GUESTS and entertainers, old and young, went to church the next morning, riding, driving, or walking, as best suited the inclination of each.

In the afternoon there was the usual gathering of the house servants and field hands on the lawn, near the veranda, where the family and guests were seated, and Mr. Dinsmore, Dr. Landreth, and Captain Raymond each gave them a little talk suited to their capacities, and the sacredness of the day, and their needs as members of the fallen race of man.

The captain, standing before them with an open Bible in his hand, said, “My friends, I want to talk with you a little, about some of the words spoken by the Apostle Paul when he was taking leave of the elders of the Church at Ephesus.  He told them that he had been testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  Now, what is meant by repentance toward God?  It is a feeling of true sorrow for our sins against him (and everything wrong we have done, or thought, or felt was a sin against God).  And what is it to have faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ?  To believe in him as one abundantly able and willing to save us to save us from sin, from the love of it, and the punishment due to us for it.  We are all sinners; we have all come short of the glory of God, neglecting many things that we ought to have done, and doing very many things that we ought not to have done.  We are all born with a sinful nature, and God only can change it, so that we will hate sin and love holiness:  he only can give us true faith in his dear Son the Lord Christ.

“’By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God.’  We are saved by grace; it is only of God’s undeserved goodness, not because we have done or can do anything pleasing in his sight.  Paul speaks in this same chapter of the Gospel of the grace of God.  Gospel means good news, and what could be better news than that? that God offers us salvation of his free, unmerited grace?  What an offer that is! salvation as his free, undeserved gift, without money, and without price.  His offer is, ’Come unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth.’  No one is left out; this wonderful offer is to each one of us, and to every other inhabitant of this world, so that if any one fails to be saved, the fault will be all his own.  For God has said, ’I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth:  wherefore turn yourselves and live ye.’  And oh, how plain he has made it that he does love us and would have us live!  ’For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”

The service was not a long one, and when it was over the captain repaired to the school-room with Lulu and Grace to hear them recite their Bible verses and catechism.

When that duty had been attended to, “Now, daughters,” he said, “if you have anything to say, or questions suitable to the sacredness of the day to ask, I am ready to listen and reply to the best of my ability; but even a child may ask a question that a grown person cannot answer,” he added with a smile.

“Indeed, papa,” said Grace, putting an arm round his neck and laying her cheek lovingly to his, “I think you do know ’most everything; and I’m oh! so glad God gave you to me for my own father.”

“I know you are, Gracie, I’m sure of it; but you can’t be gladder than I am that he is my father, too,” said Lulu, lifting to his eyes full of filial love and reverence.

“Nor than I am that these two little girls are my very own,” responded the captain, holding both in a close embrace.  “But now for the questions.”

“I have one to ask, papa,” said Lulu.  “It is, what does the Bible mean by growing in grace?”

“Growing in likeness to Jesus and in conformity to his will; having more and more of the love and fear of God in our hearts; more faith and patience, and more love to our fellow-creatures; for the more we love the Master, the more will we love those whom he died to redeem.”

“And the more we love him, the more we will try to be like him?” Lulu said in a tone of mingled assertion and inquiry.

“Yes, my child; and it is the dearest wish of my heart that I may see my children thus growing in grace, and in likeness to the dear Master.”

“Papa, I want to,” said Grace softly; “oh, I want to, very much!”

“Then ask God to help you, my darling, remembering that he is the hearer and answerer of prayer.”

“And you will ask him for both of us, won’t you, papa?”

“I will, I do, my darling; there is never a day when I do not pray earnestly for each one of my dear children, that God will make them his own true followers and keep them in every time of trial and temptation, taking them safely to heaven at last.  Life in this world is exceedingly short compared with the eternal existence which awaits us all in another that life of infinite joy and blessedness at God’s right hand, or of everlasting, untold misery, unending, inconceivable anguish, in the blackness of darkness, shut out forever from his presence,” he added in moved tones.  “God in his infinite goodness and mercy grant that the first and not the last may be the portion of each one of my beloved children!”

“Oh, papa,” said Grace softly, “how can any one help loving the dear Saviour who died that we might go to heaven and not to that other awful place!”

“Oh,” said Lulu, “I do want to love him more and serve him better!  When I think of his wonderful goodness and love to us poor sinners, I’m just as ashamed as I can be that I don’t love him at all as I ought, and am so often ill-tempered and selfish and bad.  Papa, I do really think it is kind and good in you to punish me when I deserve it, and need it to make me a better girl.”

“And I shall be very glad indeed if you never again make it necessary for me to do so,” he responded.

“I do hope I won’t,” she returned.  “Papa, I’m very much afraid I’ll be thinking and talking to-day about the wedding and what everybody is going to wear at it, and I know I won’t be in half so much danger of doing so if I keep close to you; so mayn’t I?”

“Yes, daughter; I am always glad to have you near me,” he said kindly; “and it pleases me that you are desirous to avoid temptation to do wrong.”

“And you are just as willing to let me keep near you, papa?” Grace said inquiringly, and with a wistful, pleading look up into his face.

“Certainly, my dear little daughter.  I love you not a whit less than I do your sister,” he said, drawing her into a closer embrace.  “However, you may both stay here reading your Bibles and Sunday school books for a half hour longer.  Then I will come for you and you may spend the rest of the day as close to your father’s side as you choose.”  With that he left them.

“Such a dear, good father as ours is!” exclaimed Lulu, gazing after him with loving, admiring eyes.

“Yes, indeed!  I am sure there couldn’t be a better or dearer one.  Oh, I do love him so!” said Grace, turning over the leaves of her Bible.  “Let’s read verse about, Lu.”

“I’m agreed; and let it be the Book of Esther.  I do think that is such a lovely story.”

“So it is; and so is Ruth, and that’s shorter.  I don’t believe we’ll have time to read all of Esther before papa comes for us.”

“Maybe not,” assented Lulu; “so we will read Ruth.”

They had finished the story and were talking it over together when their father came.  It was then nearly tea time.

Sacred music filled up most of the evening, and all the young girls and boys retired early to bed that they might be ready for the pleasures and employments of the coming day.  The older people sat somewhat longer upon the veranda, conversing upon topics suited to the sacredness of the day.  They were Christians, and loved to speak of the Master and the things concerning his kingdom.

“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another:  and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name.  And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

As usual, Lulu was up early the next morning, and joined her father in a walk under the trees along the bank of the bayou.

“Well, daughter, has the rest of the Sabbath made you ready for work in the school-room again?” he asked, smiling down affectionately into her face, rosy, bright, and happy with health and gay spirits.

“Yes, papa, I feel more like it than I did on Saturday,” she answered, lifting to his sparkling eyes, full of affection.

“I rejoice to hear it,” he said; “for it is by no means a pleasant task to me when I have to compel a pupil whether one of my own children or the child of someone else against his or her inclination; though I enjoy teaching when all are happy and interested.”

“As we all ought to be when we have such a good, kind, wise teacher, dear papa,” she returned.  “It will be difficult, very difficult, I’m afraid, to give my mind to lessons when we are all so much taken up with the preparations for the wedding, but I’m determined to try my very best to do so to please my dearest, kindest, best of fathers,” lifting his hand to her lips.

“A father who would far rather be obeyed from love than fear,” he said, with a tender, loving look down into her face.

“Yes, I know you would, papa, and my love for you is, oh! ever so much stronger than my fear; though I own I am afraid of your displeasure and punishments, for I know you can punish severely when you think it your duty and for my good; but I respect and love you too a great deal more than I would or could if you indulged me in bad behavior.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said; “and I, as I have often told you, punish you when I deem it needful, because I know you will be the happier in the end for being compelled to try to conquer your faults; happier than you ever could be if allowed to indulge them.”

“Yes, papa, I know that is so; I am never at all happy when indulging wrong tempers and feelings,” she acknowledged, with another loving look up into his face.

At that moment they were joined by Evelyn and Rosie.

“Brother Levis,” said Rosie, “you surely are not going to be so unreasonable and tyrannical as to require lessons of us to-day?”

“I’m afraid I am, little sister,” he replied, with a smile, “and I hope you are not going to be so naughty and rebellious as to require any kind of discipline?”

“I don’t know,” she said, with a pretended pout; “I feel no inclination at all toward lessons, but a very strong one in favor of a ride or drive over to Magnolia Hall.”

“Which can be gratified when study and recitations have been duly attended to,” returned the captain; “and if in need of an escort you may call upon me for that service.”

“Oh, a thousand thanks! that will do very well indeed!” she exclaimed in a tone of relief and pleasure.

“And all the good and industrious little girls may go along,” added the captain, with a smiling look into Lulu’s eagerly inquiring face.

“Thank you, papa; thank you very much!” she exclaimed joyously.  “I do want to go, and intend to be as industrious as possible, and as good and obedient, so that you can take me.  And you’ll take Gracie too if she wants to go, won’t you?”

“Certainly,” he said; “Gracie deserves all the indulgences and pleasures I can give her.”

“You are very kind indeed, Captain, to spend so much of your time in teaching us to-day; for I feel very sure you would enjoy going to Magnolia Hall with the other gentlemen and the ladies this morning,” remarked Evelyn, with a grateful, affectionate look up into his face.

“Thank you, my dear,” he replied.  “It would be pleasant to me to go, but it is also a pleasure to help my own children, and other appreciative pupils, to climb the hill of science.”

Just then Grace and little Elsie came running to meet them, and the next minute the breakfast bell summoned them all to the house.

After breakfast followed family worship, school, play-time, then dinner, and, late in the afternoon, the pleasant drive through the woods to Magnolia Hall.  It was only for a call, however, and at tea-time the Viamede family and all their guests gathered about the table there.

From then until the wedding day the young folks were in a state of pleasurable excitement, though the captain kept his pupils steadily at their work, and they found it not impossible to fix their minds upon their studies for a portion of each day.  The other relatives invited had arrived, and in a few days the marriage was to take place.

It was Saturday morning.  Scarcely two hours had been spent in the school-room when the captain dismissed his pupils, telling them, with his pleasant smile, that they had done very well indeed, and would be allowed a holiday until the wedding festivities were over, an announcement no one was sorry to hear, although he had made the lessons interesting and enjoyable to them as ever since undertaking the work of teaching them.  All returned warm thanks, and Rosie, Evelyn, and Walter hastened from the room, which Captain Raymond had already left; but his two little girls lingered there a while longer, putting their desks in perfect order.

“Gracie,” said Lulu, “how much money have you left?”

“Not a single cent,” was the reply in a rather rueful tone; “and I suppose yours is all gone too?”

“Yes; every cent of it.  I feel as poor as a church mouse.”

“But we are not wanting to buy anything just now, and papa will be giving us some pocket-money again pretty soon,” returned Grace in a determinedly cheerful tone.

“Yes, so he will!  Oh, what a dear, good, kind father he is!  I really don’t believe there are very many girls of our ages that get so much pocket-money every week.  And papa gave us so much extra money too, to use in buying our gifts for Cousin Betty.”

“Oh, yes, and now I think of it, I don’t believe we ought to expect any more pocket-money for a good while.  Do you, Lu?”

“No, I don’t; for this wedding’s costing a good deal to papa as well as other folks; and the journey home will cost ever so much, besides all that papa paid to bring us here.  Then, too, he’s going to see Max again after we get home, and will maybe take one or both of us along if we’re good.”

“Oh, do you think so?” exclaimed Grace.  “Oh, I’d love to see Maxie! but if only one of us can go it ought to be you, because you’re the oldest, and so well that it wouldn’t give papa half so much trouble to take care of you as of me.”

“I’m just sure papa doesn’t think it any trouble to take care of you, Gracie,” returned Lulu in her quick, earnest way.  “And you are a better girl than I, therefore more deserving of such indulgences.”

“That’s a mistake of yours, Lu,” said Grace; “you’ve been good as gold ever since we came to Viamede as well as before and helped papa with your typewriter, while I haven’t done anything but wait on him a little, and try to learn my lessons well, and amuse the little ones sometimes.”

Lulu’s face had grown very red while Grace was speaking, and she hung her head in a shamefaced, remorseful way.

“No, Gracie,” she said in a low, mortified tone, “I haven’t been half so good as you think; I displeased papa very much that day when you all went to Magnolia Hall, and I had to stay at home and learn my lessons over.  I was very angry and cross with dear little Ned because he meddled with my herbarium, which I had carelessly left lying out on my desk.  If papa had punished me very severely it would have been no more than I deserved, but all he did was to send me to my room for a while till I told him how sorry I was and asked forgiveness of him, and Neddie, too.”

Grace looked surprised.  “No, I never heard a word of it before,” she said; “but I’m sure you did all you could when you asked forgiveness of both of them papa and Neddie.”

The little girls had no idea that their father was within hearing, yet such was the case, and their little talk pleased him greatly.

“The darlings!” he said to himself, “they shall not be long penniless, for their father thinks them very worthy to be trusted with pocket-money.  Two more unselfish children I am sure it would be hard to find.”

With that he rose and went to the library, to which they presently followed him, asking if there were anything he wanted them to do.

“Why, it is your play-time, daughters,” he returned, with a loving smile into the bright young faces.

“But we’d like to do something to help you, dear papa,” Grace said, laying her small, white hand on his arm, and looking lovingly up into his face.

“Yes, indeed we would, papa,” said Lulu, standing on his other side, and putting her arm round his neck.  “Please, if you have letters to answer, mayn’t I write them for you on my typewriter?”

“Does my dear eldest daughter deem that a privilege?” he asked, smiling down into her beseeching eyes, while he put one arm round her, the other about Grace’s waist, and drew both in between his knees, kissing first one and then the other.

“Indeed I do, papa,” Lulu answered in an earnest tone; “it’s very sweet to me to feel that I am of even a little use to my dear, dear father, who does so much for me, taking so much trouble to teach me, and gives me so many, many nice things to eat, to wear, to read, and to amuse myself with so many that it would take quite a long while to count them all up.”

“Ah, that reminds me,” he said, taking out his pocket-book, “I shouldn’t wonder if my little girls had about emptied their purses in buying gifts for the bride that is to be, and so forth.  Get them out and let me see what can be done toward replenishing them.”

He noted with pleasure that as he spoke each young face grew very bright.

“We’ve left them upstairs, papa,” said Lulu, “and though you’re ever so kind,” hugging and kissing him again, “we don’t want to take any more now when you have to spend so very much on the wedding, and to take us all home to Woodburn.”

“No, indeed we don’t, you dear, dear papa,” chimed in Grace, nestling closer to him and patting his cheek lovingly.

“My precious darlings!” he said, holding them close, “your father can spare it without denying himself or anybody else anything at all needful; and he feels very sure that he could not get more enjoyment out of it in any other way.  So get your purses and bring them here to me,” he concluded, releasing them from his embrace.

They ran joyfully to do his bidding, and on their return each found a little pile of money waiting for her two clean, fresh one dollar bills, two silver half dollars, four quarters, and ten dimes; all looking as if just issued from the mint.

“Oh! oh! oh!” they cried, “how much! and all so bright and new!” Lulu adding, “Papa, are you quite, quite sure you can really spare all this without being embarrassed?”

“Yes, quite sure,” he returned, regarding her with a twinkle of fun in his eyes; “I really think I should not be greatly embarrassed if called upon for twice as much.”

At that Lulu drew a long breath of relief, while Grace threw her arms about his neck, saying, “You dear, dear papa!  I don’t believe any other children ever had such a good, kind father as ours.”

“Well, now, I really hope there are a great many other fathers quite as good and kind as yours,” he said, with a smile, pinching the round, rosy cheek, kissing the ruby lips, and fondly stroking the soft, shining curls of her pretty head.

“I hope so,” said Lulu, “but I’m just sure there’s not another one I could love so, so dearly as ours.  I do think God was very good to me in making me yours, papa.  Your very own little daughter.”

“And me too,” said Grace.

“Yes; good to me as well as to you,” responded the captain, “for my darlings seem to me the dearest, most lovable children in the world.  Well, Lulu daughter, you may help me with your machine for a half hour, if you wish.”

“Oh, yes, papa; yes, indeed!  I’ll be glad to!” she exclaimed, hastening to uncover it, put in the paper, and seat herself before it, while her father took up a letter, glanced over the contents, then began his dictation.

It was a business note and had no interest for Grace, who presently wandered out upon the veranda with her well filled purse in her hand.

Grandma Elsie sat there alone, reading.  “What a bright, happy face, my little Gracie,” she said, glancing up from her book as the child drew near.  “Has some special good come to you, dear?”

“Yes, ma’am; see!” exclaimed the little girl, displaying her well filled purse; “it was empty, and my dear papa has just filled it.  You see, Grandma Elsie,” drawing near and lowering her voice, “I was wanting to buy a few things for good-by presents to some of the poor old colored folks, but I’d spent every cent of my money and thought I’d have to give it up; and I’m oh, so glad that I won’t have to now.  And Oh, Grandma Elsie, you and mamma will help me to think what will be best to get for them, won’t you?”

“I will be very glad to do anything I can to help you, dear child,” replied Grandma Elsie in her low, sweet tones, and softly stroking the golden curls as the little girl stood close at her side.  “Suppose you get a pencil and paper from the school-room and make out a list of those to whom you wish to give, and opposite to each name the gift that seems most suitable.”

Grace’s reply was a joyful assent, and she hurried away in search of the required articles.

She was not gone more than a very few minutes, but on her return found that her Mamma Vi, Rosie, and Evelyn had joined Grandma Elsie on the veranda, had been told by her what was the business in hand, and were desirous to have a share in it.

They had a pleasant time over their lists, each making out one for herself, while Lulu finished the work she had undertaken for her father.  They decided to write to the city for what was wanted, and that anyone else who wished could send at the same time; so that matter was satisfactorily disposed of.

“Oh!” exclaimed Grace, struck by a sudden thought, “suppose I run to the library and tell papa and Lu about it, and get him to tell her what to say, and let her write on the typewriter for the things?”

Everyone thought it an excellent idea, and Grace immediately carried it out.

“I quite approve,” her father said, when she had told her story and made her request.

“I too,” said Lulu, “and I’ll join you if papa will help me to decide what to buy.  I’ll write the letter too, if he will tell me what to say.”

“I am entirely willing to do both, daughter,” he said.  “Let us set to work at once, as it will soon be dinner-time, and I want to take my little girls out for a drive this afternoon.”

“Oh, thank you, papa, thank you very much!” they cried in joyous tones.

“Is anybody else going, papa?” asked Lulu.

“Your Grandma Elsie, Mamma Vi, and our little ones, in our carriage; as many more as may wish to go either in other carriages or on horseback.  Perhaps you would prefer to ride your pony?”

“No, sir; not if you are to be in the carriage I may ride in.”

“Ah, you are very fond of being with your father,” he said, with a pleased smile.

“Yes, sir; yes, indeed! just as close as I can get,” stroking and patting his cheek, then pressing her lips to it in an ardent kiss.

“And it’s exactly the same with me, you dear, darling papa!” exclaimed Grace, putting an arm round his neck.  “And it’s exactly the same with every one of your children from big Maxie down to baby Ned.”

“I believe it is, and it makes me very happy to think so,” he replied.  “But now, my dears, we must to work on our list of articles.”