eight all well fastened to each other, when they laid the gun on them and
started it off.

"And only think, Gracie, it takes half a ton of powder and costs one
thousand two hundred and fifty dollars to fire that great gun once. We
saw the steel plate, sixteen inches thick, through which a twelve-inch
shot had been fired. It had cracked the plate and thrown the upper corner
half a yard away. I forgot to say the projectile fired from that gun
weighs a ton, and goes sixteen miles."

"Oh," cried Grace, "that's just dreadful! I hope there will never be a war
where such terrible guns will be used--never any more at all; but that
very soon, as the Bible says, the people 'shall beat their swords into
plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'"

"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, overhearing her, "that will be a blessed time."

"Yes, indeed!" said Lucilla.

"Where else did you go?" asked Grace.

"Oh, we have been promenading along the lake shore, sitting down now and
then on the seats to watch the many boats of various sorts and sizes, our
own among the rest; and now, here we are to stay for the night, I suppose.
I must, at least, for papa has said so."

She looked smilingly up into his face as she spoke, for he was now
standing by her side.