Elsie's Winter Trip

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER V.

  Captain Raymond's invitation proved scarcely less agreeable to Mr. andMrs. Dinsmore than to their younger friends and relatives, and theiracceptance was telephoned to Woodburn before the Sunnyside party hadleft for their homes. All heard it with satisfaction, for Grandpa andGrandma Dinsmore were pleasant traveling companions. Some lively chatfollowed, in regard to needed preparations for the trip, and in themidst of it a servant came in with the afternoon mail.

  The Captain distributed it and among Max's portion was a document ofofficial appearance. Evelyn noted it with a look of apprehension, anddrew nearer to her young husband's side.

  "Orders, my son?" asked the Captain, when Max had opened it andglanced over the contents.

  "Yes, sir; I am to go immediately to Washington, upon the expiration ofmy leave which will be about the time the rest of you set sail in the'Dolphin.'"

  The announcement seemed quite a damper upon the previous highspirits of the little company, and there were many expressions ofdisappointment and regret.

  "Well," said Chester, getting on his feet as he spoke, "I must go homenow; there is a little matter in regard to one of my cases that mustbe attended to at once, since I am likely to leave the neighborhood sosoon."

  "And if my husband goes, I must go, too," said Lucilla, in a livelytone, rising and taking up the wrap she had thrown off on coming intothe warm room.

  "It is near the dinner hour; you would better stay, all of you, anddine with us," said the Captain.

  All thanked him, but declined, each having some special reason forwishing to go home at that particular time.

  "Well, come in and share a meal with us whenever you will," said theCaptain. "I think you know, one and all, that you are heartily welcome."

  "Yes, father, we do," said Max, "and we are always glad when you careto breakfast, dine, or sup with us."

  "Any of us but papa?" asked Ned.

  "Yes, indeed; all of you from Mamma Vi down," laughed Max, giving thelittle fellow an affectionate clap on the shoulder as he passed him onhis way out to the hall.

  "Yes, Ned, each one of you will always be a most welcome visitor," saidChester.

  "Indeed you will, you may be very sure of that," added Lucilla and Eva.

  "So sure are we of that, that you need not be surprised to see any ofus at any time," laughed Violet. "Nor will we be surprised or grievedto see any or all of you at any time."

  "No, indeed! I want my daughters--and sons also--all to feel entirelyat home always in their father's house," the Captain said, with hisgenial smile.

  "Thank you, father dear, and don't forget that Sunnyside is one of yourhomes, and we are always ever so glad to open its doors to you," saidLucilla, going to him and holding up her face for a kiss, which he gavewith warmth of affection.

  "And not Lu's side only, but ours as well," added Evelyn, holding outher hand and looking up lovingly into his face.

  He took the hand, drew her closer to him and gave her a caress asaffectionate as that he had just bestowed upon Lucilla.

  The rest of the good-byes were quickly said, and both young coupleswere wending their homeward way. They were all in thoughtful mood, andthe short walk was taken in almost unbroken silence.

  Eva's heart was full at thought of the approaching separation from heryoung husband. How could she bear it? He seemed almost all the world toher, now that they had been for weeks such close companions, and lifewithout his presence would be lonely and desolate indeed. She passedup the stairway to their bedroom, while he paused in the hall belowto remove his overcoat and hat. Her eyes were full of tears, as shedisposed of her wraps, then crossed the room to her mirror to see thatdress and hair were in perfect order.

  "No improvement needed, my own love, my darling," Max said, coming upbehind her and passing an arm about her waist.

  At that she turned and hid her face upon his breast.

  "Oh, Max, my husband, my dear, dear husband," she sobbed, "how can Ilive away from you? You are now more than all the world to me."

  "As you are to me, dear love. It is hard to part, but we will hope tomeet again soon; and in the meantime let us write to each other everyday. And as there is no war now you need not feel that your husband isin any special danger."

  "Yes, thank God for that," she said, "and that we may know that we areboth in his kind care and keeping wherever we are."

  "And surely you will be less lonely than you were before ourmarriage--father claims you as his daughter, Chester and little Ned areyour brothers, Lu and Grace your sisters."

  "Yes, oh yes; I have a great deal to be thankful for, but you are to mea greater blessing than all the world."

  "As you are to me, dearest," was his response, as he held her close tohis heart, pressing warm kisses on cheek and brow and lip.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Chester and Lucilla werechatting about the Captain's plan for a winter trip.

  "I think it will be just delightful, Chester," she said, "since I amto have you along. I am so glad you are going, sorry as I am thatill-health makes it necessary."

  "Yes, my dear," he returned with a smile, "I am fortunate, indeed, inhaving so loving a wife and so kind and able a father-in-law. I amtruly sorry that I must leave some important business matters to whichI should like to give attention promptly and in person, but I intendto put that care aside and enjoy our holiday as fully as possible. Iheartily wish Max could go with us. I think it would almost double thepleasure of the trip."

  "As I do," responded Lucilla, with a sigh; "but it seems one can neverhave all one wants in this world. I doubt if it would be good for us ifwe could."

  "No, it assuredly would not. Now, my dear, I am going down to thelibrary to look at some papers connected with one of my cases, andshall probably be busy over them until the call to dinner."

  The next few days were busy ones with those who were to have a part inthe southern trip of the "Dolphin." Woodburn and Sunnyside were to beleft in the care of Christine and Alma, with a sufficient number ofservants under them to keep everything in order.

  Max went with the others to the yacht, spent a half hour there,then bade good-bye, went ashore and took a train for Washington. Itwas Eva's first parting from her husband, and she shut herself intoher stateroom for a cry to relieve her pent-up feelings of grief andloneliness. But presently there was a gentle little tap at the doorand Elsie Raymond's sweet voice asked, "Sister Eva, dear, don't youwant to come on deck with me and see them lift the anchor and start the'Dolphin' on her way?"

  "Yes, dear little sister; thank you for coming for me," replied Evelyn,opening the door.

  "All the rest of us were there and I thought you would like to bethere, too," continued the little girl, as they passed through thesaloon and on up the stairway.

  "Yes, little sister, it was very kind in you to think of me."

  "But I wasn't the only one; everybody seemed to be thinking of you andlooking round for you. So I asked papa if I should come for you, and hesaid yes."

  "It was very kind in both him and you, little sister Elsie," Eva said,with a smile. "Our dear father is always kind, and I am very glad to behis daughter."

  "So am I," returned Elsie, with a happy little laugh. "I think he's thedearest, kindest father that ever was made."

  They had just reached the deck at that moment, and as they steppedupon it they caught sight of Harold and Grace standing near, lookingsmilingly at them, pleased with Elsie's tribute to her father, whichthey had accidentally overheard.

  "Oh, Uncle Harold, you'll take Sister Eva to a good place to seeeverything from, wont you?" exclaimed Elsie.

  "Yes, little niece, the everything you mean," he returned, laughingly."There is room for us all. Come this way," he added, and led them tothat part of the deck where the other passengers were grouped.

  There they were greeted with kindness and given a good place forseeing all the preparations for starting the vessel on her way to theBermudas. She was soon moving swiftly in that direction, and
, a coolbreeze having sprung up, her passengers left the deck for the warmerand more comfortable saloon.

  "Elsie and Ned wouldn't you like your grandma to tell you somethingabout the islands we are going to?" asked Mrs. Travilla; the two littleones being, as usual, quite near her.

  "Yes, indeed! grandma," both answered, in eager tones, seatingthemselves one on each side of her. "I heard papa say it wouldn't be avery long voyage we would take at the start, because the Bermudas wereonly about six hundred miles away from our coast," said Elsie. "Theybelong to England, don't they, grandma?"

  "Yes; but they were named for a Spaniard, Bermudez, who first sightedthem in 1527; they are also called Somers's Isles from Sir GeorgeSomers, an Englishman, who was shipwrecked there in 1609. That was whatled to their colonization from Virginia--two years later when it wasitself only four years old.

  "Are they big islands, grandma? and are there many of them?" asked Ned.

  "No, there are perhaps five hundred of them, but the whole groupmeasures only about twelve thousand acres in all. They occupy a spaceonly about twenty miles long by six broad."

  "Then the group isn't worth very much, I suppose."

  "Yes, because its situation makes it a natural fortress which canhardly be overrated. They form a bond of union between two greatdivisions of British America; on each side of them is a highway betweenthe Gulf of Mexico and the North Atlantic. There are many picturesquecreeks and bays, large and deep, the water so clear as to reveal, evento its lowest depths, the many varieties of fish sporting among thecoral rocks, and the beautifully variegated shells."

  "And it has a warm climate, hasn't it, grandma?" asked Elsie. "I thinkthat is why we are going there."

  "Yes, the climate is said to be like that of Persia, with the additionof a constant sea-breeze."

  "I shall like that," responded the little girl with satisfaction. "Butwhat kind of people live there, grandma?"

  "A good many whites and still more colored people."

  "Slaves, grandma?" asked Ned.

  "No; the islands belong to England, and years ago she abolished slaveryin all her dominions."

  "What are the names of some of them, grandma? the islands, I mean."

  "The largest, which is fifteen miles long, is called Bermuda; St.George is three and a half miles long and is the military station ofthe colony; it commands the entrance of the only passage for largevessels. Its land-locked haven and the narrow and intricate channelleading into it are defended by strong batteries."

  "You have been there, haven't you, grandma?"

  "Yes; years ago," she said, with a sigh, thinking of the loved partnerof her life who had been with her then and there.

  "And your Grandpa Dinsmore and I were there at the same time," remarkedGrandma Dinsmore, sitting near; and she went on to give a graphicaccount of scenes they had witnessed there, Mr. Dinsmore presentlyjoining in a way to make it very interesting to the children.