match atween the two auld chaps o’ us down there the noo?”

“Agreed,” Mr. Dinsmore said with a laugh.  “There are skates that will answer our purpose I think, and we will set off at once if you like.”

At that moment Lulu came running in.  “The skates have come, Grandma Elsie,” she said, “just as I have got back to the house.  Papa sent me in because it was too cold, he said, for me to be standing still out there.  He’ll come for me when Mamma Vi is tired and wants to come in.”

“Does she seem to be enjoying it?” asked the person addressed.

“Oh yes, ma’am, very much indeed!  Aren’t you going to try it too?”

“Yes, do, Elsie,” said her father.  “And you too, Rose,” to his wife.  “Let us all try the sport while we have an opportunity.”

The ladies were nothing loath, everybody seemed to catch the spirit of the hour, the skates were quickly distributed, and all hurried away to the lake, but Lulu and Grace who were to stay within doors, by their father’s orders, till he came, or sent for them.

Lulu having taken off her hood and coat, now sat before the fire warming her feet.  Grace was watching the skaters from an easy chair by the window.

“It does look like good fun,” she said.  “Is it very cold out there, Lu?”

“Not so very; the wind doesn’t blow; but when you’ve been standing still a while your feet feel right cold.  I hardly thought about it though, I was so taken up with watching the skating, till papa called to me that it was too cold for me to stand there, and I must come in.”

“Papa’s always taking care of his children,” remarked Grace.

“Yes,” assented Lulu, “he never seems to forget us at all; I most wish he would sometimes,” she added laughing, “just once in a while when I feel like having my own way, you know.

“Wasn’t he good to send for these for me?” she went on, holding up her new skates and regarding them with much satisfaction.  “They’re nice ones, and it’ll be nice to have him teach me how to use them.  I’ve heard of people getting hard falls learning how to skate, but I think I’ll be pretty safe not to fall with papa to attend to me.”

“I should think so,” said Grace.  “Oh papa and mamma have stopped and I do believe they’re taking off their skates! at least papa’s taking her’s off for her, I think.”

“Oh then they’re coming in and we’ll get our turn!”

“I don’t want to try it.”

“No, but you can walk down there, and then you’re to have a ride on the ice; you know Uncle Harold said so.”

“I don’t know what he meant; and I don’t know whether I want to try it either.  Yes, papa and mamma are both coming back.”

Violet had soon tired of the sport, and beside feared her baby was wanting her.  She went on up to the nursery while the captain entered the parlor where his little girls were waiting for his coming.

“Waiting patiently, my darlings?” he said, with an affectionate smile.  “I know it is rather hard sometimes for little folks to wait.  But you may bundle up now, and I will take you out to enjoy the sport with the rest.  It will be a nice walk for you, Gracie, and when you get there you will have a pleasant time I think.”

“How papa?”

“My little girl will see when she gets there,” he said.  “Ah, here is Agnes with your hood and coat.  Now, while she puts them on you, I will see if Lulu’s skates are quite right.”

They proved to be a good fit and in few minutes the captain was on his way to the lakelet with a little girl clinging to each hand.

A pretty boat house stood at the water’s edge on the hither side, under the trees, and now close beside it, on the ice, the children spied a small, light sleigh well supplied with robes of wolf and bear skins.

“There, Gracie, how would you like to ride in that?” asked her father.

“It looks nice, but how can it go?” she asked dubiously.  “I don’t see any horses papa.”

“No, but you will find that it can move without.”

Harold had seen them approaching, and now came gliding very rapidly towards them, on his skates.

“Ah Gracie, are you ready for your ride?” he asked, “Rosie Lacey and one or two of the other little ones are going to share it with you.  Captain will you lift her in while I summon them?”

“Here we are, Cousin Harold,” called a childish voice, and Rose Lacey came running up almost out of breath with haste and excitement, two other little girl cousins following at her heels; “here we are.  Can you take us now?”

“Yes,” he said, “I was just about to call you.”

In another minute the four were in the sleigh with the robes well tucked around them.  Then, Harold, taking hold of the back of the vehicle, gave it a vigorous shove away from the shore, and keeping a tight grip on it, propelled it quite rapidly around the lake.

It required a good deal of exertion, but Herbert and others came to his assistance and the sleigh made the circuit many times, its young occupants laughing, chatting and singing right merrily:  the gayest of the gay.

Meanwhile the others enjoyed the skating, perhaps quite as much.  The older ladies and the two old gentlemen seemed to have renewed their youth, and kept up the sport a good deal longer than they had intended in the beginning; while the younger ones, and especially the children, were full of mirth and jollity, challenging each other to trials of speed and skill, laughing good-naturedly at little mishaps, and exchanging jests and good humored banter.

And Cousin Ronald added to the fun by causing them to hear again and again sounds as of jingling sleighbells and prancing horses in their rear.  So distinct and natural were these sounds that they could not help springing aside out of the track of the supposed steeds, and turning their heads to see how near they were.

Then shouts of laughter would follow from old and young of both sexes, mingled with little shrieks, half of affright and half of amusement from the girls.

While all this was going on, Capt.  Raymond was giving Lulu her first lesson in the use of skates, holding her hand in his, guarding her carefully from the danger of falling.

But for that she would have fallen several times, for it seemed almost impossible to keep her balance; however she gained skill and confidence; and at length asked to be allowed to try it for a little unaided.

He permitted her to do so, but kept very near to catch her in case she should slip or stagger.

She succeeded very well and after a time he ceased to watch her constantly, remaining near her, but taking his eyes off her now and then to see what others were doing; noting with fatherly pride in his son, how Max was emulating the older skaters, and returning a joyous look and smile given him by Gracie, as she swept past in the sleigh.

It presently stopped a few paces away, and he made a movement as if to go and lift her out, but at the sound of a thud on the ice behind him, turned quickly again to find Lulu down.

She had thrown out her hands in falling, and he felt a thrill of horror as he perceived that one of them lay directly in the path of a skater, Chester Dinsmore, who was moving with such velocity that he would not be able to check his speed in time to avoid running over her.

But even while he perceived her peril the captain had, with an almost lightning like movement, stooped over his child and dragged her backward.  Barely in time; Chester’s skate just grazed her fingers, cutting off the tip of her mitten.  There were drops of blood on the ice, and for a moment her father thought her fingers were off.

“Oh my child, my darling!” he groaned, holding her close in his arms and taking the bleeding hand tenderly in his.

“I’m not hurt, papa; at least only a very little,” she hastened to say, while the others crowded about them with agitated, anxious questioning.  “Is Lulu hurt?” “Did Chess run over her!” “Did the fall hurt her?”

“My fingers are bleeding a little, but they don’t hurt very much,” she answered.  “I think his skate went over my mitten, and I suppose my fingers would have been cut off if papa hadn’t jerked me back out of the way.”

Chester had just joined the group.  “I can never be sufficiently thankful for the escape,” he said with a slight tremble in his tones, “I could never have forgiven myself if I had maimed that pretty hand; though it was utterly impossible for me to stop myself in time, at the headlong rate of speed with which I was moving.”

“Your thankfulness can hardly equal her father’s,” the captain said with emotion almost too big for utterance, as he gently drew off the mitten, and bound up the wounded fingers with his handkerchief.  “That will do till I get you to the house.  Shall I carry you, daughter?”

“Oh no, papa, I’m quite able to walk,” she answered in a very cheerful tone.  “Please don’t be so troubled; I’m sure I’m not much hurt.”

“Allow me to take off your skates for you,” Chester said, kneeling down on the ice at their feet, and beginning to undo the straps as he spoke.  “And I will gladly carry you up to the house, too, if you and your father are willing.”

“Oh thank you, sir; but I’d really rather walk with papa to help me along.”

The accident had sobered the party a good deal, and most of them including the older people and Lulu’s mates went back to the house with her and her father.

Violet was quite startled and alarmed to see the child brought in with her hand bound up; but when the blood had been washed away the wounds were found to be little more than skin deep; the bleeding soon ceased, and some court-plaster was all that was needed to cover up the cuts.

There were plenty of offers of assistance, but the captain chose to do for her himself all that was required.

“There, my dear child, you have had a very narrow escape,” he said when he had finished, drawing her into his arms and caressing her with great tenderness; “what a heartbreaking thing it would have been for us both had this little hand,” taking it tenderly in his, “been robbed of its fingers; far worse to me than to have lost my own.”

“And you have saved them for me, you dear father,” she said, clinging about his neck and laying her cheek to his, her eyes full of tears, a slight tremble in her voice.  “But they are yours, because I am,” she added, laughing a little hysterically.  “Oh I’m every bit yours; from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet.”

“Yes, so you are; one of my choice treasures, my darling,” he said with emotion; “and my heart is full of thankfulness to God our heavenly Father for enabling me to save you from being so sadly maimed.”

“And I do think your Mamma Vi is almost as thankful as either of you,” Violet said, coming to his side and softly smoothing Lulu’s hair.

They were in the dressing-room, no one else present but Grace and Max.

“I’m pretty thankful myself,” observed the latter jocosely, but with a telltale moisture about the eyes; “I shouldn’t like to have a sister with a fingerless hand.”

“Oh don’t, Max! don’t talk so!” sobbed Grace, “I just can’t bear to think of such dreadful things!”

Her father turned toward her and held out his hand.  She sprang to his side and he put his arm about her.

“The danger is happily past, my pet,” he said, touching his lips to her cheek; “so dry your eyes and think of something else, something pleasanter.”

“You’ve got enough of skating, I suppose, Lu? you won’t want to try it again, will you?” asked Max.

“Yes; if papa will let me.  I’d like to go back this afternoon.  But I’d want to keep fast hold of him so that I’d be in no danger of falling,” she added, looking lovingly into his eyes.

“I’ll not let you try it in any other way for some time to come,” he said, stroking her hair; “you must become a good deal more proficient in the use of skates before I can again trust you to go alone; especially where there are so many other and more skilful skaters.”

“I don’t care for that, papa, but will you take me there again this afternoon?”

“We’ll see about it when the time comes,” he said smiling at her eager tone, and not ill-pleased at this proof of a persevering disposition.

“Oh!” cried Max, glancing toward the window, “it’s snowing fast!  Dear, dear, it will spoil the skating for all of us!”

“But a good fall of snow will provide other pleasures, my son,” remarked the captain in a cheery tone.

“Yes, sir, so it will,” returned Max, echoing the tone.

“And beside plenty of indoor amusements have been provided,” said Violet.  “I think we can all enjoy ourselves vastly, let the weather outside be what it will.”

“I am sure of it,” said her husband.  “Gracie, how did you enjoy your ride?”

“Oh it was just lovely, papa!” answered the little girl, “the sleigh skimmed along so nicely without a bit of jolting; and then too, it was such fun to watch the skaters.”

A tap at the door, and Rosie’s voice asking, “How is Lulu?  Mamma sent me to inquire.”

“Come in, Rosie,” said the captain.  “Mother is very kind, and I am glad to be able to report to her that Lulu is only very slightly hurt; so slightly that doubtless she will be ready to join her mates in any sport that may be going on this afternoon.”

Rosie drew near with a look of commiseration on her face, but exclaimed in surprise, “Why, your hand isn’t even bound up!”

“No; I have just a patch of court plaster on each of three finger tips,” returned Lulu, laughingly displaying them.

“But oh what a narrow escape!” cried Rosie half breathlessly.  “It fairly frightens me to think of it!”

“They’d all have been cut off if it hadn’t been for papa,” Lulu said with a shudder, hiding her face on his shoulder.

“O Lu, I’m so glad they weren’t!” said Rosie.  “Eva has been crying fit to break her heart because she was sure that at least the tips of your fingers had been taken off; and in fact I couldn’t help crying myself,” she added, turning away to wipe her eyes.

“How good in you both!” exclaimed Lulu, lifting her head and showing flushed cheeks and shining eyes.  “Papa, shan’t I go and find Eva and comfort her by letting her see how little I am hurt, after all?”

“Yes, do, my child,” he said, releasing her.

The two little girls went from the room together, each with her arm about the other’s waist.

“Eva’s in my room taking her cry out by herself,” said Rosie.  “I’d like to go there with you, but I must carry your father’s answer to mamma first.  Then I’ll join you.”

The door of Rosie’s room stood open; Evelyn sat with her back toward it, and Lulu, entering softly, had an arm round her friend’s neck before she was aware of her presence.

“O Lu!” cried Evelyn, with a start, “are you much hurt?”

“No, you poor dear; you’ve been breaking your heart about almost nothing.  I hurt my knees a little in falling, and Chester’s skate took a tiny slice out of my middle finger, and scratched the one each side of it, but that’s all.  See, they don’t even need to be wrapped up.”

“Oh, I’m so glad!” exclaimed Eva with a sigh of relief, and smiling through tears; then with a shudder and hugging Lulu close, “It would have been too horrible if they’d been cut off!  I think skating is dangerous, and I’m not sorry the snow has come to spoil it; for us girls, I mean; the older folks and the boys can take care of themselves, I suppose.”

“Oh I like it!” said Lulu.  “I wanted papa to let me go back this afternoon and try it again, and I think he would if the snow hadn’t come.”

“You surprise me!” exclaimed Evelyn.  “If I had come so near losing my fingers, I’d never care to skate any more.”

“I always did like boys’ sports,” remarked Lulu, laughing.  “Aunt Beulah used to call me a tom-boy, and even Max would sometimes say he believed I was half boy; I was always so glad of a chance to slip off to the woods with him where I could run and jump and climb without any body by to scold me and tell me I’d tear my clothes.  I don’t have to do those things without leave now, for papa lets me; he say it’s good for my health, and that that’s of far more importance than my clothes.  Oh, we all do have such good times now, at home in our father’s house, with him to take care of us!”

“Yes, I’m sure you do, and I’m so glad for you.  How happy you all seem! and how brave you are about bearing pain, dear Lu!  You are so bright and cheerful, though I’m sure your fingers must ache.  Don’t they?”

“Yes, some; but I don’t mind it very much and they’ll soon be well.”

Just then they were joined by several of the other little girls, all anxious to see Lulu and learn whether she were really badly hurt.

They crowded round her with eager questions and many expressions of sympathy first, then of delight in finding her so cheerful and suffering so little.

The next thing was to plan indoor amusements for the afternoon and evening, as evidently the storm had put outdoor pleasures out of the question for that day.

The call to dinner interrupted them in the midst of their talk; a not unwelcome summons, for exercise in the bracing winter air had given them keen appetites.

Some of the younger ones, who had particularly enjoyed the skating, felt a good deal disappointed that the storm had come to put a stop to it, and were in consequence quite sober and subdued in their demeanor as they took their seats at the table.

A moment of complete silence followed the asking of the blessing, then, as Edward took up a carving-knife, and stuck the fork into a roast duck in front of him, there was a loud “Quack, quack,” that startled everybody for an instant, followed by merry peals of laughter from old and young.

A loud squeal came next from a young pig in a dish placed before Mr. Dinsmore, and the song of the blackbird from a pie Grandma Elsie was beginning to help.

“‘Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,’” remarked Mr. Lilburn gravely.

“’When the pie was opened the birds began to sing, Wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before a king?’

“Ah ha! um h’m! ah ha! history repeats itself.  But, Cousin Elsie, I didna expect to be treated to a meal o’ livin’ creatures in your house.”

“Did you not?” she returned with a smile.  “Life is full of surprises.”

“And grandpa and Ned go on carving without any apparent thought of the cruelty of cutting into living creatures,” laughed Zoe.

“And what a singular circumstance that chickens baked in a pie should sing like blackbirds,” remarked Grandma Elsie.

“Very indeed!” said Capt.  Raymond.  “I move that some one prepare an article on the subject for one of the leading magazines.”

“No one better qualified for the task than yourself, sir,” said his brother-in-law, Mr. Lester Leland.

“You will surely except our Cousin Ronald,” said the captain; “doubtless he knows more about the phenomenon than any other person present.”

“O Cousin Ronald,” broke in Walter, “as we can’t go skating this afternoon, won’t you please tell us young ones some of your famous stories?”

“Perhaps, laddie; but there may be some other amusement provided, and in that case the tales will keep.  It strikes me I heard some o’ the leddies laying plans for the afternoon and evening?” he added, turning inquiringly in Zoe’s direction.

“Yes, sir,” she said, “we are getting up some tableaux, but are ready to defer them if any one wishes to do something else.”

“I think we will not tax Cousin Ronald with story telling to-day,” said Grandma Elsie:  “he has been making a good deal of exertion in skating, and I know must feel weary.”

“Are you, Cousin Ronald?” asked Walter.

“Well, laddie, I can no deny that there have been times when I’ve felt a bit brighter and more in the mood for spinning out a yarn, as the sailors say.”

“And perhaps you’d like to see the tableaux too, sir?”

“Yes, I own that I should.”

That settled the question.  “We will have the tableaux,” Grandma Elsie said, and every body seemed well satisfied with the decision.

Preparations were begun almost immediately on leaving the table, and pretty much all the short winter afternoon occupied with them.

They had their exhibition after tea; a very satisfactory one to those who took part, and to the spectators.

Every child and young person who was desirous to have it so, was brought in to one or more of the pictures.  Lulu, to her great delight, appeared in several and did herself credit.

“How are the fingers, dear child? have they been giving you much pain?” the captain asked when he came to her room for the usual good-night talk, sitting down as he spoke, drawing her to a seat upon his knee, and taking the wounded hand tenderly in his.

“Only a twinge once in a while, papa,” she said, putting the other arm round his neck and smiling into his eyes.  “It’s been a very nice day for me in spite of my accident; everybody has been so good and kind.  I think they tried to give me a pleasant part in as many of the tableaux as they could to comfort me, and really after all it was only a little bit of a hurt.”

“But narrowly escaped being a very serious one.  Ah my heart is full of thankfulness to God for you, my darling, and for myself, that the injury was no greater.  You might have lost your fingers or your hand; you might even have been killed by falling in such a way as to strike your head very hard upon the ice.”

“Did anybody ever get killed in that way, papa?” she asked.

“Yes, I have read or heard of one or two such cases, and had it happened to you I could hardly forgive myself for letting go your hand.”

“I’m sure you might feel that it was all my own fault, papa,” she said tightening her clasp of his neck and kissing him with ardent affection; “every bit my own fault because I begged you to let me try it alone.”

“No, that could not have excused me; because it is a father’s duty to take every care of his child, whether she wishes it or not; and it is my settled purpose to do so henceforward,” he said, returning her caress with great tenderness.