Christmas with Grandma Elsie Part 30

"Thank you, dear child. I wish you the same; but I want you to give Polly a cracker as quickly as you can to stop her screaming; for I fear she will wake both guests and babies."

"Yes, sir; I will. I was just going to," replied the little girl. "Then shall I stay up?"

"I think you may as well go back to bed and try to take another nap," he answered. "It is very early yet."

Lulu hurried into the sitting-room where Polly's cage was hanging, and struck a light.

"What you 'bout? Where you been?" demanded the parrot.

"Sleeping in my bed as I have a right to, Miss Saucebox," returned Lulu, laughing as she opened a cupboard door and brought out a paper of crackers. "There, take that and see if you can hold your tongue till folks are ready to get up."

The bird took the offered cracker and began eating it, standing on one foot, on its perch, and holding the food in the claws of the other, while it bit off a little at a time, Lulu looking on with interest.

"You'll have to behave better than this, or you'll get banished to the attic, or the kitchen, or some other far-off place," she said, shaking her finger threateningly at Poll.

Then, after turning down the light, she ran back to bed.

"Are you asleep, Eva?" she asked in a whisper.

"No dear; wide awake."

"Then let's talk; for I'm as wide awake as I can be."

"But didn't your father say you were to try for another nap?"

"I understood him to mean only that I might if I chose, not that I must; but perhaps he meant that he wanted me to; so I'll keep quiet and try."

She did so, saying to herself, "I just know it's no use, for I was never wider awake in my life," but to her great astonishment the next thing she knew it was broad daylight and Eva up and brushing out her hair before the mirror over the bureau.

"Why, I've been asleep and I hadn't the least idea of such a thing!"

cried Lulu springing out upon the floor and beginning to dress in all haste.

"Oh, you've had a nice nap and will feel the better for it all day, I'm sure," returned Eva laughing in a kindly way; "and that is your reward for trying to do as your papa probably wished you to. But need you hurry so? isn't it a good while to breakfast time?"

"Yes, but I have to dress and say my prayers; and I always like so much to have a little time to chat with papa before the bell rings."

"Lu! Lu!" screamed the parrot, "time for breakfast! Polly wants her coffee."

"Just hear Polly," exclaimed Lulu; "it does seem as if she must have sense. I suppose she does think it's time for breakfast."

"Does she drink coffee?" asked Eva.

"Yes; she is very fond of it. She gets a cup every morning."

"She's a very amusing pet, I think," remarked Evelyn. "What fun it will be to teach her to say all sorts of cute things!"

"Yes," sighed Lulu, "but papa says if she should hear angry, pa.s.sionate, or willful words from my lips she may learn and repeat them to my shame and sorrow. But oh I hope I never shall let her hear such!"

"I don't believe you ever will say such words any more, dear Lu," Eva said with an affectionate look into her friend's face. "I don't believe you have ever been in a pa.s.sion since--since the time that little Elsie had that sad fall."

"No, I have not been in a rage, but I have said some angry words a few times, and oh--as you must remember that I told you--some very rebellious and insolent ones to my dear papa--not so long ago. Oh dear, I'm afraid my tongue can never be tamed!

"Papa made me learn that third chapter of James that says 'the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity and that no man can tame it.' Then he talked to me so nicely and kindly about learning to rule my tongue and make it always speak as it ought--wise, kind, pleasant words. And he told me the only way to do it was by getting my heart right--by G.o.d's help--because, as the Bible tells us in another place, it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaketh."

"Your father takes a great deal of pains to teach and help you, dear Lu, doesn't he?" said Eva.

"Yes, yes, indeed!" returned Lulu, with warmth; "all his children, but especially me, I think, because I'm the naughtiest and have the hardest work trying to be good. I'm often surprised at papa's patience with me and the trouble he takes to help me in my hard fight with my pa.s.sionate, wilful temper."

Just then Grace's voice was heard at the door, "Happy New Year, Eva and Lu! May I come in?"

"Yes, come. Happy New Year to you," cried both girls, Lulu running and taking her sister in her arms to hug and kiss her.

"You darling child! You look bright and well. Are you?"

"Yes, you old woman," laughed Gracie, returning the hug and kisses; "and I'm all ready for breakfast. Are you?"

"No, not quite."

"I am," said Eva. "Shall we go into the sitting-room, Gracie, and wait there for Lu?"

"Yes," answered Grace, leading the way; "and I'll be learning my Bible verse while we wait for her and papa and the breakfast bell."

Lulu and her father joined them at the same moment.

The captain kissed the little girls all around and presented each with a pretty little portemonnaie.

Eva thanked him with smiles, blushes and appreciative words; his own two with hugs and kisses in addition to the thanks given in words.

"Mine's ever so pretty, papa," Lulu said, turning it about in her hands.

"I am glad you are pleased with it," he said, smiling, "but are you going to be satisfied with looking at the outside? don't you want to examine the lining also?"

"Why, yes, sir?" opening it. "Oh, oh, it isn't empty!" she laughed, beginning to take out the contents--two clean, crisp one dollar notes, and a handful of bright new quarters, dimes and five cent pieces. "Papa, how kind and generous you are to me!"

Grace had her purse open by this time and found it lined in like manner with Lulu's. "Dear papa, thank you ever so much," she said, looking up into his face with eyes full of love and grat.i.tude. "It's a great deal for me to have beside all the rest you gave me."

"You are both as welcome as possible, my darlings; only make good use of it, remembering that money is one of the talents for which we must give account to G.o.d at last," he answered to both.

"Eva, my dear," turning to her, "you will find the same in yours, and I hope will accept it from me as though you were one of my daughters. Do me the kindness to let me be in some respects, a father to you; since your own is absent in the happy home to which I trust we are all traveling."

She was standing near, the present he had given her in her hand. She had been looking from it to Lulu and Grace, thinking the while how good it was in the captain to treat her so much like one of his own, and now at these kind words spoken in tender fatherly tones, both heart and eyes grew full to overflowing.

He saw that she could not speak for emotion, and taking her hand, drew her to his knee and kissed her, saying, "Don't try to thank me in words, my dear; your speaking countenance tells me all you would say."

"What you 'bout?" screamed Polly at that instant, just as if she were calling the captain to account for his actions.

That made them all laugh; even Evelyn, who had been just ready to cry.

Then the breakfast bell rang and everybody hastened to obey its summons.