faces full of excitement.

"What news?" queried both ladies in a breath.

"Lincoln has issued an Emancipation Proclamation freeing all the blacks."

There was a momentary pause: then Rose said, "If it puts an end to this
dreadful war, I shall not be sorry."

"Nor I," said Elsie.

"Perhaps you don't reflect that it takes a good deal out of our pockets,"
remarked her father. "Several hundred thousand from yours."

"Yes, papa, I know; but we will not be very poor. I alone have enough left
to keep us all comfortably. If I were only sure it would add to the
happiness of my poor people, I should rejoice over it. But I am sorely
troubled to know what has, or will become of them. It is more than two
years now, since we have heard a word from Viamede."

"It is very likely we shall find nothing but ruins on all our
plantations--Viamede, the Oaks, Ion, and Roselands," remarked Mr.
Dinsmore, pacing to and fro with an anxious and disturbed countenance.

"Let us hope for the best," Mr. Travilla responded cheerfully; "the land
will still be there, perhaps the houses too; the negroes will work for
wages, and gradually we may be able to restore our homes to what they
were."

"And if the war stops now, we shall probably find them still in pretty
good condition," said Elsie.

"No," her father said, "the war is not at an end, or likely to be for a
long time to come; but we will wait in patience and hope, daughter, and
not grieve over losses that perhaps may bring great happiness to others."

"Are we poor now, papa?" asked Horace anxiously.

"No, son; your sister is still very wealthy, and we all have comfortable
incomes."

"It did me good to see Uncle Joe's delight over the news," Mr. Travilla
smilingly remarked to his wife.

"Ah, you told him then?" she returned, with a keen interest and pleasure.

"Yes, and it threw him into a transport of joy. 'Ki! massa,' he said,
'neber tink to heyah sich news as dat! neber spects dis chile lib to bee
freedom come;' then sobering down, 'but, massa, we's been a prayin' for
it; we's been crying to the good Lord like the chillen ob Israel when
dey's in de house ob bondage; tousands an' tousands ob us cry day an'
night, an' de Lord heyah, an' now de answer hab come. Bress de Lord! Bress
His holy name foreber an' eber.'

"'And what will you do with your liberty, Uncle Joe?' I asked; then he
looked half frightened. 'Massa, you ain't gwine to send us off? we lub you
an' Miss Elsie an' de c