He enjoyed her pleasure intensely.

“But you have not come to the bottom of your bundle yet,” he said; “see here!” and he showed her quite a pile of remnants of beautiful lawns, muslins, silk, etc., which he had bought to be made up into clothing for the doll.

“I did not buy them ready made,” he said, “because I thought you would enjoy making them yourself.”

“Oh, how nice, papa.  Yes, indeed, I shall enjoy it, and you are so very good and kind to me,” she said, holding up her face for a kiss.  “Now, with you beside me, and plenty to do making pretty things for this dear new dolly, I think I shall hardly mind at all having to stay in the house and keep still.  I’ll call her Rose, papa, mayn’t I? for dear Miss Allison.”

“Call it what you like, darling; it is all your own,” he replied, laughing at the question.

“I’m its mother, ain’t I?—­and then you must be its grandfather!” she exclaimed, with a merry laugh, in which he joined her heartily.

“You ought to have some gray hairs, papa, like other grandfathers,” she went on, running her fingers through his hair.  “Do you know, papa, Carry Howard says she thinks it is so funny for me to have such a young father; she says you don’t look a bit older than her brother Edward, who has just come home from college.  How old are you, papa?”

“You are not quite nine, and I am just about eighteen years older; can you make that out now?”

“Twenty-seven,” she answered, after a moment’s thought; then, shaking her head a little, “that’s pretty old, I think, after all.  But I’m glad you haven’t got gray hairs and wrinkles, like Carry’s papa,” she added, putting her arms around his neck, and laying her head down on his breast.  “I think it is nice to have such a young, handsome father.”

“I think it is very nice to have a dear little daughter to love me,” he said, pressing her to his heart.

Elsie was eager to show her new doll to Carry and Lucy, and presently sent Chloe to invite them to pay her another visit.

“Bring Mary Leslie, too, mammy, if she will come; but be sure not to tell any of them what I have got,” she said.

Chloe found them all three in the little back parlor, looking as if they did not know what to do with themselves, and Elsie’s invitation was hailed with smiles and exclamations of delight.

They all admired the doll extremely, and Carry, who had a great taste for cutting and fitting, seized upon the pile of silks and muslins, exclaiming eagerly, that she should like no better fun than to help Elsie make some dresses.

“Oh, yes!” cried Lucy, “let us all help, for once in my life I’m tired to death of play, and I’d like to sit down quietly and work at these pretty things.”

“I, too,” said Mary, “if Elsie is willing to trust us not to spoil them,”

“Indeed, I’ll not spoil them, Miss Mary; I’ve made more dolls’ clothes than a few,” remarked Carry, with a little toss of her head.