Christmas with Grandma Elsie

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER III.

  Lulu's first thought on awaking the next morning, was of the talk of theprevious evening, with her father. He had said she might have thepleasure of telling Gracie the good news in regard to the money to beearned by good conduct, and that which was to be given by him in thename of each of his older children; also the privilege he would accordthem of selecting the particular cause, or causes, to which the moneyshould go.

  Eager to avail herself of the permission, and see Gracie's delight, shesprang from her bed, ran to the door of communication between theirsleeping rooms, which generally stood open--always at night--and peepedcautiously in.

  Gracie's head was still on her pillow, but at that instant she stirred,opened her eyes, and called out in a pleased tone, "O Lu, so you are upfirst!" speaking softly though, for fear of disturbing their father andViolet, in the room beyond, the door there being open also.

  Lulu hurried to it and closed it gently, then turning toward her sister,"Yes," she said, "but it's early, and you needn't get up just yet. I'mcoming to creep in with you for a few minutes while I tell yousomething that I'm sure will please you."

  She crept into Grace's bed as she spoke, and they lay for a whileclasped in each other's arms, Lulu talking very fast, Grace listeningand now and then putting in a word or two. She was quite as much pleasedwith what Lulu had to tell, as the latter had anticipated.

  "Oh won't it be just lovely to have so much money to do good with!" sheexclaimed when all had been told. "Haven't we got the very best anddearest father in the world? I don't believe, Lu, there's another onehalf so dear and kind and nice. We ought to be ever such good children!"

  "Yes, but I'm not," sighed Lulu. "O Gracie, I'd give anything to be asgood as you are!"

  "Now don't talk so, Lu; you make me feel like a hypocrite; because I'mnot good," said Grace.

  "You are; at any rate you're a great deal better than I am," assertedLulu with warmth. "You never disobey papa, or get into a passion; and Idon't think you love finery as I do. Gracie, I want that ring yet; oh Ishould like to have it ever so much! and I oughtn't to want it; it'svery selfish, because to buy it would use up money that ought to go tosend missionaries to the heathen, or do good to some poor miserablecreature; and it's wrong for me to want it, because papa says itwouldn't be good for me; and if I were as good as I ought to be I'dnever want anything he doesn't think best for me to have. But, oh dear,how can I help it when I'm so fond of pretty things!"

  "Lu," said Grace, softly, "I do believe that if you ask the Lord Jesusto help you to quit wanting it, he will. But if you didn't care for it,it wouldn't be denying yourself to do without it for the sake of theheathen."

  "Maybe so; but I don't believe papa would let me have it even if Iwouldn't consent to give it up, and begged him ever so hard for it."

  "No, I s'pose not, for he loves us too well to give us anything that hethinks will make it harder for us to love and serve God and go to heavenwhen we die."

  "Yes, and of course that's the best way for people to love theirchildren. It's time for me to get up now, but you'd better lie still alittle longer."

  With that Lulu slipped from the bed, ran back to her room, and kneelingdown there, gave thanks for the sleep of the past night, for health andstrength, a good home, her dear, kind father to take care of, andprovide for her, and love her, and all her many, many comforts andblessings; and confessing her sins, she asked to be forgiven for Jesus'sake, and to have strength given her to do all her duty that day,--tobe patient, obedient, industrious, kind and helpful to others andwilling to deny herself, especially in the matter of the ring she hadbeen wishing for so ardently.

  When the captain came into the apartments of his little daughters for afew minutes chat before breakfast, as was his custom, he found them bothneatly dressed and looking bright and happy.

  "How are you, my darlings?" he asked, kissing them in turn, then seatinghimself and drawing them into his arms.

  "I think we're both very well, papa," answered Lulu.

  "Yes, indeed!" said Grace, "and I'm ever so glad of what Lu's beentelling me 'bout the money you are going to give us if we're good, andthe choosing 'bout where the other shall go that you're going to give tohelp send missionaries to the heathen. Thank you for both, dear papa;but don't you think we ought to be good without being paid for it?"

  "Yes, I certainly do, my dear little girl; but at the same time I wantmy children to have the luxury of being able to give something whichthey have, in some sense, earned for that purpose. I want you to learnin your own experience the truth of the words of the Lord Jesus, 'It ismore blessed to give than to receive.'

  "Now while you are so young, not capable of earning much in any otherway, your proper business the task of gaining knowledge and skill to fityou for future usefulness, I see no more fitting way than this for youto be furnished with money for religious and benevolent purposes."

  "Papa," asked Lulu, "do you think it is never right for anybody to havediamonds or handsome jewelry of any kind?"

  "I do not think it my business to judge in such matters for everybody,"he answered, caressing her and smiling down tenderly into her eyes; "butI must judge for myself--applying the rules the Bible gives me--and to agreat extent for my children also while they are so young."

  "Not for Mamma Vi?" Lulu asked, with some little hesitation.

  "No; she is my wife, not my child, and old enough to judge for herself."

  "She has a great deal of beautiful jewelry," remarked Lulu with aninvoluntary sigh, "and Grandma Elsie has still more. Rosie asked heronce to show it to us children, and she did. Oh she has just theloveliest rings and whole sets of jewelry--pins and ear-rings tomatch--and chains and bracelets! I'm sure they must be worth a greatdeal of money; Rosie said they were, and I'm sure Grandma Elsie is areal true Christian--a very, very good one and that Mamma Vi is too."

  "And I agree with you in that," was the emphatic reply. "But my daughterand I have nothing to do with deciding their duty for them in regard tothis or other things. God does not require that of us; indeed forbidsit; 'Judge not, that ye be not judged,' Jesus said.

  "But I see plainly that my duty is as I explained it to you lastevening, and I thought then you were convinced that it would be selfishand wrong for you and me to spend a large sum for useless ornament thatmight otherwise be used for the good of our fellow creatures, and theadvancement of Christ's kingdom."

  "Yes, papa, I was, and I'm trying, and asking God to help me, not towant the ring I asked you for; but I'm afraid it'll take me quite awhile to quite stop wishing for it," she sighed.

  "You will conquer at length, if you keep on trying and asking for help,"he said, giving her a tender kiss.

  "A good plan will be to fill your thoughts with other things," he wenton; "your lessons while in the school-room, after that you may find itpleasant to begin planning for Christmas gifts to be made or bought forthose you love, and others whom you would like to help. I shall giveeach of you--including Max--as much extra spending money as I did lastyear."

  "Beside all that for benevolence, papa?" they asked in surprise anddelight.

  "Yes; what I provide you with for benevolence, is something aside fromyour spending money, which you are at liberty to do with as you please,within certain bounds," he said rising and taking a hand of each as thebreakfast bell sounded out its summons to the morning meal.

  Misconduct and poor recitations were alike very rare in the school-roomat Woodburn; neither found a place there to-day, so that the captain hadonly commendations to bestow, and they were heartily and gladly given.

  The ice and snow had entirely disappeared, and the roads were muddy; toomuddy, it was thought, to make travel over them particularly agreeable;but the children obtained sufficient exercise in romping over the wideporches and trotting round the grounds on their ponies.

  But in spite of the bad condition of the roads, the Ion carriage droveover early in the afternoon, and Grandma Elsie, Mrs. Elsie Leland--hernamesake daughter--Rosi
e and Evelyn alighted from it. Everybody wasdelighted to see them, and to hear that they would stay to tea.

  "O girls," said Lulu, "come up to my room and take off your things. I'vesomething to tell you," and she looked so gay and happy that they feltquite sure it was something that pleased her greatly.

  "I think I can guess what it is," laughed Rosie; "your father haspromised you the diamond ring you want so badly."

  "No, it isn't that; you may have another guess; but I don't believe youcould hit the right thing if you should guess fifty or a hundred times."

  "Then I sha'n't try. I give it up. Don't you, Eva?"

  "Yes, please tell us, Lu," said Evelyn.

  Then Lulu, talking fast and eagerly, repeated to them what she had toldto Grace, in bed that morning.

  "Oh how nice!" Evelyn exclaimed. "How I should like to be in your place,Lu!"

  "I think it's nice, too," Rosie said, "and I'd like mamma or grandpa todo the same by me. But I'd want my pearls too," she added, laughing."Mamma's rich enough to give me them, and do all she need do formissions and the poor beside."

  "But so very, very much is needed," remarked Evelyn.

  "I've read in some of the religious papers, that if every church memberwould give but a small sum yearly, there would be enough," said Rosie;"and mamma gives hundreds and thousands of dollars; and grandpa gives agreat deal too. So I don't see that I ought to do without the set ofpearls I've set my heart on. It isn't mamma's place to do other people'sduty for them--in the way of giving, any more than in other things."

  Grandma Elsie and her older daughters were in Violet's boudoir.

  "I had letters this morning, from your brothers Harold and Herbert, Vi,and have brought them with me to read to you," the mother said, takingthe missives from her pocket.

  "Thank you, mamma; I am always glad to hear what they write; theirletters are never dull or uninteresting," Violet replied, her sisterElsie adding, "They are always worth hearing, Lester and I think. Whatdear boys they are!"

  "And quite as highly appreciated by my husband as by yours, Elsie,"Violet said with a bright, happy look.

  "They are a great blessing and comfort to their mother," Grandma Elsieremarked, "as indeed all my children are--their letters always a sourceof pleasure, but these even more so than most; for they show that mycollege boys are greatly stirred up on the subject of missions at homeand abroad; full of renewed zeal for the advancement of the Master'scause and kingdom."

  She then read the letters which gave abundant evidence of thecorrectness of her estimate of the state of her sons' minds.

  They were working as teachers in a mission Sunday school, as Biblereaders and tract distributors among the poor and degraded of the citywhere they were sojourning; doing good to bodies as well as souls--theirmother supplying them with means for that purpose in addition to whatshe allowed them for pocket-money;--also exerting an influence for goodamong their fellow students.

  They told of interesting meetings held for prayer and conference uponthe things concerning the kingdom; of renewed and higher consecration onthe part of many who were already numbered among the Master's followers,and the conversion of others who had hitherto cared for none of thesethings.

  The reading of the letters was followed by an earnest talk between themother and her daughters, in which Violet told of her husband's plansfor giving through his children, in addition to what he would give inother ways.

  "What excellent ideas?" Grandma Elsie exclaimed, her eyes shining withpleasure. "I shall adopt both with my younger two children, one with allof you."

  "Which is that last, mamma?" asked Violet sportively.

  "The letting each of you select an object for a certain sum which Ishall give."

  "Mamma, that is very nice and kind," remarked her daughter Elsie, "butwe should give of our own means. Do you not think so?"

  "You may do that in addition," her mother said. "I have seven childrenon earth--eight counting Zoe, and one in heaven. I shall give a thousanddollars in the name of each."

  "Mamma, I for one fully appreciate your kindness, but think you wouldmake a wiser choice of objects than we," said Violet, looking lovinglyinto her mother's eyes.

  "I want you to have the pleasure," her mother answered, "and I amreserving much the larger part of what I have to give, for objects of myown selection; for it has pleased the Lord to trust me with thestewardship of a good deal of the gold and silver which are his."

  At that moment the little girls entered the room, and Rosie, hurrying upto her mother, asked, "Mamma, have you heard, has Vi told you what thecaptain intends doing? how he is going to reward his children for goodbehavior?"

  "Yes; and I shall do the same by you and Walter."

  "That's a dear, good mamma!" exclaimed Rosie with satisfaction. "Ithought you would."

  "And I intend to follow the captain's lead in another matter," GrandmaElsie went on, smiling pleasantly upon her young daughter; "That is inallowing each of my sons and daughters to select some good object for meto give to."

  "That's nice too," commented Rosie: "I like to be trusted in suchthings--as well as others," she added laughing, "and I hope you'll trustme with quite a sum of money to give or spend just as I please!"

  "Ah, my darling, you must not forget that your mother is only asteward," was the sweet toned response, given between a smile and asigh; for Grandma Elsie was not free from anxiety about this youngestdaughter, who had some serious faults, and had not yet entered theservice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

  "Evelyn, dear, you too, as my pupil and a sort of adopted daughter, mustshare the reward of good behavior," she said, with a tenderlyaffectionate look at the fatherless niece of her son-in-law.

  Evelyn flushed with pleasure; but more because of the loving look thanthe promise of reward. "Dear Grandma Elsie, how very kind and good youalways are to me!" she exclaimed feelingly, her eyes filling with tearsof love and gratitude.

  "Dear child, whatever I have done for you has always been both a dutyand a pleasure," Mrs. Travilla returned, taking the hand of the littlegirl, who was standing by her side, and pressing; it affectionately inher own.

  "Well, Eva," said Rosie, lightly, "you can calculate to a cent whatyou'll have for benevolence, for you're sure to earn the quarter everyday of your life."

  "Not quite, Rosie," Evelyn answered in her gentle, refined tones, "I amliable to fall as well as others, and may astonish both you and myselfsome day by behaving very ill indeed."

  "I certainly should be astonished, Eva," laughed her Aunt Elsie. "I amquite sure it would be only under great provocation that you would beguilty of very bad behavior; and equally certain that you will neverfind that at Ion."

  "No," Evelyn said, "I have never received anything but the greatestkindness there."

  "And you are so sweet-tempered that you would never fly into a passionif you were treated ever so badly," remarked Lulu, with an admiring,appreciative look at her friend, accompanied by a regretful sigh overher own infirmity of temper.

  "Perhaps my faults lie in another direction; and how much credit dopeople deserve for refraining from doing what they feel no temptation todo?" said Evelyn, with an arch look and smile directed toward Lulu.

  "And those that tease quick tempered people, and make them angry,deserve at least half the blame," Rosie said softly in Lulu's ear,putting an arm affectionately about her as she spoke. "I don't mean todo so ever again, Lu, dear."

  "I'm sure you don't, Rosie," returned Lulu, in the same low key, hereyes shining, "and it's ever so good in you to take part of the blame ofmy badness."

  The visitors went away shortly after tea, Violet carried her babies offto bed, and the older three of the Woodburn children were left alonewith their father.

  They clustered about him, Grace on his knee, Lulu on one side, Max onthe other, while their tongues ran fast on whatever subject happened tobe uppermost in their thoughts, the captain encouraging them to talkfreely; for he was most desirous to have their entire confidence inorder that he
might be the better able to correct wrong ideas andimpressions, inculcate right views and motives, and lead them to treadthe paths of rectitude, living noble, unselfish lives, serving God anddoing good to their fellow creatures.

  Sensible questions were sure to be patiently answered, requestscarefully considered, and granted if reasonable and within his power;and instruction was given in a way to make it interesting andagreeable; reproof, if called for, administered in a kind, fatherlymanner that robbed it of its sting.

  They talked of their sports, their pets, the books they were reading,the coming holidays, the enjoyment they were looking forward to at thattime, and their plans for helping to make it a happy time to others.

  Evidently they were troubled with no doubt of their father's fondaffection, or of the fact that he was their best earthly friend andwisest counsellor.

  "There are so many people I want to give to," said Lulu; "it will takeever so much thinking to know how to manage it."

  "Yes; because of course we want to give things they'd like to have, andthat we'll have money enough to buy, or time to make," said Grace.

  "Perhaps I can help you with your plans," said their father. "I think itwould be well to make out a list of those to whom you wish to give, andthen decide what amount to devote to each, and what sort of thing wouldbe likely to prove acceptable, yet not cost more than you have set apartfor its purchase."

  "Oh what a nice plan, papa!" exclaimed Lulu. "We'll each make a list,sha'n't we?"

  "Yes; if you choose. Max, my son, you may get out paper and pencils forus, and we will set to work at once; no time like the present, is agood motto in most cases."

  Max hastened to obey and the lists were made out amid a good deal ofpleasant chat, now grave, now gay.

  "We don't have to put down all the names, papa, do we?" Grace asked withan arch look and smile up into his face.

  "No; we will except present company," he replied, stroking her haircaressingly, and returning her smile with one full of tender fatherlyaffection.

  The names were all written down first, then came the task of decidingupon the gifts.

  "We will take your lists in turn, beginning with Max's and ending withGracie's," the captain said.

  That part of the work required no little consultation between the threechildren; papa's advice was asked in every instance, and almost alwaysdecided the question; but, glancing over the lists when completed, "Ithink, my dears, you have laid out too much work for yourselves," hesaid.

  "But I thought you always liked us to be industrious, papa," said Lulu.

  "Yes, daughter, but not overworked; I can not have that; nor can I allowyou to neglect your studies, omit needed exercise, or go withoutsufficient sleep to keep you in health."

  "Papa, you always make taking good care of us the first thing," shesaid gratefully, nestling closer to him.

  "Don't you know that's what fathers are for?" he said, smiling down onher. "My children were given me to be taken care of, provided for, lovedand trained up aright. A precious charge!" he added, looking from one toanother with glistening eyes.

  "Yes, sir, I know," she said, laying her head on his shoulder andslipping a hand into his, "and oh but I'm glad and thankful that Godgave me to you instead of to somebody else!"

  "And Gracie and I are just as glad to belong to papa as you are," saidMax, Grace adding, "Yes, indeed!" as she held up her face for a kiss,which her father gave very heartily.

  "But, papa, what are we to do about the presents if we mustn't take timeto make them?" asked Lulu.

  "Make fewer and buy more."

  "But maybe the money won't hold out."

  "You will have to make it hold out by choosing less expensive articles,or giving fewer gifts."

  "We'll have to try hard to earn the quarter for good behavior every day,Lu," said Max.

  "Yes, I mean to; but that won't help with Christmas gifts; it's only forbenevolence, you know."

  "But what you give to the poor, simply because they are poor and needy,may be considered benevolence, I think," said their father.

  "Oh may it?" she exclaimed. "I'm glad of that! Papa, I--haven't likedDick very much since he chopped up the cradle I'd carved for Gracie'sdolls, but I believe I want to give him a Christmas present; it willhelp me to forgive him and like him better. But I don't know what wouldplease him best."

  "Something to make a noise with," suggested Max; "a drum or trumpet forinstance."

  "He'd make too much racket," she objected.

  "How would a hatchet do?" asked Max, with waggish look and smile.

  "Not at all; he isn't fit to be trusted with one," returned Lulu,promptly. "Papa, what do you think would be a suitable present for him?"

  "A book with bright pictures and short stories told very simply in wordsof one or two syllables. Dick is going to school and learning to read,and I think such a gift would be both enjoyable and useful to him."

  "Yes; that'll be just the right thing!" exclaimed Lulu. "Papa, youalways do know best about everything."

  "I hope you'll stick to that idea, Lu," laughed Max. "You seem to haveonly just found it out; but Grace and I have known it this long while;haven't we, Gracie?"

  "Yes, indeed!" returned the little sister.

  "And so have I," said Lulu, hanging her head and blushing, "onlysometimes I've forgotten it for a while. But I hope I won't any more,dear papa," she added softly, with a penitent, beseeching look up intohis face.

  "I hope not, my darling," he responded in tender tones, caressing herhair and cheek with his hand, "and the past shall not be laid up againstyou."

  "Papa, will you take us to the city, as you did last year, and let uschoose, ourselves, the things we are going to give?" asked Max.

  "I intend to do so," his father said. "Judging from the length of yourlists, I think we will have to take several trips to accomplish it all.So we will make a beginning before long, when the weather has becomesettled; perhaps the first pleasant day of next week, if you have allbeen good and industrious about your lessons."

  "Have we earned our quarters to-day, papa?" asked Grace.

  "I think you are in a fair way to do so," he answered smiling, "but youstill have a chance to lose them between this and your bedtime."

  "It's just before we get into bed you'll give them to us, papa?" Lulusaid inquiringly.

  "I shall tell you at that time whether you have earned them, but I maysometimes only set the amount down to your credit and pay you the moneyin a lump at the end of the week."

  "Yes, sir; we'll like that way just as well," they returned in chorus.

  Violet had come in and taken possession of an easy chair on the fartherside of the glowing grate.

  Looking smilingly at the little group opposite, "I have a thought," shesaid lightly; "who can guess it?"

  "It's something nice about papa; how handsome he is, and how good andkind," ventured Lulu.

  "A very close guess, Lu," laughed Violet; "for my thought was that theWoodburn children have as good and kind a father as could be found inall the length and breadth of the land."

  "We know it, Mamma Vi; we all think so," cried the children.

  But the captain shook his head, saying, "Ah, my dear, flattery is notgood for me. If you continue to dose me with it, who knows but I shallbecome as conceited and vain as a peacock?"

  "Not a bit of danger of that!" she returned gaily. "But I do notconsider the truth flattery."

  "Suppose we change the subject," he said with a good-humored smile. "Wehave been making out lists of Christmas gifts and would like to haveyour opinion and advice in regard to some of them."

  "You shall have them for what they are worth," she returned, taking theslips of paper Max handed her, and glancing over them.