“You will conquer at length, if you keep on trying and asking for help,” he said, giving her a tender kiss.

“A good plan will be to fill your thoughts with other things,” he went on; “your lessons while in the school-room, after that you may find it pleasant to begin planning for Christmas gifts to be made or bought for those you love, and others whom you would like to help.  I shall give each of you—­including Max—­as much extra spending money as I did last year.”

“Beside all that for benevolence, papa?” they asked in surprise and delight.

“Yes; what I provide you with for benevolence, is something aside from your spending money, which you are at liberty to do with as you please, within certain bounds,” he said rising and taking a hand of each as the breakfast bell sounded out its summons to the morning meal.

Misconduct and poor recitations were alike very rare in the school-room at Woodburn; neither found a place there to-day, so that the captain had only commendations to bestow, and they were heartily and gladly given.

The ice and snow had entirely disappeared, and the roads were muddy; too muddy, it was thought, to make travel over them particularly agreeable; but the children obtained sufficient exercise in romping over the wide porches and trotting round the grounds on their ponies.

But in spite of the bad condition of the roads, the Ion carriage drove over early in the afternoon, and Grandma Elsie, Mrs. Elsie Leland—­her namesake daughter—­Rosie and Evelyn alighted from it.  Everybody was delighted to see them, and to hear that they would stay to tea.

“O girls,” said Lulu, “come up to my room and take off your things.  I’ve something to tell you,” and she looked so gay and happy that they felt quite sure it was something that pleased her greatly.

“I think I can guess what it is,” laughed Rosie; “your father has promised you the diamond ring you want so badly.”

“No, it isn’t that; you may have another guess; but I don’t believe you could hit the right thing if you should guess fifty or a hundred times.”

“Then I sha’n’t try.  I give it up.  Don’t you, Eva?”

“Yes, please tell us, Lu,” said Evelyn.

Then Lulu, talking fast and eagerly, repeated to them what she had told to Grace, in bed that morning.

“Oh how nice!” Evelyn exclaimed.  “How I should like to be in your place, Lu!”

“I think it’s nice, too,” Rosie said, “and I’d like mamma or grandpa to do the same by me.  But I’d want my pearls too,” she added, laughing.  “Mamma’s rich enough to give me them, and do all she need do for missions and the poor beside.”

“But so very, very much is needed,” remarked Evelyn.

“I’ve read in some of the religious papers, that if every church member would give but a small sum yearly, there would be enough,” said Rosie; “and mamma gives hundreds and thousands of dollars; and grandpa gives a great deal too.  So I don’t see that I ought to do without the set of pearls I’ve set my heart on.  It isn’t mamma’s place to do other people’s duty for them—­in the way of giving, any more than in other things.”