“Yes, papa, those words make me more than willing to bear trials.  But oh, how dreadful, how dreadful, to know that our countrymen are already engaged in spilling each other’s blood!”

“Yes, that is harrowing enough; but that it should be also our near and dear relations!  Elsie, I am thinking of my young brothers:  they are not Christians; nor is my poor old father.  How can they bear the trials just at hand?  How unfit they are to meet death, especially in the sudden, awful form in which it is like to meet those who seek the battle-field.  Daughter, you must help me pray for them, pleading the promise, ’If two of you shall agree.’”

“I will, papa; and oh, I do feel deeply for them.  Poor Walter and poor, poor grandpa.  I think he loves you best of all his sons, papa; but it would be very terrible to him to have the others killed or maimed.”

“Yes, it would indeed.  Arthur is his mother’s idol, and I dare say she now almost regrets that he has now so entirely recovered from his lameness as to be fit for the army.”

He drew her to a seat.  “The babies are in bed, I suppose?”

“Yes, papa; I left my darlings sleeping sweetly.  I am trying to train them to regular habits and early hours, as you did me.”

“That is right.”

“Papa, it is so sweet to be a mother! to have my little Elsie in my lap, as I had but a few moments since, and feel the clasp of her arms about my neck, or the tiny hands patting and stroking my face, the sweet baby lips showering kisses all over it, while she coos and rejoices over me; Mamma! mamma, my mamma!  Elsie’s dear mamma!  Elsie’s own sweet pretty mamma.’  Ah, though our hearts ache for the dear land of our birth, we still have many many blessings left.”

“We have indeed.”

Mr. Travilla, Rose, and Horace now joined them, and the last-named besieged his father with questions about the war and its causes; all of which were patiently answered to the best of Mr. Dinsmore’s ability, Mr. Travilla now and then being appealed to for further information, or his opinion, while the ladies listened and occasionally put in a remark or a query.

From that day the mails from America were looked for with redoubled anxiety and eagerness:  though the war news was always painful, whichever side had gained a victory or suffered defeat.

At first, papers and letters had been received from both North and South, giving them the advantage of hearing the report from each side; but soon the blockade shut off nearly all intercourse with the South, a mail from thence reaching them only occasionally, by means of some Confederate or foreign craft eluding the vigilance of the besieging squadron.

Early in June there came a letter from Miss Stanhope, addressed to Elsie.  Like all received from America now, it dwelt almost exclusively upon matters connected with the fearful struggle just fairly begun between the sections.  The old lady’s heart seemed full of love for the South, yet she was strongly for the Union, and said she should be so if any other section or State rebelled.