CHAPTER VI.
A MOMENTARY silence following upon Mr. Lilburn’s remark was broken by aquestion from Grace. “We are away out in the bay now, aren’t we, papa?”she asked.
“Yes, daughter, and must turn presently, for Max’s leave of absencewill be over by the time I can take him back to the Academy.”
“But I may hope to be with you all again to-morrow and the next day,when the graduating exercises are over, may I not, papa?” asked Max.
“I think so; provided you keep out of scrapes,” his father replied,laying a hand affectionately on the lad’s shoulder as he spoke, forMax was now close to his side. “And one evening or the other—bothif you like—you may bring some of your mates with you, and perhapsCousin Ronald and you yourself may be able to entertain them with someexertion of your ventriloquial powers.”
“Oh, thank you, papa,” said Max delightedly; “nothing could be better.Cousin Ronald will, I dare say, make great sport for them, and perhapsI could do a little myself. But whom shall I invite? I am very sureany of them would be delighted to come.”
“I leave the selection to you, my son,” replied the captain. “Chooseany whom you think the right sort of company for yourself and us andlikely to enjoy being here.”
“Thank you, sir. How many shall I ask?”
“Well, my boy, as we are not expecting to keep them over night, six oreight would not, I think, be more than we can accommodate comfortably.”
“And that will be as many as I care to ask at one time,” Max said withsatisfaction. “Hunt will be glad to come, I know, and he’s a nicefellow.”
“You’ll want to ask those who are anxious to make Cousin Ronald’sacquaintance, I presume,” said his father.
“Yes, sir, some of them; if I asked all it would include my whole classbesides a good many belonging to the others,” laughed Max.
“Very well,” said his father, “you know about how many we canaccommodate, and I leave the selection to you, feeling quite sure thatmy boy will prefer those of good character for his intimate associates.”
“Yes, indeed, papa, and I thank you very much for trusting me.”
The _Dolphin_ was presently at her wharf again and the good-nightshad to be said; but, expecting to have Max with them the next day andthe day after, even his sisters were not sad over the parting, whilethe lad himself was jubilant in the pleasant prospect of entertaininghis boy friends and comrades on board the yacht. He hurried to hisroom and filled up the few remaining minutes of the half-hour allowedfor recreation before retiring for the night, with giving Hunt, hisroom-mate, a glowing account of his visit to his father’s vessel, andextending the invitation for the next afternoon and evening, which Huntaccepted promptly and with evident delight.
The next day was spent by most of the party from Woodburn and Ionin walks and drives about the city and its vicinity, varied by someattendance upon the exercises at the Naval Academy; but before tea-timeall were on board the yacht again, where they were presently joined byMax and his party.
The lads were all evidently in high good humor and on the tiptoe ofexpectation, knowing that they were about to make the acquaintance ofthe ventriloquist of whose tricks Max had told them many an excitingtale.
The introductions were over, all had been comfortably seated, and somefew minutes spent in desultory chat, when Hunt, addressing Max, whohappened to be his nearest neighbor, asked in a low tone when the showwas to begin.
Max smiled and there was a roguish twinkle in his eyes, while at thesame instant a voice spoke from behind Hunt, “I say, young fellers inblue, what’s brung so many o’ ye aboard here to oncet?”
There was a simultaneous sudden start and turning of faces and eyes inthe direction from which the sounds had come. But the speaker seemed tohave instantly disappeared, and the momentary start was followed by ageneral hearty laugh.
“The captain’s invitation,” replied Hunt, while his eyes and those ofthe other lads turned upon Mr. Lilburn.
“All right then,” responded the same voice, seeming now to come from amore distant part of the deck; “he owns the yacht and kin ask anybodyhe’s mind to.”
“Of course,” said Hunt, “and it was very kind in him to ask us. Did heinvite you also, sir?”
“None o’ your business,” came in reply in a surly tone.
“Truly a gentlemanly reply,” laughed Hunt. “One might readily inferfrom it that you were not here by invitation.”
“What do you mean by that, sir?” demanded, the invisible speaker, inloud, angry tones.
“That your conduct and speech proclaim you no gentleman, while CaptainRaymond is decidedly such.”
“Come, come, friends, don’t let us have any quarrelling here,” came inpleasant tones from the other side of the vessel.
“Now who are you, sir? This isn’t your fight, and you’d better keep outof it,” returned the first voice; “your interference will be asked forwhen it’s wanted.”
The lads exchanged looks of surprise and one of them asked:
“Are you doing it all, Mr. Lilburn, sir?”
“Ah ha, ah ha! um h’m, ah ha! so you think ’twas I, young sirs!”exclaimed the old gentleman in pretended astonishment. “And why so? Didthe voices issue from my lips?”
“I cannot assert positively that they did, sir,” returned Hunt, “butthey seemed to come from an invisible speaker, and knowing you to be aventriloquist, we think it can all be accounted for in that way.”
“Knowing me to be a ventriloquist, eh, laddie! And may I ask how youcame by that same knowledge?”
“Through our friend, a naval cadet like ourselves, Mr. Max Raymond,sir. Do not be vexed with him for telling us. It has excited ouradmiration and desire to make your acquaintance.”
“Ah, Master Max, so you have been letting these young gentlemen into mysecrets?” Mr. Lilburn said, turning toward Max in pretended wrath.
“Yes, sir,” replied Max in cheerful tones, “and the more you show themof your skill in that line the better they will be pleased.”
Just then Max’s dog Prince joined the group, wagging his tail andlifting joyful eyes to his young master’s face.
“Ah, how d’ye do, Prince?” said Max, stroking and patting him. “Are youglad to see me here again?”
“Yes, sir, indeed I am,” were the words that seemed to come in replyfrom the dog’s lips; “and I wish you’d go back with us when we steamaway in this vessel for home.”
“Why, Prince, you talk well indeed for a dog,” laughed Hunt, strokingand patting Prince’s head.
At that instant there was a frightened cry, “Oh, sic’ a fall as I shallhae!” followed instantly by a sound as of the plunge of a heavy bodyfrom the side of the vessel into the water.
All started to their feet, several of the men and boys shouting intones of alarm, “A man overboard!” and Captain Raymond was aboutto issue an order for the launching of a boat, when a glance at Mr.Lilburn deterred him.
“No occasion, captain,” laughed the old gentleman; “you could neverfind that poor unfortunate fellow.”
“No, I presume not,” returned the captain, echoing the laugh as he andthe others reseated themselves.
“Huh! that’s an old trick o’ yours, old feller,” cried the very samevoice that had been heard behind Hunt’s chair. “If I couldn’t inventsuthin’ new I’d give up the business.”
“So I think I shall—for to-night, at least,” returned Cousin Ronald,but in a disguised voice that seemed to come from a distance.
Then Walter went to his side and whispered in his ear.
Mr. Lilburn smiled and seemed to assent, but at that instant the callto the supper-table put an end to the sport for the time.
There was some of the same sort of diversion at the table, however,a roast fowl resenting, with a loud squawk, the captain’s attemptto carve it; Prince asking audibly for a share when the plates werefilled, and the voice that had been heard talking on deck to the “youngfellers in blue” preferring the same request.
These tricks, though old to the others, were new to the cadets andcaused a good deal of merriment; as did the buzzing bees, peepingchick, barking pups, and squealing pigs that seemed to have takenpossession of the deck on their return thither.
At length these sounds were replied to by a loud and furious barkingcoming apparently from some remote part of the deck, and to whichPrince immediately made response in kind, at the same time rushing awayin search of the intruder.
“A pretty time you’ll have finding that newcomer, Prince,” Waltercalled after him.
But the words were hardly spoken when a third loud bark was heardcoming apparently from yet another quarter, and Prince, repeating his,rushed in that direction; then three or four dogs seemed, from thesounds, to be barking, snarling, yelping as though a furious caninefight was in progress; though nothing could be seen of the combatantsexcept the huge form of Prince as he searched in vain for the intrudersof his race.
But the noise woke the little ones who had been put to bed in the cabinbelow, and a frightened wail from them brought a sudden hush, whileViolet rose hastily and hurried down the companionway to sooth andreassure her darlings.
That put an end to the ventriloquial sport, and the remainder of theshort time allowed for the visit of the cadets was spent in more quietfashion, desultory talk and the singing of songs.
They had been steaming down the river and bay and back again while theytalked and sang; the wharf was reached shortly after nine o’clock andthe lads returned safely and in good season to the Academy.
They one and all expressed themselves as highly delighted with theirvisit to the yacht and were very enthusiastic in their praises of theladies; particularly Grandma Elsie and Violet, whom they pronounced thesweetest, most beautiful and charming women of their acquaintance.
They felt acquainted with them now, they said, for after Cousin Ronaldand Max had ceased their ventriloquial performances they had had anopportunity to talk with the ladies as well as to listen to the musicwith which they kindly entertained them.
“I have always thought you a fortunate fellow, Max,” remarked Hunt asthey were preparing for bed, “and since seeing the yacht and that younggrandmother and stepmother of yours, I am more fully convinced of itthan ever. I was just going to say I wondered at so young and lovely acreature as Mrs. Raymond marrying a man with a son of your age, andtwo other children not young enough to be her own; but remembering whatyour father is—so handsome, noble-looking, so entirely everything anyone could ask or desire—I do not wonder at all at her choice. In fact,she may consider herself quite as fortunate as he in the selection of apartner for life.”
“So I think,” responded Max heartily; “for to me it seems that myfather’s superior—indeed, I might say his equal—is not to be foundanywhere; and I know Mamma Vi would agree with me. I have never knownhim speak a hasty, sharp, or unkind word to her, and he waits uponher as gallantly as he could possibly have done in the days of theircourtship.
“As to the children left him by my own mother—my father promised beforemarrying Mamma Vi that she should have no care or trouble in regard tothem; that he would take all that upon himself; and so he has and does;when he has been at home with us we have always felt that he did. So itis no wonder if we esteem him the dearest and best of fathers; whileMamma Vi is hardly a mother, but more like an older sister to us—unlessit may be to Grace, the youngest of our set.”
Here the signal for the extinguishing of lights and retiring to restput a stop to the conversation, and in a very few minutes the ladswere soundly sleeping.
One more day was spent at Annapolis by the Woodburn and Ion people;then an early evening train carried the latter party northward, and anhour later the _Dolphin_ steamed away with the others.
Walter and Rosie would have been glad to go with their mother, but sheand their grandfather had decided that it would be better for them tocontinue their studies for the present, as the time for the summerholidays was not distant; and like the well-trained, affectionatechildren they were, they submitted cheerfully to her decision,determining to make the best possible use of their opportunity foreducation.
Their mother expected to be at home again in a fortnight, or sooner,but they had rarely been separated from her for even a day, and theparting was a trial to both. They bore it bravely, however, slept wellthat night on board the yacht, and rose the next morning apparently asgay and light-hearted as their wont.
They were both early on deck, where they found the captain and Lulutogether, watching the sun just peeping above the waver far away to theeast.
“Good-morning, brother Levis and Lu,” called Rosie, tripping across thedeck in their direction. “I thought Walter and I were extremely early,but there is no use in anybody trying to get ahead of you two in earlyrising.”
“Good-morning, little sister,” responded the captain, turning towardher with his pleasant smile. “There was no occasion for you and Walterto leave your couches quite so early this morning, or for either ofyou to do so. I believe Lulu and I happen to be of the kind who need alittle less sleep than do many others.”
“Yes,” said Lulu, with a loving look up into her father’s face, “papawould let me sleep another hour if I wanted to, but I almost alwayswake early and do so enjoy the little time that it gives me withhim before the others are up and wanting some of his attention forthemselves.”
“I don’t wonder,” said Walter, “for I like to be with mamma the firstthing in the morning dearly well.”
The boy’s voice sounded a little choked at the last, and he dropped hiseyes lest the others should see the sudden tears welling up in them.
The captain laid a kind hand on the lad’s shoulder. “If our dear motheris awake now she is doubtless thinking lovingly of her youngest son andasking God to bless and keep him from all evil. You may hope to see heragain in about two weeks, which will pass very quickly, and in the meantime let us think of all we can accomplish to give her pleasure on herreturn,” he said. “Shall we not, little brother?”
“Yes, oh, yes, sir!” replied Walter, looking up brightly into thepleasant face above him. “I mean to study hard and keep all your rulescarefully, so that you can give her a good account of my conduct andrecitations. Oh, there’s the sun just entirely up out of the water!What a grand sight it is!”
“One that I never weary of,” said Captain Raymond in a meditative toneand gazing eastward upon the newly risen luminary as he spoke. “Itreminds me of Him who is called the Sun of righteousness, because He isthe quickener, comforter, and illuminator of His people.”
“Papa, didn’t people in the Old Testament times worship the sun?” askedLulu.
“Yes,” replied her father, “it is thought that the Moloch of theAmmonites, the Chemosh of the Moabites, and the Baal of the Phœnicianswas the sun.”
“I remember that the Israelites also sometimes wandered away fromthe true God and worshipped Baal,” remarked Walter; “that Elijah theprophet slew of Baal’s prophets four hundred and fifty men; and thatafterward Jehu filled a house with Baal’s prophets, priests, andworshippers and had them all put to death.”
“Yes,” the captain said, “that was in accordance with the command ofGod given in Deuteronomy, seventeenth chapter. I will read it to you,”he added, taking a small Bible from his pocket. Turning to the passagehe read:
“If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lordthy God giveth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickedness in thesight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, and hath goneand served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun or moon, orany of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded, and it be toldthee and thou hast heard of it, and inquired diligently, and beholdit be true, and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought inIsrael; then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which havecommitted that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or thatwoman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die.”
“That gives us some insig
ht into God’s hatred of idolatry,” remarkedthe captain, closing the book.
“Yes, sir,” said Rosie. “I am reading Deuteronomy just now in myregular course. I was at the fourth chapter yesterday, and was struckwith what is said there about the worship of images. Won’t you turn tothe chapter and read it aloud to us, brother Levis?”
“Certainly,” he replied, opening the book again and turning to thepassage to which she had referred. Beginning at the fifteenth verse heread:
“Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no similitudeon the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst ofthe fire; lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, thesimilitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likenessof any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowlthat flieth in the air, the likeness of anything that creepeth on theground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath theearth: and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thouseest the sun and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven,shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lordthy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.... Takeheed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God,which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likenessof anything which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lordthy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. When thou shalt begetchildren and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long inthe land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image orthe likeness of anything, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lordthy God, to provoke him to anger; I call heaven and earth to witnessagainst you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off theland whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolongyour days upon it but shall utterly be destroyed.”
“I would have you all notice,” the captain said, again closing the bookand speaking with earnestness, “how plainly and repeatedly God forbidsthe worship of images, likenesses, or of any of the creatures or thingshe hath made; how repeatedly and expressly he commands us to worshiphim and him alone.”
“Ah, no wonder that the popish priests forbid their people to read theBible for themselves,” said Rosie, “for from it they would soon learnthe wickedness of bowing down to and worshipping images, crucifixes,and pictures.”
“Yes,” replied Captain Raymond, “and I would far sooner lay my childrenin the grave, dearly, dearly as I love them, than to see them bowingdown to images and pictures; serving ‘gods the work of men’s hands,wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.’ Howprecious is the promise that follows in that same chapter, ‘But if fromthence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thouseek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art intribulation and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latterdays, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto hisvoice (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God), he will not forsakethee, neither destroy thee nor forget the covenant of thy fathers whichhe sware unto them.’
“Verily I believe that we of the Anglo-Saxon nations are the literaldescendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—God’s own chosen people—sothat we have the strongest claim to these precious promises; but letus never forget that they are ours only as we fulfil the prescribedconditions; without true repentance and true faith we shall no more besaved than those of other nations who do not seek the Lord while he maybe found and call upon him while he is near.”
Just then little feet came pit-pat across the deck, a sweet child voicecalling out, “Good-morning, papa, dear papa, I’s an early bird too,isn’t I?”
“Quite an early bird for such a wee one,” the captain answered, holdingout his arms, then as she sprang into them clasping her close andkissing her fondly again and again; the next moment doing the same byGrace, who had followed closely in Elsie’s wake.
The rest of their party soon joined them, then came breakfast andfamily worship; after those an hour or two on deck; then the vesselsteamed into the harbor, her passengers landed and found the Woodburncarriage in waiting, with those from Fairview and Ion; Edward and Zoewith their twin babies in the one, Lester and Elsie Leland, with theirtwo boys, in the other.
Affectionate greetings were exchanged, and soon all were on theirhomeward way. They found the drive delightful, the roads in excellentcondition, gardens, fields, and woods arrayed in all the luxuriantverdure and bloom of the month of roses.
The children in the Woodburn carriage seemed full of mirth and jollity.
“Really I don’t believe anyone of you is sorry to be nearing homeagain,” their father said, regarding them with eyes full of paternalaffection and pleasure in their evident enjoyment.
“No, indeed, papa,” cried the little girls in chorus, while Ned said inhis baby fashion: “I’s blad, papa; my home is a dood place; me ’ikesit, me does.”
“Mamma echoes that sentiment, baby boy,” laughed Violet, giving thelittle fellow a hug. “There’s no place like home; home with dear papaand all the dear sisters in it.”
“Bruver Maxie too?” returned the little fellow in a tone betweeninquiry and assertion.
“Ah, no; not just now,” Violet answered with a slight sigh, for sheloved Max and missed his cheery presence in the house.
“Ah, here we are!” the captain exclaimed presently as the carriageturned into the driveway.
“And everything is looking oh, so lovely!” cried Lulu, clapping herhands with delight. “And there is Marian on the veranda, waiting forus.”
The other two carriages were not far behind. It had been arranged thatall should dine together at Woodburn; so they also turned in at thegates, and presently all had alighted and were one after the otherwarmly greeting Marian. She was glad to learn that Mr. Lilburn hadbeen invited to make Woodburn his home for some weeks and had acceptedthe invitation, so that she would see much of him for a time at leastand become better acquainted. He had been so kind to her that she feltalready a warm affection for him as a near and dear relative.