"Won't you give us a holiday ?" "I shall take the question into consideration," she answered with an indulgent smile; "we will perhaps discuss it at the breakfast table: but now we will have our reading together." At that very time Capt.

Raymond and Violet in her boudoir at Woodburn, were also discussing the state of the roads and the advisability of dispensing with school duties for the day that all the family might enjoy the rather rare treat of a sleigh-ride.
"You would enjoy it, my love ?" he said inquiringly.
"Very much--in company with my husband and the children," she returned; "yet I would not wish to influence you to decide against your convictions in regard to what is right and wise." "We will go," he said, smiling fondly upon her, "I can not bear to have you miss the pleasure; nor the children either for that matter, though I am a little afraid I might justly be deemed weakly indulgent in according them a holiday again so soon: it is against my principles to allow lessons to be set aside for other than very weighty reasons; it is a matter of so great importance that they be trained to put duties first, giving pleasure a secondary place." "But they are so good and industrious," said Violet, "and the sleighing is not likely to last long.

It seldom does with us." "And they have been so closely confined to the house of late, by the inclemency of the weather," he added.

"Yes: they shall go; for it will do them a great deal of good physically, I think, and health is, after all, of more consequence for them than rapid advancement in their studies." "I should think so indeed," said Violet.

"Now the next question is where shall we go ?" "That is a question for my wife to settle," returned the captain gallantly.