rms.

He set her down, and while he exchanged greetings with Mr. Dinsmore, she
ran to her mother with a bouquet of lovely sweet-scented spring blossoms
they had been gathering "for mamma."

"Thank you, mother's darling," Elsie said, accepting the gift and tenderly
caressing the giver; "you and papa, too. But see who is here?"

The child turned to look, and with a joyous cry "G'anpa!" ran into his
outstretched arms.

"Grandpa's own wee pet," he said, hugging the little form close and
covering the baby face with kisses. "Will you come and live with grandpa
in his home for awhile?"

"Mamma? papa too?" she asked, turning a wistful look on them.

"Oh, yes; yes indeed, mamma and papa too."

"Baby?"

"Yes, baby and mammies and all. Will you come?"

"May Elsie, mamma?"

"Yes, pet; we will all go, if your papa is willing." And her soft eyes
sought her husband's face with a look of love and confidence that said she
well knew he would never deny her any good in his power to bestow.

"I have been proposing to my daughter to take possession again, for as
long a time as she finds it convenient and agreeable, of her old suite of
rooms at the Oaks. I think the change would do her good, and perhaps you
and the little ones also," Mr. Dinsmore explained.

"Thank you; I think it would. When will you go, little wife?"

"Papa proposes taking me at once."

"My carriage is at the door, and this is the pleasantest part of the day,"
remarked Mr. Dinsmore.

"Ah, yes; then take Elsie with you, and I will follow shortly with
children and servants. There is no reason in the world why she should not
go, if she wishes, and stay as long as she likes."

The change proved beneficial to Elsie; it was so pleasant to find herself
again a member of her father's family; and that even without a short
separation from her husband and little ones.

Here, too, absent from the scenes so closely associated with the memory of
her beloved mother-in-law, she dwelt less upon her loss, while at the same
time she was entertained and cheered by constant intercourse with father,
Rose, and young brother and sister. It was indeed a cheering thing to all
parties to be thus brought together for a time as one family in delightful
social intercourse.

Yet, though the invalids improved in spirits, and to some extent in other
respects, they did not regain their usual strength, and the physicians
recommending travel, particularly a sea voyage, it was finally de