Christmas with Grandma Elsie

"Yes, indeed! our dear papa! how I do love him! he's always doing kind things to us."

"Yes, O Gracie, if I were only good like you and didn't ever do and say naughty things that make him feel sad!" sighed Lulu. "Oh do you know we are going to have a party on New Years? All the folks that were at Ion are to come; the grown up ones to be papa's and Mamma Vi's company, and the young ones your's and Maxie's and mine."

"Yes, I know. And we're all to go to Fairview to spend Monday."

"Won't it be nice?"

"Yes – " a rather doubtful yes – "but I – 'most think I like being at home the best of all."

"Why? didn't you enjoy yourself at Ion?"

"Yes; but I believe I'm a little bit tired now."

"Tired?"

"Yes; of being with so many folks. It's nice for a while, but after that it sort of wears me out; and I'm glad to get back to my own dear home where I can be just as quiet as ever I please."

"Oh, there is papa!" exclaimed Lulu, turning her head and seeing him standing in the open doorway.

He was smiling on his darlings, thinking what a pretty picture they made – the little slender figure on the rug with the kitten closely cuddled in its arms, the golden head lying in Lulu's lap, while her blooming face bent tenderly over it, one hand toying with its soft ringlets.

"Tired, Gracie, my pet?" he asked, coming forward and stooping to scan the small pale face in loving solicitude.

"Only a little, dear papa," she answered, with a patient smile up into his face. "I think I shall be quite rested by to-morrow morning, and I'm so glad we're at home again."

"Yes; and just now the best place in it for my weary little girl is her bed. Lulu and I will get you there as soon as we can."

"Mustn't I stay up for prayers?"

"No, darling, you are too tired and sleepy to get any good from the service. I see your eyes can hardly keep themselves open."

"I believe they can't, and I shall be so glad to go right to my nice bed," she returned sleepily, pushing the kitten gently from her.

So she was lifted to her father's knee and Lulu sent for her night dress.

In a few minutes she was resting peacefully in her bed, while the captain and Lulu went down hand in hand to the library, where they found Max sitting alone, reading.

He closed his book as they entered, rose and wheeled an easy chair nearer the fire for his father, who took it with a pleasant "Thank you, my son," and drew Lulu to a seat upon his knee. "What were you reading, Max?" he asked.

"'Story of United States Navy for Boys,'" answered the lad. "Papa would you be willing for me to go into the navy?"

"If you have a strong inclination for the life, my boy, I shall throw no obstacle in your way."

"Thank you, sir; I sometimes think I should like it, yet I'm not quite sure I'd rather be there than anywhere else."

"You must be quite sure of your inclination before we move in the matter," returned his father.

"Is there something you would prefer for me, papa?" asked Max.

"If I were quite sure you were called of God to the work, I should rather see you a preacher of the gospel, an ambassador for Christ, than anything else. Yet if you lack the talent, or consecration, you would better be out of the ministry than in it."

"I'm glad I'm not a boy and don't have to go away from home and papa,"

Lulu said, nestling closer in her father's arms.

"Home's a delightful place and nobody loves to be with papa more than I do," said Max, "but for all that I'm glad I'm going to be a man and able to do a man's work in the world."

"And I," said the captain, "am glad that God has given me both sons and daughters, and that you two are satisfied to be what God has made you."

For some moments no one spoke again, then Lulu remarked thoughtfully, "This is the last Saturday, and to-morrow will be the last Sunday of the old year. Papa, do you remember the talk we had together a year ago?"

"On the last Sunday of that year? yes, daughter, quite well. And now it is time for another retrospect, and fresh resolutions to try to live better, by the help of Him who is the Strength of His people, their Shield and Helper."

"It hasn't been nearly so good a year with me as I hoped it would be," sighed Lulu.

"Yet an improvement upon the one before it, I think," remarked her father in a tone of encouragement. "You have not, so far as I know, indulged, even once, in a fit of violent anger – and knowing my little girl as most truthful and very open with me – I certainly believe that if she had been in a passion she would have come to me with an honest confession of her fault."

"I'm sure Lu would," said Max; "and I do think she has improved very much."

"No; I haven't been in a passion, papa, and I hope if I had, I wouldn't have been deceitful enough to try to hide it from you. But oh I've been very, very naughty two or three times in other ways, you know; and you were so good to forgive me and keep on loving me in spite of it all."

"Dear child!" was all he said in reply, accompanying the words with a tender caress.

"I, too, have come a good deal short of my resolves," observed Max, with a regretful sigh. "Yet I suppose we have both done better than we should if we hadn't made good resolutions."

"No doubt of it," said his father. "I feel it to be so in my case, though I, too, have fallen far short of the standard I set myself. But shall we not try again, my children?"

"Oh yes, sir, yes!"

"And try, not only to make the new year better – if we are spared to see it – but also the three remaining days of the old?"

"Yes," sighed Lulu, "perhaps I may get into a dreadful passion yet before the year is out."

"I hope not, daughter," her father said; "but watch and pray, for only so can you be safe. There is One who is able to keep you from falling. Cling close to Him like the limpet to the rock."

"Oh I will!" she replied in an earnest tone. "But papa what is a limpet?

I don't remember ever having heard of it before."

"It is a shell-fish of which there are numerous species exhibiting great variety of form and color. The common limpet is most abundant on the rocky coasts of Britain. They live on the rocks between low and high tide marks.

"They move about when the water covers them, but when the tide is out, remain firmly fixed to one spot; so firmly that unless surprised by a sudden seizure, it is almost impossible to drag or tear them from the rock without breaking the shell."

"How can they hold so tight?" asked Max.

"The animal has a round or oval muscular foot by which it clings, and its ability to do so is increased by a viscous or sticky secretion."

"Please tell some more about them, papa," requested Lulu, looking greatly interested. "Have they mouths? and do you know what they eat?"