Among the latter were Grandma Elsie, her father and his wife—­Grandma Rose—­and Cousin Ronald.

“Bravo!” cried the two old gentlemen simultaneously, as Herbert performed a feat in which he seemed to fairly outdo himself.  Mr. Lilburn adding, “I feel the old ardor for the sport stir within me at sight o’ the lad’s adroit movements.  At his age I might have ventured to compete with as expert a skater as he.  What say you, Cousin Horace, to a match atween the two auld chaps o’ us down there the noo?”

“Agreed,” Mr. Dinsmore said with a laugh.  “There are skates that will answer our purpose I think, and we will set off at once if you like.”

At that moment Lulu came running in.  “The skates have come, Grandma Elsie,” she said, “just as I have got back to the house.  Papa sent me in because it was too cold, he said, for me to be standing still out there.  He’ll come for me when Mamma Vi is tired and wants to come in.”

“Does she seem to be enjoying it?” asked the person addressed.

“Oh yes, ma’am, very much indeed!  Aren’t you going to try it too?”

“Yes, do, Elsie,” said her father.  “And you too, Rose,” to his wife.  “Let us all try the sport while we have an opportunity.”

The ladies were nothing loath, everybody seemed to catch the spirit of the hour, the skates were quickly distributed, and all hurried away to the lake, but Lulu and Grace who were to stay within doors, by their father’s orders, till he came, or sent for them.

Lulu having taken off her hood and coat, now sat before the fire warming her feet.  Grace was watching the skaters from an easy chair by the window.

“It does look like good fun,” she said.  “Is it very cold out there, Lu?”

“Not so very; the wind doesn’t blow; but when you’ve been standing still a while your feet feel right cold.  I hardly thought about it though, I was so taken up with watching the skating, till papa called to me that it was too cold for me to stand there, and I must come in.”

“Papa’s always taking care of his children,” remarked Grace.

“Yes,” assented Lulu, “he never seems to forget us at all; I most wish he would sometimes,” she added laughing, “just once in a while when I feel like having my own way, you know.

“Wasn’t he good to send for these for me?” she went on, holding up her new skates and regarding them with much satisfaction.  “They’re nice ones, and it’ll be nice to have him teach me how to use them.  I’ve heard of people getting hard falls learning how to skate, but I think I’ll be pretty safe not to fall with papa to attend to me.”

“I should think so,” said Grace.  “Oh papa and mamma have stopped and I do believe they’re taking off their skates! at least papa’s taking her’s off for her, I think.”

“Oh then they’re coming in and we’ll get our turn!”

“I don’t want to try it.”

“No, but you can walk down there, and then you’re to have a ride on the ice; you know Uncle Harold said so.”