so firm,"
said Rose, tenderly.

"Ah, there is Sophy!" she added quickly, as a mass of flaxen curls,
accompanied by a pair of dancing blue eyes, appeared for an instant at
the door, and then as suddenly vanished. "Sophy! Sophy, come here!" she
called, and again the door opened and the owner of the blue eyes and
flaxen ringlets--a little girl about Elsie's age, came in, and moved
slowly towards them, looking at the stranger in her sister's lap with a
mingled expression of fun, curiosity, and bashfulness.

"Come, Sophy, this is Elsie Dinsmore, whom you have so often wished to
see," said Rose. "Elsie, this is my little sister Sophy. I want you to be
friends, and learn to love one another dearly. There, Sophy, take her
into your room, and show her all your toys and books, while I am changing
my dress; that will be the way for you to get acquainted."

Sophy did as she was desired, and, as Rose had foreseen, the first
feeling of bashfulness soon wore off, and in a few moments they were
talking and laughing together as though they had been acquainted as
many months. Sophy had brought out a number of dolls, and they were
discussing their several claims to beauty in a very animated way when
Rose called to them to come with her.

"I am going to carry you off to the nursery, Elsie, to see the little
ones," she said, taking her young visitor's hand; "should you like to see
them?"

"Oh, so much!" Elsie exclaimed eagerly; "if Sophy may go, too."

"Oh, yes, Sophy will come along, of course," Miss Rose said, leading the
way as she spoke.

Elsie found the nursery, a beautiful, large room, fitted up with every
comfort and convenience, and abounding in a variety of toys for the
amusement of the children, of whom there were three--the baby crowing in
its nurse's arms, little May, a merry, romping child of four, with flaxen
curls and blue eyes like Sophy's, and Freddie, a boy of seven.

Harold, who was thirteen, sat by one of the windows busily engaged
covering a ball for Fred, who with May stood intently watching the
movements of his needle.

Elsie was introduced to them all, one after another.

Harold gave her a cordial shake of the hand, and a pleasant "Welcome to
Elmgrove," and the little ones put up their faces to be kissed.

Elsie thought Harold a kind, pleasant-looking boy, not at all like
Arthur, Fred and May, dear little things, and the baby perfectly
charming, as she afterwards confided to her father.

"May I take t