very close guess, Lu," laughed Violet; "for my thought was that the Woodburn children have as good and kind a father as could be found in all the length and breadth of the land."
"We know it, Mamma Vi; we all think so," cried the children.
But the captain shook his head, saying, "Ah, my dear, flattery is not good for me. If you continue to dose me with it, who knows but I shall become as conceited and vain as a peacock?"
"Not a bit of danger of that!" she returned gaily. "But I do not consider the truth flattery."
"Suppose we change the subject," he said with a good-humored smile. "We have been making out lists of Christmas gifts and would like to have your opinion and advice in regard to some of them."
"You shall have them for what they are worth," she returned, taking the slips of paper Max handed her, and glancing over them.
CHAPTER IV
The parlor at Ion, full of light and warmth, looked very pleasant and inviting this evening. The whole family – not so large now as it had been before Capt. Raymond took his wife and children to a home of their own – were gathered there; – Mr. Dinsmore and his wife – generally called Grandma Rose by the children – Grandma Elsie, her son Edward and his wife, Zoe, and the two younger children; – Rosie and Walter.
The ladies and Rosie were all knitting or crocheting. Mr. Dinsmore and
Edward were playing chess, and Walter was deep in a story book.
"Zoe," said Rosie, breaking a pause in the conversation, "do you know, has mamma told you, about her new plans for benevolence? how she is going to let us all help her in distributing her funds?"
"Us?" echoed Zoe inquiringly.
"Yes; all her children; and that includes you of course."
"Most assuredly it does," said Grandma Elsie, smiling tenderly upon her young daughter-in-law.
Zoe's eyes sparkled. "Thank you, mamma," she said with feeling. "I should be very sorry to be left out of the number; I am very proud of belonging there.
"But what about the new plans, Rosie? if mamma is willing you should tell me now what they are."
"Quite willing," responded mamma, and Rosie went on.
"You know mamma always gives thousands of dollars every year to home and foreign missions, and other good causes, and she says that this time she will let each of us choose a cause for her to give a thousand to."
"I like that!" exclaimed Zoe. "Many thanks, mamma, for my share of the privilege. I shall choose to have my thousand go to help the mission schools in Utah. I feel so sorry for those poor Mormon women. The idea of having to share your husband with another woman, or maybe half a dozen or more! It's simply awful!"
"Yes; and that is only a small part of the wickedness Mormonism is responsible for," remarked Grandma Rose. "Think of the tyranny of their priesthood; interfering with the liberty of the people in every possible way – claiming the right to dictate as to what they shall read, where they shall send their children to school, with whom they shall trade, where they shall live, or ordering them to break up their homes, make a forced sale of their property, and move into another state or territory at their own cost, or go on a mission."
"Their wicked doctrine and practice of what they call blood atonement, too," sighed Grandma Elsie.
"And the bitter hatred they inculcate toward the people and government of these United States," added Zoe. "Oh I am sure both love of country and desire for the advancement of Christ's cause and kingdom, should lead us to do all we can to rescue Utah from Mormonism. Do you not think so, mamma?"
"I entirely agree with you, and am well satisfied with your choice,"
Grandma Elsie replied.
"Perhaps I shall choose for mine to go there too," said Rosie. "But I believe I'll take a little more time to consider the claims of other causes."
Walter closed his book and came to his mother's side. "Am I to have a share in it, mamma?" he asked.
"In selecting an object for me to give to? Yes, my son."
"A thousand dollars?"
"Yes."
"Oh that's good! I think I'll adopt an Indian boy, clothe and educate him."
"Adopt?" laughed Rosie; "a boy of ten talking about adopting somebody else!"
"Not to be a father to him, Rosie – except in the way of providing for him as fathers do for their children. Mamma knows what I mean."
"Yes, my boy, I do; and highly approve. As a nation we have robbed the poor Indians, and owe them a debt that I fear will never be paid."
"I mean to do my share toward paying it if I live to be a man," Walter said, "and I'd like to begin now."
"I am very glad to hear it, my son," responded his mother.
"Would you prefer to have all your thousands go to pay that debt, mamma?" asked Rosie.
"No, child, not all; as I have said, I highly approve of Zoe's choice; and I would send the gospel tidings into the dark places of the earth, to the millions who have never heard the name of Jesus."
"And there is another race to whom we owe reparation," remarked Mr. Dinsmore, leaning back in his chair, and regarding the chess-board with a half rueful look. "There, Ned, my boy, I think you wouldn't have come off victor if my attention had not been called from the game by the talk of the ladies."
"Never mind, Grandpa; we'll take all the blame," laughed Rosie, jumping up to run and put her arms round his neck and give him a kiss.
He returned it, drew her to his knee, and went on with his remarks.
"You all know, of course, that I refer to the negroes, who were forcibly torn from their own land and enslaved in this. We must educate and evangelize them: as a debt we owe them, and also for the salvation of our country, whose liberties will be greatly imperilled by their presence and possession of the elective franchise, if they are left to ignorance and vice."
"Grandpa, what do you mean by the elective franchise?" asked Walter going to the side of the old gentleman's chair.
"The right to vote at elections, my son. You can see, can't you, what harm might come from it."
"Yes, sir; they might help to put bad men into office; some of themselves maybe; and bad men would be likely to make bad laws, and favor rogues. Oh yes, sir, I understand it!"
"Then perhaps you may want to help provide for the instruction of the colored race as well as of the Indians?"
"Yes, sir, I would like to. I hope the thousand dollars may be enough to help the work for both."
"I think it will; that your mother will be satisfied to have you divide it into two or more portions, that several good objects may receive some aid from it."
"Will you, mamma?" asked Walter, turning to her.
"Yes, I think it would perhaps be the wisest way."
"And besides," said Rosie, "mamma is going to give us young
