s not big enough to
hold even a little boy like you or Frank."

"Isn't it, papa?" returned the child, dropping his head on his father's
shoulder with a sigh of relief.

"Oh it's Cousin Ronald, it's just Cousin Ronald!" exclaimed the
children, their tears changing at once to laughter.

"Ah ha, ah ha! um h'm, um h'm! so it is, bairnies, just Cousin Ronald at
his old tricks again," laughed Mr. Lilburn.

"Oh there's nobody in it; so we needn't care how high it goes," cried
Eddie, jumping and clapping his hands, "See! see! it's up in the clouds
now, and doesn't look as big as my cap."

"Not half so big, I should say," remarked Herbert. "And there, it's
quite gone."

The dinner bell rang and all repaired to the dining-room.

Chapter Twenty-sixth.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,
he will not depart from it."
--PROVERBS, xxii: 6.

As naturally as the helianthus to the sun, did the faces of Elsie's
little ones turn to her when in her loved presence. At the table, at
their sports, their lessons, everywhere and however employed, it was
always the same, the young eyes turning ever and anon to catch the
tender, sympathetic glance of mamma's.

But at dinner to-day, Vi's great blue orbs met hers but once and
instantly dropped upon her plate again, while a vivid blush suffused the
fair face and neck.

And when the meal was ended and all gathered in the drawing-room, Vi
still seemed to be unlike her usual gay, sunny self, the merriest
prattler of all the little crowd of children, the one whose sweet
silvery laugh rang out the oftenest. She stood alone at a side table
turning over some engravings, but evidently with very little interest.
The mother, engaged in conversation with the other ladies, watched her
furtively, a little troubled and anxious, yet deeming it best to wait
for a voluntary confidence on the part of her child.

Longing, yet dreading to make it, Vi was again puzzling her young brain
with the question whether Meta was right in saying it would be selfish
to do so. Ah, if she could only ask mamma which was the right way to do!
This was the first perplexity she had not been able to carry to her for
disentanglement.

Remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, "Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth," Elsie had been careful to store her
children's minds with the blessed teachings and precious promises of
God's holy Book. She had also taught them to go to God th