"You make me very happy," she responded, her eyes shining with joy and
love. "But there! do you hear little Elsie calling for papa and mamma?"

The faces that surrounded the tea table that evening were very bright,
though the children had no expectation of the treat in store for them;
each had had a present from papa, and that was almost more than they had
ventured to hope for.

But they were in gay spirits, looking forward to a time of rare
enjoyment in spending the Christmas holidays with Grandma Elsie, at Ion.

"We'll be glad to go," remarked Lulu, "and then glad to come back to our
own dear home."

"So you will be twice glad," said her father.

"Yes, that is just the way I feel about it," Violet said. "Mamma's house
will always be a home to me--a dear home; and yet my husband's doubly
so."

"It should, seeing that it is quite as much yours as his," he said, with
a gratified smile. "Well, my dear, I see we have all finished eating.
Shall we go now?"

"Yes, sir; if you please. Our little girls will want to take another
peep at their new pets," she said, rising and slipping her hand into his
arm.

They passed out of the room together, the children following.