argely upon the good conduct
of my eldest daughter," he said in a graver tone, smoothing her hair
caressingly as he spoke. "I hope she will show herself so sweet tempered
and obedient that it may not be necessary to leave her behind because
she is lacking in those good qualities."

"Papa," she replied low and feelingly, "I will ask God to help me to be
patient and good."

"And if you ask for Jesus' sake, pleading his gracious promise, 'If ye
ask anything in my name, I will do it,' your petition will be granted."

At that moment the other girls came running in, Rose saying eagerly,
"Oh, Brother Levis, we all hope you will be so kind as to go on with
your historical stories of doings and happenings at New Orleans. Please
treat us to some of them to-night, and let us have all before we visit
their scenes, won't you?"

"Certainly, Sister Rose," he replied, adding, "It looks very pleasant on
the veranda now. Shall we establish ourselves there?"

"Yes, sir, if you please," she said, dancing away, the others
following.

Presently all were quietly seated, the older people almost as eager for
the story as were the young, and the captain began.

"While the armies before New Orleans were burying their dead, others of
the British troops were trying to secure for themselves the free
navigation of the Mississippi below the city by capturing Fort St.
Philip, which is in a direct line some seventy or eighty miles lower
down the stream, and was considered by both British and Americans as the
key of the State of Louisiana.

"The fort was at that time garrisoned by three hundred and sixty-six men
under the command of Major Overton of the rifle corps, with the addition
of the crew of a gun-boat. Just about the time that the British killed
in the battle of New Orleans were being carried by the Americans under
Jackson to their comrades for burial, a little squadron of five English
vessels appeared before the fort and anchored out of range of its heavy
guns, the bomb vessels with their broadsides toward it; and at three
o'clock they opened fire on it. Their bombardment went on with scarcely
a pause till daybreak of the 18th, when they had sent more than a
thousand shells, using for that purpose twenty thousand pounds of
powder. They had sent, too, beside the shells, many round and grape
shot.

"During those nine days the Americans were in their battery, five of
the days without shelter, exposed to cold and rain a part of the time;