with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.' 'I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee.' 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love.'"

Silence fell between them for some moments, both seemingly wrapped in
thought; then Mr. Dinsmore said inquiringly, "You will go to Roselands
to-morrow?"

"Yes, papa, if you go, as I heard you say you intended, and nothing
happens to prevent. Rosie was particularly delighted with Cal's
invitation," she added, smiling up at him, "because I had been telling the
story of those Christmas holidays that we have been discussing, to her and
the other children, and naturally she wants to look upon the scene of all
those important events."

"It will not be by any means her first visit to Roselands," he remarked in
a tone of surprise.

"Oh, no, sir! only the first after hearing of those interesting episodes
in her mother's life."

"But the house is not the same."

"No, sir; yet the hall and parlors, your rooms and mine are about where
and what they were in the old house."

"Ah! well I hope Rosie will enjoy it. And that you may do so, I shall
leave you now, begging you to go at once to bed. Good-night, daughter."

"Good-night, my dearest, best of fathers," she responded, putting her arms
round his neck as he stooped to give her a parting caress.

Calhoun and Arthur Conly were now joint proprietors at Roselands. "Aunt
Maria," an old negress born and bred on the estate, was their housekeeper,
and managed so well that they found themselves as comfortable as in the
days of their mother's administration.

They, with one younger sister and brother, were all of the once large
family now left to occupy the old home, and these younger two were there
now only for the Christmas holidays, and at their close would return to
distant boarding-schools. Ella, the sister, was eighteen; Ralph two years
younger.

The house whence the mother and grandfather had been carried out to their
last long home but a few months before, could not be made the scene of
mirth and jollity, but to a day of quiet social intercourse with near and
dear relatives and friends none could object; so the family at Ion had
been invited to dine there the next day, and had accepted the invitation.

Lulu had been greatly interested in Grandma Elsie's party of children as
it told of had been invited to Ion for these holidays; but she did not
covet such a father as Mr. Dinsmore; he was much too strict and severe,
she thought, wit