CHAPTER XIII
The next day was the Sabbath, the weather clear and mild enough forall, passengers and crew, to gather upon the deck for a short serviceof prayer, singing of hymns and a sermon read by the captain. Afterthat there was an hour of Bible study in the saloon, Mr. Lilburnleading by request of the others.
Turning over the leaves of his Bible, "Suppose we take for our subjectthe 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 thymouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hathraised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart manbelieveth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is madeunto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Himshall 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 thatthey might be saved.' And if we are Christians we will be often inprayer and often making effort for the salvation of souls. Let us askourselves 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 themof the great love wherewith He has loved us, bleeding and dying that wemight live; and that all we have to do is simply to come, to believe,to take this offered salvation. 'Whosoever shall call upon the nameof the Lord shall be saved.' We have only to call upon His name withreal desire for His help, and in an instant He is with us, offering usfull and free salvation, purchased for us by His suffering and death,so that we may have it without money and without price. Now, friends,please read in turn texts bearing upon this great subject."
Then Grandma Elsie read, "'For God so loved the world, that He gave Hisonly begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world tocondemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved.'"
Then Grace, "'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.'"
Then the captain, "'Knowing that a man is not justified by the worksof the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believedin Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,and not by the works of the law; for by the law shall no flesh bejustified.'"
Then Violet, "'By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not ofyourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man shouldboast.'"
Harold was the next, "'God hath not appointed us to wrath, but toobtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,'" he read, and that closedthe lesson, the younger ones seeming to have nothing ready; thenpresently came the summons to the dinner table.
"Aren't we getting pretty near to Louisiana, papa?" asked Ned at thebreakfast table the 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 toViamede by the shortest route."
"Oh, I am glad of that, for I just long for a sight of our beautifulViamede; 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.
"It will be ever so nice to get there," exclaimed Elsie Raymond."Grandma, you were so kind to invite us all."
"Not kinder to you than to myself, since to have you all theremakes the place twice as enjoyable and attractive to me," was thepleasant-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 arrivejust about the time we are now likely to reach there."
"I think we shall," said the captain; and they did, to find theexpectant relatives gathered at the wharf ready to give them a joyfulgreeting; for dearly they all loved Viamede's sweet mistress, andthey also cherished a warm affection for those who accompanied her,especially her son Harold and his bride. The congratulations to themwere warm, especially those of Dr. Percival, who felt that he owed hislife to God's blessing upon Harold's wise and kind treatment during thesevere 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 toshow to Grandma Elsie and all the others--a lovely baby girl, anotherElsie. And Dr. and Mrs. Johnson had still another to show, exhibitingit with much parental pride, speaking of it as still another namesakefor their dearly loved cousin, Mrs. Elsie Travilla.
She was much moved. "I am greatly honored," she said; "so many namingtheir darlings for me. I have brought two with me--Elsie Dinsmore andElsie Raymond; there is one--Elsie Keith--at the Parsonage; one atMagnolia Hall--Elsie Embury; and now these two dear babies, making sixhere in all. Yes, and in my more Northern home neighborhood there ismy eldest daughter, named for me by her father, and there are severalothers, the children of friends who have honored me in the same way. Icertainly am greatly honored. But, dear Dick and Rob, will it not makeconfusion to have two of the same name at Torriswood?"
"Oh, I think not, cousin," laughed Dick; "ours can be Elsie P. andRob's Elsie J."
"And, oh, Cousin Elsie, if only they get your sweet disposition alongwith the name," exclaimed Maud, "they will have reason to thank us forgiving 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 nameshe bore. "They have often told me I must try to be like the dear ladyrelation whose name I bear."
"Dear child, may you succeed in greatly improving upon your pattern,"Mrs. Travilla responded, smiling upon the little girl, gently smoothingher hair and giving her a kiss.
But now came the summons to the dinner table. By the written orders ofViamede's mistress, sent weeks before, a fine, abundant, luxuriousmeal had been made ready for the occasion, and soon all were seatedabout the hospitable board regaling themselves upon all the luxuries tobe 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 reasonand the flow of soul."
The children had a table to themselves, that they might chatter totheir hearts' content without disturbing the older folk, and they fullyappreciated the privilege.
"Oh, Elsie Raymond!" exclaimed Mildred Keith, the eldest of thechildren from the Parsonage, "I haven't seen your tee-tee. Didn't youbring it along?"
"No," replied Elsie; "Ned's couldn't be brought because he was not wellenough to care for it on the _Dolphin_, and wouldn't have felt willingto leave it to other folks to be troubled with; so it had to be left athome, and as we didn't want to part them, I left mine too."
"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'shelp," said another of the cousins. "But I know he can make fun evenwithout 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 nearrelation."
"And you had a wedding at your house just a little while ago," saidanother. "I like both Cousin Harold and Cousin Grace, and it seems nicethat they are married to each other."
"But does Cousin Violet like it? I heard the folks say it would makeher mother to her brother."
"Yes; but, besides, it makes mamma and Sister Grace sisters; so Graciecan say mamma or sister, just as she pleases; but I don't believe itwill make a bit of difference in their love for each other."
"No; I don't believe it will, or make her, your mother, and Dr. Haroldfeel at all differently toward each other. I dare say they will allfeel 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 thatlittle Mary. Why didn't they and Chester come?"
"Cheste
r couldn't well leave his business, Sister Lu didn't want toleave him, and Eva thought home was better for Baby Mary," ElsieRaymond said in reply. "It seemed hard to leave them behind, but papasaid it couldn't be helped. Oh, I wish you could all see Baby Mary! Sheis such a dear, pretty little thing."
But all the talk was not going on at the children's table; the grownfolks were doing their full share, and that with evident enjoyment.
"We understood, Cousin Elsie," said Dr. Percival, "that the cousinsfrom the Oaks and Fairview were to be here."
"Yes, and I think they will be in a few days, coming by rail. They werenot quite ready to start when we were, nor would the yacht have held usall. And we may hope for another carousal when they do get here," sheadded with a merry look and musical laugh.
"Ah, that's a pleasant prospect, if we are to be invited to take partin it," laughed the doctor.
"Ah, Dick, you surely know that is of course," she returned with a lookthat said more than her words. "A family party here without you in itwould hardly be worthy of that name to me."
"Ah, cousin, you are indeed kind to say and to feel so, for I don'tseem to myself to deserve to be so estimated by you. I am really worthbut little except as a physician; and Harold here can outdo me in thatline," he added, giving Harold a warmly affectionate look and smile.
"I must beg leave to differ as to that, Cousin Dick," returned Haroldbrightly. "I know of no physician to whom I would sooner trust the lifeof any ailing dear one than to yourself."
"Thanks; that is certainly a very strong endorsement you give me,"laughed Dick, coloring 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 wedo 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 Captain Raymond pleasantly.
"But don't expect any of us to get sick in order to give you fellows achance to show your skill," observed Mr. Dinsmore gravely.
"Oh, no, uncle; we can find plenty of patients among the constantdwellers in this region; so you may feel quite safe from ourexperimenting upon you--unless you get up an accident that will callfor our aid," said Dick.
"I assure you I have no idea of doing that, even to help my nephews andgrandson to plenty of employment to keep them out of mischief," laughedMr. Dinsmore.
"And you needn't, grandpa, so far as I am concerned," said Harold, witha 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 interfere 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 hisattention, and that Lu, like the good, affectionate wife that she is,could not be persuaded to leave him; and Eva remains at home for theirsake and that of her baby."
And so the talk went on till all the courses of the grand dinner hadbeen served and heartily partaken of.
Then all, old and young, gathered in the drawing-room and spent apleasant hour in friendly chat. After that cordial good-nights wereexchanged, accompanied with plans and promises in regard to futureintentions, and one after another the relatives and guests departed fortheir own homes.
Little, feeble Ned had already been taken to his nest for the night,but the other children were now permitted a brief sojourn upon thefront veranda, made delightful by the sweet scent of the orangeblossoms upon the trees and the many lovely flowers adorning themoonlighted lawn, that light giving them also a charming view of themore distant landscape.
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