“Ah!” he said, smiling, “I am glad they meet your approval.”

“O papa! such a nice, nice home as you have made for us!” exclaimed Grace in her turn.  “Isn’t it, Maxie?” turning to her brother.

“Yes, indeed! and we’ll have to be nice, nice children to fit the home, won’t we, Gracie?”

“Yes, and to fit papa and mamma,” she responded, sending a merry glance from one to the other.

Both smiled upon her in return.

“We are going to have a house-warming this evening, Gracie,” said her father:  “do you know what that is?”

“No, papa; but I think it’s very nice and warm now in all the rooms.  Don’t you?”

“It is quite comfortable, I think; but the house-warming will be an assembling of our relatives and friends to celebrate our coming into it, by having a pleasant, social time with us.”

“Oh, that will be nice!” she exclaimed.  “How many are coming, papa?  I s’pose you’ve ’vited grandma Elsie and all the rest of the folks from Ion, and all the folks at Fairview?”

“Yes, and from the Oaks, the Pines, the Laurels, Roselands, and Ashlands; and we hope they will all come.”

She gave him a wistful look.

“Well,” he said with a smile, “what is it?”

“Papa, you know I ’most always have to go to bed at eight o’clock.  I’d like ever so much to stay up till nine to-night, if you are willing.”

“If you will take a nap after dinner, you may,” he replied in an indulgent tone.  “Max and Lulu may stay up later than usual if they will do likewise.”

They all accepted the condition with thanks, and at the conclusion of the meal retired to their respective rooms to fulfil it.

Violet also, having not yet entirely recovered from the ill effects of anxiety and nursing, consequent upon the baby’s injury, retired to her apartments to rest and sleep.

Capt.  Raymond went to the library to busy himself with some correspondence first, afterwards with books and papers.  He had one of these last in his hand, a pile of them on the table before him, when, from the open doorway into the hall, Lulu’s voice asked,—­

“Papa, may I come in? are you very busy?”

“Not too busy to be glad of my little girl’s company,” he said, glancing up from his paper with a pleasant smile.  “Come and sit on my knee.”

She availed herself of the invitation with joyful haste.

“I thought you were taking a nap,” he remarked, as he put his arm round her, and kissed the ruby lips she held up in mute request.

“So I was, papa; but you didn’t intend me to sleep all the afternoon, did you?” she asked, with a gleeful laugh, and nestling closer to him.

“No, hardly,” he returned, joining in her mirth:  “so much sleep in the daytime would be apt to interfere with your night’s rest.  I want you all to have sufficient sleep in the twenty-four hours to keep you in health of body and mind, but should be very sorry to have you become sluggards,—­so fond of your beds as to waste time in drowsing there, that should be spent in the exercise and training of body or mind.  What have you been doing besides napping?”