.

"For Olive, whom mother remembers as a studious book-loving little girl,
and hoped she would enjoy this grand work."

"I shall indeed," cried Olive joyfully. "How kind your mother is."

"She is indeed," answered Ralph. "And very dear to me, I assure you."

"This for Beatrice," he added, holding up a stout package; "I assure
you, the interior is more attractive than the exterior," he said with a
laugh; and so Bea found it, for there was a box of kid gloves, a dozen
beautiful handkerchiefs, with her monogram worked in the corner, and a
beautiful set of jet jewelry.

Bea was in ecstasies, and put on her ornaments at once, while Ralph next
unfastened two boxes exactly alike and handed them, with their contents
exposed, to their owners.

"For Kittie," he said, "and Kathleen."

Kittie gave a little scream of delight, but Kat simply made a bow, and
said "Thanks," with the grace of a ramrod, and shut her box with a snap.
They were two beautiful chains and lockets, of ebony and gold, with the
letters "K. D." in raised letters on the lockets, and a picture of the
giver within. Ralph took no notice of Kat's reception of the gift, but
complimented Kittie as she put hers on, and then asked for Mrs. Dering.

Her gift was a dress of heavy black silk, with everything necessary to
its make-up, and yards and yards of beautiful lace and fringe for its
trimming. Oh, how happy the girls were over that, and how splendid it
would seem to see mama once more in an elegant dress, such as she used
to wear.

For Ernestine, were elegantly bound copies of the old composers, and for
Jeanie an exquisite little pearl ring. The one of these, Mrs. Dering
laid away with tears, and a silent prayer, such as came from her heart
every hour of the day for the absent one; the other, she sent with a
long, loving letter to the little girl in Virginia, and thought, with a
grateful heart, that the bitterest sorrows have a drop of joy somewhere,
for the doctors had said that Jeanie could be cured.

In just a little while, it seemed as though Ralph had been with them
always, such a comfort as he was to all, and such a genial, jovial
companion as he became on all occasions. Mrs. Dering, or Aunt Elizabeth,
he very soon lifted to the niche of affection next to his mother's; and
she, in turn, loved him as an own son, and in his ambitious moments,
gave him long earnest talks, wherein she drew his unremembered Uncle
Robert, as an example of truth, manhood and