as on his face as
he unfolded several yellow sheets of paper and recognized his own
handwriting. He began to read a few lines, however, and a kindly smile
spread over his countenance.

"I rather think this will interest somebody else, too. Suppose you read
it aloud, Dick," remarked grandfather.

It was dated ten years before, and proved to be one of the vivid,
interesting letters that none could write so well as Captain Gordon.
It was written at the time of Alice's memorable year's trip abroad with
some friends. Alsie was then a tiny girl of two years. The letter gave
a detailed account of one of baby's escapades. It read as follows:

"The Old Kentucky Home.

"My dear Alice:

"It pleases me greatly to know that my young daughter is having
such a glorious time abroad with her friends, even though I do
miss her sorely at home. The letter written by me a day or two
ago, which will probably reach you along with this, informs you
that we are all well at home, and it contains as much neighborhood
gossip as Wifey was able to think of at the hour of my writing,
along with considerable instruction about certain points in
sightseeing. Your letter this morning, telling the amusing little
story of the Italian baby, made me wonder if you wouldn't like a
'baby letter' in return. So here is the answer:

"Last Sunday morning your little namesake was dressed up in her
prettiest white dress, with an abundance of blue ribbon adornment,
and seated on the front porch, with careful instruction not to
soil her clothes but to wait for mother to get ready to escort her
to Sunday-school. It developed later that the first part of the
injunction seemed to make an impression to the exclusion of the
last order. At any rate, Alsie's mamma was somewhat delayed in her
preparations, and when, twenty minutes or half an hour later, she
appeared on the porch, no baby was in sight. A number of calls
brought forth no response; a messenger was dispatched to the back
lot, where the dandelions grow, another to the north side of the
house, where the little maiden has been so occupied recently picking
violets, while still other couriers were hastily despatched to all
the neighbors. The report came back from all--no baby girl had been
seen by anybody. The situation began to be a little alarming. The
messengers were again started out, with instru