weight.

How they gathered about her with exclamations of astonishment and
delight, and question upon question as to the means by which this
wondrous change had been wrought!

And with what tears of joy and thankfulness, and in tones how tremulous
with deep gratitude, she and her husband told of the experiments of a
rising young surgeon which, by the blessing of God, had resulted in this
astonishing cure!

"Oh, Uncle Horace, Aunt Rose, Cousin Elsie," Molly exclaimed, glancing
from one to the other, "I think I am surely the happiest woman in the
world, and the one who has the greatest reason for thankfulness! See,
here is another precious treasure the Lord has sent me in addition to the
many I had before;" and turning, she beckoned to a middle-aged colored
woman standing a little in their rear, who immediately came forward
bearing an infant of a few weeks in her arms.

"My Elsie, named for you, dear cousin," Molly said, taking the child and
holding it proudly up to view. "I only hope she may, if God spares her
life, grow up to be as dear and sweet and good, as kind and true and
loving, as she whose name she bears."

"The darling!" Elsie said, bending down to press a kiss on the velvet
cheek of her tiny namesake. "And how kind in you, Molly, to name her for
me! Oh, it makes me so happy to see you able to move about, and with this
new treasure added to your store!"

The others added their congratulations; and Mr. Embury remarked, with a
happy laugh, "Molly certainly thinks there was never another baby quite
equal to hers in any respect."

"Which is very natural," said Mrs. Dinsmore. "I remember having some such
idea about my own first baby."

The Ion children were allowed a few days of entire liberty to roam about
and make themselves fully acquainted with the beauties of Viamede,
Magnolia Hall, and the neighborhood before beginning school duties.

Meanwhile their elders had visited Oakdale Academy and made the
acquaintance of Prof. Silas Manton, his wife and two daughters,--Miss
Diana and Miss Emily,--who, with Signor Foresti, music-master, and
M. Saurin, instructor in French, formed the corps of teachers belonging
to the institution.

Privately our friends were but indifferently pleased with any of them;
still it was decided to enter the children as pupils there for the
present, and, watching carefully over them, remove them at once if any
evidence of harmful influence were perceived.

So far as they could