Part 44 (1/2)
He did not answer immediately, and she added, with a wistful, pleading look, ”I know I don't deserve to be let go, but you've often been a great deal better to me than I deserved.”
”As I well may be, considering how far beyond my deserts are my blessings,” he said with a tender smile and another kiss. ”Yes, daughter, you may attend the meeting and I shall hope to hear some excellent recitations from you before you go to your bed to-night.”
”Oh thank you, dear papa! I'll try my very hardest,” she exclaimed joyously, giving him a vigorous hug.
The society met at Ion that day. The captain and Violet drove over with the children, and leaving them there while they went on some miles farther, called for them again on their return at the close of the hour appropriated to its exercises.
Grandma Elsie's face hardly expressed approval as she examined Lulu's work, but she let it pa.s.s, only saying in a low aside to the little girl, ”It is not quite so well done as the last garment you brought in, my child, but I will overlook the partial failure, hoping the next bit of work will be an improvement upon both.”
Lulu blushed and was silent; once she would have made an angry retort, but she was slowly learning patience and humility.
On arriving at home she set immediately to work at her tasks, nor left off till the tea bell rang. The time had been too short for her to make much progress, and it was quite a trial to have to spend the whole evening in her own room while the others were enjoying the usual pleasant hours of relaxation together;--the sport with the babies, the familiar chat, and interesting reading; but that too she bore with patience.
It was not till the call to evening wors.h.i.+p that she joined the family.
When the service was over she drew near her father.
”Papa, I have re-written that composition and hope you will find it a great deal better, I have studied my lessons too, till I think I can recite them creditably.”
”Ah, that is well,” he said, laying a hand tenderly on her head and smiling affectionately down into the eyes upraised to his. ”I will go with you presently to hear the lessons and examine your little essay.”
When he had done so, ”I am very glad indeed, daughter,” he said, ”to be able to bestow hearty praise on you this time; you have greatly improved your composition, and your recitations were quite perfect.”
He drew her to his knee as he spoke, she blus.h.i.+ng with pleasure at his words.
”I missed my eldest daughter, from the family circle this evening,” he went on smoothing her hair caressingly; ”indeed I think we all missed her. I hope we will not be deprived of her company in the same way again.”
”I hope not, papa; I do mean to be more faithful in preparing my lessons. I'm sure I ought when I have such a kind, kind teacher,” she added looking lovingly into his eyes. ”Dear papa,” putting her arm round his neck and laying her cheek to his, ”I do love you so, _so_ much!”
”My darling,” he responded, ”your love is very precious to me, and I don't think it can be greater than mine for you. My daughter's worth to her fond father--could not be computed in dollars and cents,” he added with a happy laugh.
”I hope Grandma Elsie found your sewing well done?”
”Not so very, papa,” she replied, her tone expressing some mortification; ”she said it was not so nicely done as the last.”
”That is a pity; it will hardly do to keep on so--going backward instead of forward as regards improvement in that line of work.”
”No, papa, I don't mean to; I didn't bring home quite so much this time, though some of the girls did look as if they thought I was growing lazy--and it was dreadfully mortifying to have them think so--and I'm going to try Eva's plan. She says she divides her work into as many portions as there are days to do it in, and won't let herself miss doing at least one portion each day. She says she gets it done quite easily in that way, often finished before the day when it is to be handed in.”
”But it can't be that she puts it off for story-reading, games and what not?”
”No, sir; and I don't mean to any more. I'll put that sewing first after what you say are more important duties, and not let myself have any play till it's done. I think I can 'most always do it before breakfast, now that you don't require me to sweep or dust my own rooms. I'm very much obliged to you, papa, for saying I needn't do those things any more while I have so many lessons.”
”I want my daughters to understand all kinds of housework so that they may be competent to direct servants, if they have them, or be independent of them if they have not,” he said; ”but now that you have learned how to sweep and dust, I do not think it necessary for you to make use of that knowledge while your time can be better employed, and I am able to pay a servant for doing the work.”
CHAPTER XIX.
One morning at breakfast, Max asked, ”Papa, have you told Lu yet?”