She said she valued them very highly as his gift, but would never wear them again, and as I am her own little girl, she was willing to give them to me." "I think you're pretty big, Rosie," remarked Grace.
"Yes; in my fifteenth year; almost a woman, as grandpa tells me sometimes--when he wants to make me ashamed of not being wiser and better I suppose," returned Rosie with a laugh, closing the casket and returning it to the drawer, just as Betty, the little maid, showed her black face and woolly head at the half open door with the announcement, "Dinnah's ready, Miss Rosie; an' all de folks gwine into de dinnin' room." "Very well; we're not sorry to hear it, are we girls?
Let us pair off and go down at once to secure our fair share," said Rosie gaily.
"There's just an even number of us--Maud and Lora, Lulu and Eva, Grace and Rosie Lacey, Sydney and I.We're to have a table to ourselves; I asked mamma if we might, and she gave consent." "I like that," remarked Sydney with satisfaction; "we can have our own fun and eat what we please without anybody to trouble us with suggestions that perhaps such and such articles of food may not agree with us." "But we'll be in the same room with the older folks and they can overlook us if they see fit," said Rosie.
"And I'd rather have papa to tell me what to eat," said Grace.
They were hurrying down the stairs as they talked and reached the dining room just in time to take their places before the blessing was asked--by Mr.Dinsmore at the larger table.
It was a grand dinner of many courses, and a good deal of time, enlivened by cheerful chat, was spent at the table.
Quiet games--mirth provoking, yet requiring little exertion of mind or body--filled up the remainder of the afternoon.
After tea they had romping games, but at nine o'clock were called together for family worship; then the younger ones, including Lulu and Grace, went to their beds; very willingly too, for the day--begun so early because of their eagerness to examine their stockings--had been an unusually long and exciting one; so that they felt ready for rest.
Grace indeed was so weary that her father carried her up to her room, and did not leave her till she was snug in bed.
She dropped asleep the instant her head touched the pillow and he stood for a moment gazing a little anxiously at her pale face.
"You don't think Gracie's sick, papa, do you ?" asked Lulu softly.
"No, I trust she will be all right in the morning--the darling! but she seems quite worn out now," he sighed.
Then sitting down he drew Lulu into his arms.

"Has it been a happy day with you, dear child ?" he asked.
"Yes, papa, very; just full of pleasure; and now that night has come, I'm so glad that I have my own dear papa to hug me up close, and that he's going to sleep in the next room to Gracie and me." "I'm glad too," he said.

"Yes, we have a great deal to be thankful for--you and I.Most of all for God's unspeakable gift--the dear Saviour whose birth and life and death have bought all our other blessings for us.
"My child, try to keep in mind always, even when engaged in your sports, that you are his and must so act and speak as to bring no disgrace upon his cause; make it your constant endeavor to honor him in all your words and ways." "I do mean to, papa; but oh it is so easy to forget!" "I know it, my darling; I find it so too; but we must watch and pray, asking God earnestly night and morning, on our knees, to keep us from temptation and from sin, and often sending up a swift, silent petition from our hearts at other times when we feel that we need help to overcome.
"I want you, my little daughter, to be particularly on the watch against your besetting sin--an inclination to sudden outbursts of passion.

It is not to be expected that everything will move on as smoothly, with so many children and young people together, every day, as they have to-day, and I fear you will be strongly tempted at times to give way to your naturally quick temper." "Oh I am afraid so too papa; and it would be perfectly dreadful if I should!" she said with a half shudder, twining her arm round his neck and hiding her face on his shoulder.

"Oh won't you ask God to help me to keep from it ?" "Yes, I shall, I do every night and morning, and we will ask him together now.".