Now they understood why mamma had put them off when several times they had asked to be brought to this room: she was having it fitted up in a way to give them a joyful surprise.
"Do you like it, my darlings ?" she asked with a pleased smile.
"Oh, yes, yes! yes indeed!" they cried, jumping, dancing and clapping their hands, "dear, dear mamma, how good, how good you are to us!" and they nearly smothered her with caresses.
Releasing herself, she opened another door leading into an adjoining room which, to Eddie's increased delight, was fitted up as a work-room for boys, with every sort of tool used by carpenters and cabinet makers.
He had such at Ion and was somewhat acquainted with their use.
"Oh what nice times Herbert and Harry and I shall have!" he exclaimed.
"What pretty things we'll make! Mamma, I don't know how to thank you and my dear father!" he added, catching her hand and pressing it to his lips with passionate affection.
"Be good and obedient to us, kind and affectionate to your brothers, sisters and playmates," she said, stroking his hair: "that is the kind of thanks we want, my boy; we have no greater joy than to see our children good and happy." "If we don't be, it's just our own fault, and we're ever so wicked and bad!" cried Vi, vehemently.
Mamma smiled at her little girl's impetuosity, then in grave, tender tones, said, "And is there not some One else more deserving of love and thanks than even papa and mamma ?" "God, our kind heavenly Father," murmured little Elsie, happy, grateful tears shining in her soft eyes.
"Yes, it is from his kind hand all our blessings come." "I love God," said Harold, "and so does Fank: Mamma, can Fank come up here to play wis me ?" "Yes, indeed: Frank is a dear, good little boy, and I like to have you together." Mamma unlocked the door of a large light closet, as she spoke, and the children, looking eagerly in, saw that its shelves were filled with beautiful toys.
"Grandma's things!" they said softly.
"Yes, these are what my dear mother played with when she was a little girl like Elsie and Vi" said mamma.

"You may look at them." There was a large babyhouse, beautifully furnished; there were many dolls of various sizes, and little chests and trunks full of nicely made clothes for them to wear--night-clothes, morning wrappers, gay silks and lovely white dresses, bonnets and hats, shoes and stockings too, and ribbons and laces, for the lady dolls; and for the gentlemen, coats, hats, vests, cravats and everything that real grown-up men wear; and for the baby dolls there were many suits of beautiful baby clothes; and all made so that they could be easily taken off and put on again.
There were cradles to rock the babies in, and coaches for them to ride in; there were dinner and tea-sets of the finest china and of solid silver; indeed almost everything in the shape of toys that the childish heart could desire.
The lonely little girl had not lacked for any pleasure that money could procure: but she had hungered for that best earthly gift--the love of father, mother, brothers and sisters--which can be neither bought nor sold.
The children examined all these things with intense interest and a sort of wondering awe, then begged their mother to tell them again about "dear grandma." They had heard the story--all that mamma and mammy could tell--many times, but it never lost its charm.
"Yes, dears, I will: I love to think and speak of her," Elsie said, sitting down in a low chair while they gathered closely round her, the older two, one on each side, the others leaning upon her lap.
"Mamma, it is a sad story; but I love it," little Elsie said, drawing a deep sigh, as the tale came to an end.
"Yes, poor little girl, playing up here all alone," said Eddie.
"'Cept mammy," corrected Vi.
"Yes, mammy to love her and take care of her, but no brother or sister to play with, and no dear mamma or papa like ours." "Yes, poor dear grandma!" sighed little Elsie.

"And it was almost as hard for you, mamma, when you were a little girl: didn't you feel very sad ?" "Ah, daughter, I had Jesus to love me, and help me in all my childish griefs and troubles," the mother answered, with a glad smile; "and mammy to hug and kiss and love me just as she does you." "But oh, didn't you want your mamma and papa ?" "Yes, sorely, sorely at times; but I think no little child could be happier than I was when at last; my dear father came home, and I found that he loved me dearly.

Ah, I am so glad, so thankful that my darlings have never suffered for lack of love." "I too, mamma." "And I." "And I," they exclaimed, clinging about her and loading her with caresses.
"Hark!" she said, "I hear your dear grandpa's step, and there, he is knocking at the door." Eddie ran to open it.
"Ah, I thought I should find you here, daughter," Mr.Dinsmore said, coming in.

"I, too, want to see these things; it is long since I looked at them." She gave him a pleased look and smile, and stepping to the closet he stood for some moments silently gazing upon its treasures.
"You do well to preserve them with care as mementoes of your mother," he remarked, coming back and seating himself by her side.
"O grandpa, you could tell us more about her, and dear mamma too, when she was a little girl!" said little Elsie, seating herself upon his knee, twining her arms about his neck, and looking coaxingly into his face.
"Ah, what a dear little girl your mamma was at your age!" he said, stroking her hair and gazing fondly first at her and then at her mother, "the very joy of my heart and delight of my eyes! though not dearer than she is now." Elsie returned the loving glance and smile, while her namesake daughter remarked, "Mamma couldn't be nicer or sweeter than she is now; nobody could." "No, no! no indeed!" chimed in the rest of the little flock.