CHAPTER III.
"A kingdom is a nest of families, and a family is a small kingdom."--Tupper.
It was a bright and cheerful scene that greeted the eyes of CaptainRaymond and his son as they entered the parlor of the adjacent cottage.
It was strictly a family gathering, yet the room was quite full. Mr.Dinsmore was there with his wife, his daughter Elsie and her children,Edward and Zoe, Elsie Leland with her husband and babe, Violet Raymondwith her husband's two little girls, Lulu and Grace, and lastly Rosie andWalter.
Everybody had a kindly greeting for the captain, and Violet's bright facegrew still brighter as she made room for him on the sofa by her side.
"We were beginning to wonder what was keeping you," she said.
"Yes, I'm afraid I am rather behind time," he returned. "I hope you havenot delayed your tea for me, Mrs. Dinsmore."
"No; it is but just ready," she said. "Ah, there's the bell. Please, allof you walk out."
When the meal was over all returned to the parlor, where they spent thenext hour in desultory chat.
Gracie claimed a seat on her father's knee. Lulu took possession of anottoman and pushed it up as close to his side as she could; then seatingherself on it leaned up against him.
He smiled and stroked her hair, then glanced about the room in search ofMax.
The boy was sitting silently in a corner, but reading an invitation in hisfather's eyes, he rose and came to his other side.
The ladies were talking of the purchases they wished to make in Boston,New York or Philadelphia, on their homeward route.
"I must get winter hats for Lulu and Gracie," said Violet.
"I want a bird on mine, Mamma Vi," said Lulu; "a pretty one with gayfeathers."
"Do you know, Lulu, that they skin the poor little birds alive in order topreserve the brilliancy of their plumage?" Violet said with a troubledlook. "I will not wear them on that account, and as you are a kind-heartedlittle girl, I think you will not wish to do so either."
"But I do," persisted Lulu. "Of course I wouldn't have a bird killed onpurpose, but after they are killed I might just as well have one."
"But do you not see," said Grandma Elsie, "that if every one would refuseto buy them, the cruel business of killing them would soon cease? and thatit will go on as long as people continue to buy and wear them?"
"I don't care, I want one," pouted Lulu. "Papa, can't I have it?"
"No, you cannot," he said with grave displeasure. "I am sorry to see thatyou can be so heartless. You can have just whatever Grandma Elsie andMamma Vi think best for you, and with that you must be content."
Lulu was silenced, but for the rest of the evening her face wore an uglyscowl.
"My little girl is growing sleepy," the captain said presently to Gracie."Papa will carry you over home and put you to bed. Lulu, you may cometoo."
"I don't want to, papa, I----" she began; but he silenced her with a look.
"Bid good-night to our friends and come," he said. "You also, Max."
Max, though surprised at the order, obeyed with cheerful alacrity instrong contrast to Lulu's sullen and reluctant compliance, which said asplainly as words that she would rebel if she dared.
"I don't see why papa makes us come away so soon," she grumbled to herbrother in an undertone, as they passed from one cottage to the other,their father a little in advance.
"He must have some good reason," said Max, "and I for one am willingenough to obey him, seeing it's such a little while I'll have the chance."
They had now reached the veranda of their own cottage.
"Come in quickly out of this cold wind, children," their father said; thenas he closed the outer door after them, "Run into the parlor and getthoroughly warm before going up to your rooms."
He sat down by the stove with Grace on his knee, and bade the other twodraw up close to it and him, one on each side. And when they had done so,"My three dear children," he said in tender tones, glancing from one toanother, "no words can tell how much I love you. Will you all think veryoften of papa and follow him with your prayers when he is far away on thesea?"
"Oh, yes, yes, papa!" they all said with tears in their eyes, while Gracieput her small arms round his neck. Lulu rested her head on his shoulder,and Max took a hand and pressed it in both of his.
"Papa, you will think of us, too?" he said inquiringly.
"Yes, indeed, my darlings; you will never be long out of my mind, andnothing will make me happier than to hear that you are well and doing yourduty faithfully."
"I shall try very hard, papa," Max said, with affectionate look and tone,"if it is only to please you and make your heart glad."
"Thank you, my son," his father replied, "but I hope a still strongermotive will be that you may please God and honor Him. Never forget, mychildren, that though your earthly father may be far away and know nothingof your conduct, God's all-seeing eye is ever upon you."
A half hour had passed very quickly and delightfully to the children, whenat length, seeing Gracie's eyelids begin to droop, their father said itwas time for him to carry her up to bed.
"Shall we stay here till you come down again, papa?" asked Max.
"No; you and Lulu may go to bed now."
"Then good-night, papa."
"No, you need not bid me good-night yet," the captain said. "I shall seeyou both in your rooms before you are asleep."
"Well, Lu, are you sorry now that papa made you come home so soon?" askedMax, as they went up-stairs together.
"No, indeed! Haven't we had a nice time, Max? Oh, if only we could keeppapa all the time!"
"I wish we could," said Max. "But we won't have so hard a time as we'vehad for the last two years whenever he was away."
They had reached the door of Lulu's room. "Max," she said, turning to himas with a sudden thought, "what do you suppose papa is coming to our roomsfor?"
"What do _you_ suppose? have you done anything you ought to be punishedfor?" asked Max, a little mischievously. "I thought you looked very crossand rebellious about the hat and about having to come home so soon. I'mvery sure, from what I've heard of Grandpa Dinsmore's strictness, that ifyou were his child you'd get a whipping for it."
Lulu looked frightened.
"But, Max, you don't think papa means to punish me for that, do you? Hehas been so kind and pleasant since," she said, with a slight tremble inher voice.
"You'll find out when he comes," laughed Max. "Good-night," and hehastened away to his own room.
A guilty conscience made Lulu very uneasy as she hurried through herpreparations for bed, and as she heard her father's step approach the doorshe grew quite frightened.
He came in and closed it after him. Lulu was standing in her night-dress,just ready for bed. He caught up a heavy shawl, wrapped it about her, andseating himself lifted her to his knee.
"Why, how you are trembling!" he exclaimed. "What is the matter?"
"O papa! are you--are you going to punish me for being so naughty thisevening?" she asked, hanging her head while her cheeks grew red.
"That was not my intention in coming in here," he said. "But, Lulu, yourwilfulness is a cause of great anxiety to me. I hardly know what to dowith you. I am very loath to burden our kind friends--Grandpa Dinsmore andGrandma Elsie--with so rebellious and unmanageable a child, for it will bepainful to them to be severe with you, and yet I see that you will compelthem to it."
"I won't be punished by anybody but you! Nobody else has a right!" burstout Lulu.
"Yes, my child, I have given them the right, and the only way for you toescape punishment is not to deserve it. And if you prove too troublesomefor them, you are to be sent to a boarding-school, and that, you willunderstand, involves separation from Max and Gracie, and life among totalstrangers."
"Papa, you wouldn't, you couldn't be so cruel!" she said, bursting intotears and hiding her face on his breast.
"I hope you will not be so cruel to yourself as to make it necessary," hesaid. "I have fondly
hoped you were improving, but your conduct to-nightshows me that you are still a self-willed, rebellious child."
"Well, papa, I've wanted a bird on my hat for ever so long, and I believeyou would have let me have it, too, if Mamma Vi and Grandma Elsie hadn'tsaid that."
"I shouldn't let you have it, if they were both in favor of it," he saidseverely.
"Why, papa?"
"Because of the cruelty it would encourage. And now, Lucilla, I want youto reflect how very kind it is in Grandpa Dinsmore and Grandma Elsie to bewilling to take my children in and share with them their own delightfulhome. You have not the slightest claim upon their kindness, and very fewpeople in their case would have made such an offer. I really feel almostashamed to accept so much without being able to make some return, even ifI knew my children would all behave as dutifully and gratefully aspossible. And knowing how likely your conduct is to be the exact reverseof that, I can hardly reconcile it to my conscience to let you go withthem to Ion. I am afraid I ought to place you in a boarding-school atonce, before I am ordered away."
"O papa, don't!" she begged. "I'll try to behave better."
"You must promise more than that," he said; "promise me that you willyield to the authority of your mamma and her mother and grandfather as ifit were mine; obeying their orders and submitting to any punishment theymay see fit to inflict, just as if it were my act."
"Papa, have you said they might punish me?" she asked, with a look ofwounded pride.
"Yes; I have full confidence in their wisdom and kindness. I know theywill not abuse the authority I give them, and I have told them they mayuse any measures with my children that they would with their own in thesame circumstances. Are you ready to give the promise I require?"
"Papa, it is too hard!"
"The choice is between that and being sent to boarding-school."
"Oh, it's so hard!" she sobbed.
"Not hard at all if you choose to be good," her father said. "In that caseyou will have a delightful life at Ion. Do you make the promise?"
"Yes, sir," she said, as if the words were wrung from her, then hid herface on his breast again and cried bitterly.
"My little daughter, these are tears of pride and stubbornness," sighedher father, passing his hand caressingly over her hair, "and you willnever be happy until those evil passions are cast out of your heart. Theyare foes which you must fight and conquer by the help of Him who is mightyto save, or they will cost you the loss of your soul. Any sin unrepentedof and unforsaken will drag you down to eternal death; for the Bible says,'Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.'"
"Papa," she said, "you are the only person God commands me to obey, andI'm willing to do that."
"No, it seems not, when my command is that you obey some one else. Mylittle girl, you need something that I cannot give you; and that is achange of heart. Go to Jesus for it, daughter; ask Him to wash away allyour sins in His precious blood and to create in you a clean heart andrenew a right spirit within you. He is able and willing to do it, for Hesays, 'Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.' We will kneeldown and ask Him now."
"Papa, I do love you so, I love you dearly, and I _will_ try to be abetter girl," Lulu said, clasping her arms tightly about his neck, as,having laid her in her bed, he bent down to kiss her good-night.
"I hope so, my darling," he said; "nothing could make me happier than toknow you to be a truly good child, trying to live right that you mayplease the dear Saviour who died that you might live."
Max, lying in his bed, was just saying to himself, "I wonder what keepspapa so long," when he heard his step on the stairs.
"Are you awake, Max?" the captain asked, as he opened the door and camein.
"Yes, sir," was the cheerful response; "it's early, you know, papa, andI'm not at all sleepy."
"That is well, for I want a little talk with you," said his father,sitting down on the side of the bed and taking Max's hand in his.
The talk was on the sin of profanity. Max was told to repeat the thirdcommandment, then his father called his attention to the words, "The Lordwill not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain."
"It is a dreadful and dangerous sin, my son," he said; "a most foolishsin, too, for there is absolutely nothing to be gained by it; and themeanest of sins, for what can be meaner than to abuse Him to whom we oweour being and every blessing we enjoy?"
"Yes, papa, and I--I've done it a good many times. Do you think God willever forgive me?" Max asked in trembling tones.
"'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth andforsaketh them shall have mercy.' 'I, even I, am He that blotteth out thytransgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins,'"quoted the captain.
"Yes, my son, if you are truly sorry for your sins because committedagainst God, and confess them with the determination to forsake them,asking forgiveness and help to overcome the evil of your nature, forJesus' sake, it will be granted you. 'The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son,cleanseth us from all sin.'"
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