Elsie's New Relations by Martha Finley

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Lulu, too, was learning scroll-sawing, and thought it far preferable to
any sort of needle-work; sometimes more enjoyable than playing with her
dolls.

They were there together one afternoon, both very busy and chatting and
laughing as they worked.

"Max," said Lulu, "I'm determined to learn to do scroll-sawing and carving
just as well as ever I can, and make lovely things! Maybe I can contrive
new patterns or designs, or whatever they call 'em, and after a while make
ever so much money, enough to pay for my clothes and everything, so that
papa won't have to spend any of his money on me."

"Why, Lu!" exclaimed her brother, "do you think papa grudges the money he
spends on you, or any of us?"

"No, I know he doesn't," she returned vehemently, "but can't you
understand that I'd like him to have more to spend on himself?"

"Oh," said Max. "Well, that's right, I'm sure, and very thoughtful for a
little girl like you. I do think you're splendid in some ways, Lu."

"And whether you make money by it or not, it will be a good thing to learn
to do this work well. Papa says, 'knowledge is power,' and the more things
we know how to do, the more independent and useful we will be."

Just then the door opened, and Zoe, in riding hat and habit, put in her
head.

"Max, I'm going to ride into the village," she said, "and Edward can't go
with me, as he intended. Will you?"

"Yes, Aunt Zoe, of course, if you want me," answered the boy promptly,
stopping his saw and springing to his feet, for he was much gratified by
the invitation. "I'll get ready as fast as I can; 'twon't take over five
minutes."

"Thank you. I'll wait for you in the parlor," said Zoe, "Lulu, would you
like to go, too?"

"No, thank you, I had a ride this morning, and now I want to finish this."

Max had left the room, and Zoe, drawing nearer to Lulu, exclaimed at the
beauty of her work.

"Why, I never should have dreamed you could do it so well!" she said. "I
don't believe I could."

Lulu's face flushed with pleasure, but she said modestly, "Perhaps you'd
find, if you should try, that you could do it better; you do everything
else better than I do."

"Quite a mistake," returned Zoe, "though I ought to, as I'm so much older.
But there, I dare say Max is ready and waiting for me, so good-by."

They met in the lower hall. "All ready, Max?" she asked.

"Yes--no; I must ask leave," and he ran into the parlor where the ladies
of the family were sitting.

It was of Grandma Elsie he asked permission, and it was given at once.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said. "Can I do anything for you in the town,
ladies?"

"Yes," said Violet, "I have just broken a crochet needle. You may get me
one to replace it."

She went on to give him directions about the size and where he would be
likely to find it; then taking some money from her purse, "This is sure to
be more than enough," she said, "but you may keep the change."

"Mamma Vi, I don't want pay for doing an errand for you," returned the boy
coloring; "it is a great pleasure, it would be even if papa had not told
me to wait on you and do all I could to fill his place."

"I don't mean it as pay, my dear boy," Violet answered, with a pleased
look, "but haven't I a right to make a little present now and then to the
children who call me mamma?"

Max's face brightened.

"Yes, ma'am, I suppose so," he said. "Thank you; I'll take it willingly
enough if it isn't pay, and I'm very proud to be trusted to buy something
for you."

Edward was helping Zoe into the saddle as Max came hurrying out.

"Take good care of her, Max," he said, "I'm trusting you and Tom there
with my chiefest treasure."

"I'll do my best," Max said, mounting his pony, which Tom the colored boy
was holding.

"Me, too, Marse Ed'ard, dere shan't nuffin hurt Miss Zoe," added the
latter, giving Max the bridle, then mounting a third horse and falling
behind the others as they cantered down the avenue.

A little beyond the gate the family carriage passed them, Mr. Dinsmore and
a strange gentleman inside.

"Company," remarked Zoe. "I wonder who he is, and if he's come to stay any
time? I think grandpa drove into the city in season to meet the afternoon
train."

"Yes, I know he did," said Max.

Max had now learned to ride quite well, and felt himself very nearly a man
as he escorted Zoe to the village, and, arrived there, went with her from
store to store, executed Violet's commission, then having assisted Zoe
into the saddle remounted, and returned with her to Ion.

It was very near the tea hour when they reached home. Zoe went directly to
her own apartments to change her dress, but Max, without even waiting to
take off his overcoat, hastened into the parlor to hand the crochet needle
to Violet.

The ladies were all there, Rosie, too, and Mr. Dinsmore, and an elderly
gentleman, whom Max at once recognized as the one he had seen in the
carriage that afternoon.

He shook hands very kindly with the boy as Mr. Dinsmore introduced them,
"Cousin Ronald this is Max Raymond--Mr. Lilburn, Max."

"Ah ha, ah ha! um, h'm! ah ha! A fine-looking lad," Mr. Lilburn said,
still holding the boy's hand in a kindly grasp, and gazing with evident
interest into the bright young face. "I trust you and I are going to be
good friends, Max. I'm no so young myself as I once was, but I like the
company of the blithe young lads and lasses."

"Thank you, sir," said Max, coloring with pleasure. "Rosie says you tell
splendid stories about Wallace and the Bruce and Robin Hood and his merry
men; and I know I shall enjoy them ever so much."

As he finished his sentence Max colored more deeply than before, at the
same time hastily thrusting his right hand deep into the pocket on that
side of his overcoat, for a peculiar sound like the cry of a young puppy
seemed to come from it at that instant, much to the boy's discomfiture and
astonishment.

"What is that? What have you got there, Max?" asked little Walter,
pricking up his ears, while Violet asked with an amused look, "Have you
been making an investment in livestock, Max?"

A query that seemed all the more natural and appropriate as the cluck of a
hen came from the pocket on the other side of the overcoat.

Down went the left hand into that. "No, Mamma Vi, they're not in my
pockets," returned the boy, with a look of great bewilderment.

"No, to be sure not," said Mr. Lilburn, and the hen clucked behind
Violet's chair and the pup's cry was heard coming from underneath a heap
of crocheting in Mrs. Dinsmore's lap, fairly startling her into uttering a
little cry of surprise and dismay and springing to her feet.

Then everybody laughed, Rosie clapping her hands with delight, and Max
glanced from one to another more mystified than ever.

"Never mind, Max," said Violet, "it's plain you are not the culprit who
brought such unwelcome intruders here. Run up to your room now and make
yourself ready for tea."

Max obeyed, but looking back from the doorway, asked, "Shall I send one of
the servants to turn out the hen and carry away the pup?"

"Never mind, we'll attend to it," said Mr. Dinsmore.

"I'll find 'em. I can carry that pup out," said Walter, getting down from
his grandpa's knee and beginning a vigorous search for it, the older
people watching him with much amusement.

At length, having satisfied himself that neither it nor the hen was in the
room, he concluded that they must be in Max's overcoat pockets, and told
him so the moment he returned.

"No, they are not, unless some one has put them there since I went
up-stairs," said Max. "But I don't believe in them, Walter. I think they
were only make believe."

"How make believe?" asked the little fellow in perplexity.

"Ask Mr. Lilburn."

"Come, explain yourself, young man," said that gentleman laughingly.

"I've heard of ventriloquists, sir," said Max. "I don't know if you are
one, but as pup and hen could only be heard and not seen, I think it must
have been a ventriloquist's work."

"But you don't know for certain," said Rosie, coming to his side, "and
please don't say anything to Zoe, or Lulu, or Gracie about it."

"I won't," he said, as the door opened and the three entered, Zoe having
overtaken the two little girls on their way down-stairs after being
dressed for the evening by the careful and expert Agnes.

"Mamma, do I look nice enough for your little girl?" asked Gracie, going
to Violet's side.

"Very nice and sweet, my darling," was the whispered reply, accompanied by
a tender caress.

Walter, hardly waiting until the necessary introductions were over, burst
out eagerly, "Zoe, do you know where that pup is?"

"What pup?" she asked.

"I don't know his name."

"Well, what about him?"

"I thought he was in Max's pocket, but he wasn't, and neither was the
hen."

The tea-bell rang at that instant, and Rosie, putting her lips to Walter's
ear, whispered, "Do keep quiet about it, and we'll have some fun."

"Will we?" he asked with a look of mingled wonder and pleasure; "then I'll
keep quiet."

All through the meal Walter was on the _qui vive_ for the fun, but there
was none beyond a few jests and pleasantries which were by no means
unusual in their cheerful family circle.

"There wasn't a bit of fun, Rosie," he complained to her after all had
returned to the parlor.

"Wait a little," she answered, "perhaps it will come yet."

"Before I have to go to bed?"

"I hope so. Suppose you go and tell Cousin Ronald you want some fun. He
knows how to make it. But be sure to whisper it in his ear."

Walter did as directed.

"Wait a wee, bairnie, and see what will happen," Cousin Ronald answered in
an undertone, and with a low pleasant laugh as he lifted the little fellow
to his knee.

Mr. Dinsmore sat near at hand, the ladies had gathered about the
centre-table with their work, while Lester Leland and Edward Travilla
hovered near their wives, the one with a newspaper, the other merely
watching the busy fingers of the fair workers and making jesting comments
upon what they were doing.

But presently there was a sudden commotion in their midst, one after
another springing from her chair with a little startled cry and trying to
dodge what, from the sound, seemed to be an enormous bumble bee circling
round and round their heads and in and out among them. "Buzz! buzz! buzz!"
surely never bumble bee buzzed so loud before.

"Oh, catch it! kill it, Edward!" cried Zoe, with a half frantic rush to
the farther side of the room. "Oh, here it comes after me! It's settling
on my hair! Oh!"

"No, dear, it isn't, there is really nothing there," Edward said
soothingly, yet with a laugh, for a second thought had told him the real
cause of the disturbance.

"I believe it's gone," she said, drawing a long breath of relief, as she
turned her head this way and that, "but where did it go to? and how
strange for one to be flying about this time of year!"

The other ladies exchanging amused glances and smiles, were drawing round
the table again when a loud "cluck, cluck" came from beneath it.

"Oh, there she is! there's the old hen Max brought!" cried Walter,
springing from Mr. Lilburn's knee to run to the table.

Stooping down he peeped under it. "Why, no, she's not there!" he said in
wonder and disappointment. "Ah, yonder she is! behind that window
curtain," as "cluck, cluck cluck," came from a distant corner. "Max, Max,
catch her quick, 'fore she gets away!"

Max ran and hastily drew aside the curtain.

There was nothing there, as Walter, Lulu and Gracie, who had all rushed to
the spot, perceived with amazement.

"Hark!" said Mr. Dinsmore, and as a death-like silence fell upon the room
the "cluck, cluck, cluck" was distinctly heard from the hall.

Out rushed the children and searched its whole length, but without finding
the intruder.

Back they came to report their failure. Then dogs, big and little, barked
and growled, now here, now there, little pigs squealed, cats meowed, and
mice squealed from the corners, under sofas and chairs, in the ladies'
laps, in the gentlemen's pockets, yet not one could be seen.

For a while it made a great deal of sport, but at length little feeble
Gracie grew frightened and nervous, and running to "Mamma Vi" hid her head
in her lap with a burst of tears and sobs.

That put an end to the fun and frolic, everybody sobered down instantly
and kept very quiet, while Grandpa Dinsmore carefully explained to the
little weeper that Cousin Ronald had made all the sounds which had so
excited and alarmed her, and that there was really nothing in the room
that could hurt or annoy her.

She lifted her head at last, wiped away her tears, and with a laugh that
was half a sob, said, "I'll stop crying, then; but I'm afraid everybody
thinks I'm a great baby."

"Oh no, dear!" said Grandma Elsie, "we all know that if our little girlie
is easily troubled, it is because she is not well and strong like the rest
of us."

"And I must beg your pardon for frightening you so, my wee bit bonny
lassie," said Mr. Lilburn, stroking her hair. "I'll try to atone for it,
one o' these days, by telling you and the other bairns the finest stories
I know."

The promise called forth from the young folks a chorus of thanks and
exclamations of delight, Walter adding, "Won't you please tell one now,
Cousin Ronald, to comfort Gracie?"

"A very disinterested request, no doubt, my little son," Elsie said
laughingly, as she rose and took his hand to lead him from the room; "but
it is high time both you and Gracie were in your nests. So bid good-night,
and we will go."

CHAPTER XI.

"At Christmas play, and make good cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year."
--Tusser.

It was the day before Christmas.

"When do our holidays begin, mamma?" asked Rosie, as she put her books
neatly away in her desk after the last morning recitation.

"Now, my child; we will have no tasks this afternoon. Instead, I give my
five little folks an invitation to drive into the city with me. How many
will accept?"

"I, thank you, ma'am," "and I," "and I," came in joyous tones from one and
another, for all were in the room, and not one indifferent to the delight
of a visit to the city, especially just at this time when the stores were
so full of pretty things. Besides, who could fail to enjoy a drive with
the kind, sweet lady some of them called mamma, others Grandma Elsie?

"Then you may all be ready to start immediately after dinner," she said,
glancing around upon them with a benign smile.

It was a still, bright day, mild for the season, no snow on the ground to
make a sleigh-ride possible, but the roads were good, they had fine
horses, plenty of wraps, and the ride in the softly-cushioned,
easy-rolling carriage, whose large plate-glass windows gave them a good
view of the country first, then of the streets and shop windows of the
city, was found very enjoyable.

They were not afraid to jest, laugh, and be as merry as health, freedom
from care, youthful spirits, and pleasing anticipations for the morrow
inclined them to be.

Most of the Christmas shopping had been done days before, but some orders
were left with grocers and confectioners, and Grandma Elsie treated
generously to bonbons.

She allowed her children much greater latitude in such matters than her
father had permitted her in her early years.

The Ion carriage had scarcely turned out of the avenue, on its way to the
city, when one of the parlors became the scene of great activity and
mirth. A large Christmas tree was brought in and set up by the men
servants; then Lester and his Elsie, Violet, Edward and Zoe proceeded to
trim it.

That done they gave their attention to the adorning with evergreens the
walls of that and several other rooms, completing their labors and closing
the doors upon the tree some time before the return of the children.

"We shall have scarcely more than time to dress for tea," Grandma Elsie
said, as the carriage drew up at the door; "so go directly to your rooms,
my dears. Are you very tired, little Gracie?"

"No, ma'am, just a wee bit," said the child. "I'm getting so much
stronger, and we've had such a nice time, Grandma Elsie."

"I'll carry you up-stairs, little missy," said Tom, the servant man, who
opened the door for them, picking her up as he spoke.

"Bring her in here, Tom," Violet said, speaking from the door of her
dressing-room. "And will you come in too, Lulu dear?"

Violet was very careful never to give Lulu an order; her wishes when
addressing her were always expressed in the form of a request.

Lulu complied at once, Tom stepping back for her to enter first.

She was in high good-humor, having enjoyed her drive extremely.

"Mamma Vi," she exclaimed, "we've had a splendid time! It's just
delightful to be taken out by Grandma Elsie."

"Yes; I have always found it so," said Violet. "And how has your papa's
baby girl enjoyed herself?" drawing Gracie toward her, as Tom set her
down, and taking off her hat.

"Oh, ever so much! Mamma how beautiful you look! I wish papa was here to
see you."

"That's just what I was thinking," said Lulu. "You _are_ beautiful, Mamma
Vi, and then you always wear such very pretty and becoming things."

"I am glad you approve my taste in dress," Violet said, laughing. "And
what do you think of those?" with a slight motion of her hand in the
direction of the bed.

Both little girls turned to look, then with a little cry of surprise and
delight hastened to give a closer inspection to what they saw there--two
pretty dresses of soft, fine white cashmere, evidently intended for them,
each with sash and ribbons lying on it, Lulu's of rose pink, Gracie's a
delicate shade of blue.

"O Mamma Vi! are they for us?" exclaimed Lulu.

"They were bought and made expressly for my two dear little girls; for
them to wear to-night," said Violet. "Do they suit your taste, dears?"

"They are just beautiful, my dear, sweet, pretty mamma," cried Gracie,
running to her and half smothering her with hugs and kisses.

"There, pet, that will do," said Violet, laughing, as she returned a
hearty kiss, then gently disengaged the child's arms from her neck; "we
must make haste to array you in them before the tea-bell rings," and
taking Gracie's hand, she led her toward the bed.

Lulu was standing there smoothing down the folds of her new dress, and
noting, with a thrill of pleasure, how prettily the rich sash and ribbons
contrasted with its creamy whiteness. "Mamma Vi," she said, looking up
into her young stepmother's face, her expression a mixture of penitence
and gratitude, "how good you and Grandma Elsie are to me! Indeed,
everybody here is good to me; though I--I'm so bad-tempered."

"You have been very good of late, dear," Violet said, bending down to kiss
her forehead, "and it is a dear delight to me to do all I can to make my
husband's children happy."

Agnes now came to Violet's assistance, and when the tea-bell rang, a few
minutes later, the two little girls were quite ready to descend with their
mamma to the supper-room.

Grandma Elsie looked in on her way down, and Violet said, sportively,
"See, mamma, I have my dolls dressed."

"Yes," Elsie returned, with a smile, "you were always fond of dressing
dolls," and, passing a hand over Gracie's curls and touching Lulu's cheek
caressingly with the other, "these are better worth it than any you have
had heretofore."

"Grandma Elsie," said Lulu in her fearless, straightforward way, and
gazing with earnest, affectionate scrutiny into the fair face, "you don't
look as if you could be mother to Mamma Vi and Aunt Elsie and Uncle
Edward."

"Why, my child?" laughed the lady addressed; "can't you see a
resemblance?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am! but you look so young, not so very much older than they
do."

They were now passing through the upper hall. Walter had hold of his
mother's hand, and Rosie had just joined them.

"That is true," she remarked, and I am so glad of it! I couldn't bear to
have my dear, beautiful mamma grow old, and wrinkled, and gray."

"Yet it will have to be some day, Rosie, unless she is laid away out of
sight before the time comes for those changes," the mother answered with
gentle gravity.

There were various exclamations of surprise and pleasure from the children
as they entered the supper-room. Its walls were beautifully trimmed with
evergreens, and bouquets of hot-house flowers adorned the table, filling
the air with delicious fragrance.

When the meal was over, all adjourned to the parlor usually occupied by
them when not entertaining company. This, too, they found trimmed with
evergreens, and while the children were looking about and commenting upon
the taste displayed in their arrangement, the folding doors communicating
with another parlor were suddenly thrown open, disclosing the grand
achievement of the afternoon--the beautiful Christmas tree--tall,
wide-spreading, glittering with lights and tinsel ornaments, gorgeous with
gay colors, and every branch loaded down with gifts.

It was greeted with a burst of admiration and applause.

"What a beauty!" cried Rosie and Lulu, clapping their hands.

"And how large!" exclaimed Max, "three times as big as any I ever saw
before."

Walter and Gracie were no less enthusiastic in their admiration. "May we
go close up, mamma?" asked the latter.

"Yes, 'course we may," said Walter, seizing her hand, "we'll walk round it
and look hard at the things, but not touch 'em."

Older people followed the lead of the little ones, and the tree was
thoroughly examined by many pairs of eyes, gazed at from every point of
view, and highly extolled, before the work of despoiling it was begun.

The gifts were far too many to mention in detail. The older people seemed
much pleased with some easels, brackets, and picture-frames carved for
them by Max and Lulu, and with specimens of Zoe's and Rosie's handiwork in
another line; also with some little gems of art from the pencils or
brushes of Lester, Elsie, and Violet, while the children were made happy
with presents suited to the years and taste of each.

Lulu was almost wild with delight over a set of pink coral, as nearly like
that she had lost by her misconduct some months before, as Grandma Elsie
had been able to find.

Then there was a beautiful, thoroughly furnished work-box from Mamma Vi,
with "actually a gold thimble in it," to encourage her in learning to sew.
One for Gracie also exactly like it, except that Lulu's was lined with red
satin and Gracie's with blue. Each had beside a new doll with a neat
little trunk packed full of clothes made to fit it, and a box filled with
pretty things to make up into doll clothes.

Max was greatly surprised and delighted by finding himself the possessor
of a watch, doubly valuable to him as his father's gift.

The gold thimbles of the little girls were also from papa.

They had a number of other presents, but these were what they valued most
highly.

It took quite a good while to distribute the gifts and for each to examine
and admire all his own and those of his neighbors; then Gracie, tired with
excitement and the long drive of the afternoon, was ready to go to bed.

Mamma Vi went with her, as was her custom, and Max and Lulu followed. They
had grown quite fond of Violet's half-sisterly, half-motherly talks with
them at the close of the day, and to her it was a source of deep joy and
thankfulness that she could perceive that she was influencing them--her
dear husband's tenderly loved offspring--for good.

She warmly sympathized in their pleasure to-night, chatted with them about
what they had given and received, praising highly the picture-frame and
easel they had presented her--and in regard to the entries to be made in
each of their diaries.

She left them in her boudoir busy with these when she returned to the
parlor.

"O Max," said Lulu, "how different Mamma Vi is from Aunt Beulah."

"Humph, I should think so," said Max, "must have been made of a different
kind o' dust. We weren't so well off and happy last Christmas eve, Lu."

"No, indeed! Gracie and I wanted a Christmas tree ever so much, and begged
and coaxed for one, even if it was but a wee bit of a thing; but she
wouldn't let us have it, said it was just nonsense and a wicked waste."

"Just like her," remarked Max, in a tone of mingled aversion and contempt;
"but don't let's talk about her. I'd rather think of pleasanter subjects.
Wasn't it splendid in papa to give me this watch?" pulling it out and
gazing on it with pride and delight. "Isn't it a beauty?"

"Yes; and I'm as glad as I can be that you have it, Max," Lulu responded
affectionately. "And wasn't it good in him to give gold thimbles to Gracie
and me? I shall try very hard to learn to sew nicely, to show him I'm
grateful for it and all he does for me."

"That's right, Lu; let's both do our best to improve all our
opportunities, so that we will make his heart glad. And we can do that in
another way, too."

"How?"

"By loving Mamma Vi, and being as good to her as ever we know how."

"I do mean to, for she is good and kind to us," said Lulu, in a frankly
cordial tone.

"You were vexed at papa at first for marrying her," remarked Max, with a
roguish look; "but just suppose he'd taken Mrs. Scrimp instead."

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