CHAPTER XV.
"Great minds, like heaven, are pleased in doing good." --_Rowe_.
Capt. Raymond's departure left Violet more lonely than his coming hadfound her, much as she was at that time missing her elder sister andbrother.
They were to correspond, but as he would sail immediately for a foreignport, the exchange of letters between them could not, of course, be veryfrequent.
Her mother, grandpa, and Grandma Rose all sympathized with her in thegrief of separation from the one who had become so dear, and exertedthemselves to cheer and comfort her.
She and her mamma were bosom companions, and had many a confidential chatabout the captain and his poor children, the desire to rescue the latterfrom their tormentors and make them very happy growing in the hearts ofboth.
As the captain had not enjoined secrecy upon them in regard to the lettersof Max and Lulu, and it was so much the habit of both to speak freely toMr. and Mrs. Dinsmore--especially the former--of all that interestedthemselves, it was not long before they too had heard, with deepcommiseration, the story of the unkind treatment to which Max, Lulu, andGracie were subjected.
"We must find a way to be of service to them," Mr. Dinsmore said. "Perhapsby instituting inquiries among our friends and acquaintances we may hearof some kind and capable person able and willing to take charge of them,and to whom their father would be willing to commit them."
"I wish we could!" Elsie said with a sigh. "I think I can fully sympathizewith the poor things, for I have not forgotten how in my early childhood Iused to long and weep for the dear mamma who had gone to heaven, and mydear papa away in Europe."
"A very poor sort of father he was then, very culpably neglectful of hislittle motherless child," Mr. Dinsmore said in a remorseful tone, andregarding her with a tenderly affectionate look.
"But afterward and to this day the very best of fathers," she responded,smiling up at him. "Dear papa, what a debt of gratitude do I not owe toyou for all the love, care, and kindness shown by you to me and mychildren!"
"I feel fully repaid by the love and obedience I receive in return," hesaid, seating himself on the sofa by Vi's side and softly stroking herhair.
"Children and grandchildren all rise up and call you blessed, dear papa,"Elsie said, laying down the embroidery with which she had been busy, andcoming to his other side to put her arm about his neck and gaze lovinglyinto his eyes.
A silent caress as he passed his arm around her waist and drew her closerto him was his only response.
"Grandpa and mamma," said Vi, "don't you think Capt. Raymond is to bepitied? Just think! he has neither father nor mother, brother nor sister!no near and dear one except his children; and from them he is separatedalmost all the time."
"Yes," said Mr. Dinsmore, "I do indeed! but am not sorry enough for him togive you up to him yet. I would not allow your mamma to marry till she wasseveral years older than you are now."
"No, sir," said Elsie, smiling, "I well remember that you utterly forbademe to listen to any declarations of love from man or boy, or to think ofsuch things if I could possibly help it."
"Well, you lost nothing by waiting."
"Lost! oh, no, no papa!" she cried, dropping her head upon his shoulder,while a scalding tear fell to the memory of the husband so highlyhonored, so dearly loved.
"My dear child! my poor dear child!" her father said very low andtenderly, pressing her closer to his side; "the separation is only for thelittle while of time, the reunion will be for the endless ages ofeternity."
"A most sweet and comforting thought, dear father," she said, lifting herhead and smiling through her tears; "and with that glad prospect and somany dear ones left me, I am a very happy woman still."
At that moment there was an interruption that for a long time put toflight all thought of effort on behalf of Capt. Raymond's children:Herbert and Harold came hurrying in with the news that a summons toRoselands had come for their grandpa, grandma, and mother. Mrs. Conly hadhad another stroke, was senseless, speechless, and apparently dying; alsothe shock of her seizure had prostrated her father, and Arthur consideredhim dangerously ill.
The summons was promptly obeyed, and Violet left in the temporary chargeof children, house, and servants at Ion.
Mrs. Conly died that night, but the old gentleman lingered for severalweeks, during which time his son was a constant attendant at his bedside,either Rose or Elsie almost always sharing the watch and labor of love.
At length all was over: the spirit had returned to God who gave it, thebody had been laid to rest in the family vault. Mr. Dinsmore and his wifeand daughter went home to Ion, and life there fell back into its old quietgrooves.
They spoke tenderly of the old grandfather, and kept his memory green intheir loving hearts, but he had gone to his grave like a shock of cornfully ripe, and they did not mourn over his death with the sadness theymight have felt had it been that of a younger member of the family.
Toward spring Capt. Raymond's letters became urgent for a speedy marriage.He expected to be ordered home in June and allowed a rest of some weeks ormonths. Then he might be sent to some distant quarter of the globe, andnot see his native land again for a long while, perhaps years. Under suchcircumstances, how could he wait for his little wife? Would not she andher mother and grandfather consent to let him claim her in June?
The tender hearts of Elsie and Violet could not stand out against hisappeals. Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore felt for him too, and at length consent wasgiven, and preparations for the marriage were set on foot.
Then the talk about the captain's children was renewed, and Vi said, withtears in her sweet azure eyes, "Mamma, I do feel like being a mother tothem--especially for his sake--it only I were old enough and wise enoughto command their respect and obedience. Ah, mamma, if only you could havethe training of them! Yet I could not bear to have you so burdened."
"I have been thinking of it, Vi, dear," Elsie said; "that perhaps we couldgive them a happy home here, and help them to grow up to good and nobleman and womanhood, if their father would like to delegate his authority toyour grandpa and you and me. I think we would not abuse it, but without it'twould be quite useless to undertake the charge."
"Dear mamma!" cried Vi, her eyes shining, "how good, how kind, andunselfish you always are!"
Mr. Dinsmore, entering the room at the moment, asked playfully, "What isthe particular evidence of that patent at this time, Vi?"
She answered his question by repeating what her mother had just said.
"I have a voice in that," he remarked, with, a grave shake of the head. "Ido not think, daughter, that I can allow you to be so burdened."
She rose, went to him where he stood, and putting her arms about his neck,her eyes gazing fondly into his, "Dear papa," she said, "you know I willdo nothing against your wishes, but I am sure you will not hinder me fromdoing any work the Master sends me?"
"No, dear child, you are more His than mine, and I dare not, would notinterfere if He has sent you work; but the question is, has He done so?"
"If you please, papa, we will take a little time to consider thatquestion; shall we not?"
"Yes," he said, "it need not be decided to-day. The right training andeducating of those children would certainly be a good work, and could itbe so managed that I could do all the hard and unpleasant part of it----"he said musingly.
"Oh no! no! my dear father," she hastily interposed, as he paused, leavinghis sentence unfinished, "the work should be mine if undertaken at all."
"Perhaps," he said, "it might be tried for a short time as a mereexperiment, to be continued only if the children do not proveungovernable, or likely to be an injury to our own; for our first duty isto them."
"Yes indeed, papa!" responded his daughter earnestly. "And nothing can bereally decided upon until Capt. Raymond comes. He may have other plans forhis children."
"Yes, it is quite possible he may think best to place Max and Lulu atschool somewhere."<
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"But poor little sick Gracie!" said Violet, the tears springing to hereyes. "Mamma, I do want to have her to love and pet, and I think if we hadher here with our good old mammy to nurse her, and Cousin Arthur to attendher, she might grow to be strong and healthy."
"Dear child! I am glad to hear you say that!" said Elsie, "for it is justas I have been thinking and feeling. My heart yearns over the poormotherless children, and that little feeble one very especially."
Capt. Raymond was deeply touched when, shortly after his arrival at Ion toclaim his bride, he learned what was in her heart and her mother's towardhis children.
After due deliberation it was settled that the experiment should be tried.Arrangements were made for the whole family to spend the summer in twoadjoining cottages at a lovely seaside resort on the New England coast,Mrs. Dinsmore to be mistress of one house, Violet of the other, while thecaptain could be with her, which he had reason to expect would be forseveral months.
In the fall he would probably be ordered away; then Violet would return toIon with her mother and the rest of the family, taking his children withher, if Mr. Dinsmore and Elsie should still feel willing to take them incharge. He had a high opinion of Dr. Conly's skill as a physician, andwas extremely anxious to place Gracie under his care. Also he thought thatto no other persons in the world would he so joyfully commit his childrento be trained up and educated as to Mr. Dinsmore, his daughter andgranddaughter, and he was more than willing to delegate to them his ownauthority during his absences from home.
The marriage would take place at Ion, the bride and groom start northwardthe same day on a wedding tour. On the return trip to the spot which wasto be their home for the summer, they would call for the captain'schildren.
In the mean time the others would complete their arrangements for theseason, journey northward also, and take possession of their seasidecottage.
It was a sore disappointment to the whole family at Ion, but especially toViolet and her brother, that Elsie Leland could not be present at thewedding. Lester's health was almost entirely restored, but he felt itimportant to him as an artist to prolong his stay in Italy for at leastsome months.
Edward had remained with them through the winter, had left them in April,intending to make an extensive European tour before returning to hisnative land, but would surely hasten home for Vi's wedding if his mother'ssummons reached him in season.