old
self--very bright, beautiful, and sweet.

"With the housekeeping given in charge to Vi," she was saying, as Lulu
drew near, "I shall have abundance of spare time and hope to prepare
many gifts for----"

"No," interrupted her father, "you are to do nothing of the kind; but
must devote yourself to the business of gaining strength as fast as
possible."

She laughed pleasantly at that, saying, "My vacation has been a long one
already, papa, for I have really done nothing worth speaking of since we
returned home from the North."

"And what of that, daughter?" he responded. "You have never been an
idler, but it seems to be time now for you to begin. Let your vacation
go on till next spring. That is my prescription for you."

"Ah, ha, mamma!" laughed Rosie, "the captain forbids Christmas-gift
making for us younger ones, and I'm mighty glad grandpa forbids it to
you. 'Misery loves company,' you know."

"I hope my Rosie may never be called upon to share any worse misery,"
was the smiling rejoinder. "Also that she will show herself as obedient
to the captain as I intend to be to her kind, loving grandpa--so
tenderly careful of his daughter," with a fond look up into the face of
her father, standing by her side.

"As he may well be, for she is a treasure worth guarding," he said,
returning her look of love. "Rosie, when does the captain propose
beginning his labors as tutor?"

"Next Monday morning, grandpa; so we want to crowd all the fun and
diversion we can into to-day and to-morrow."

"Ah, we must select a schoolroom and furnish it with whatever may be
necessary!" exclaimed Violet.

"Yes," her mother said; "the room used for that purpose when you were a
very little girl will answer nicely. Its desks were sent to the attic
when no longer needed. You might order them brought down to-day, the
room swept and dusted, and whatever else done that is necessary or
desirable, so that it will be quite ready for occupation on Monday."

"Thank you, mamma; I will have it attended to at once," Violet replied,
and hastened away, Rosie running after her with a "Come girls, let us go
and see the room and find out whether it has a closet for the captain to
shut us up in when we misbehave."

"I don't believe he'll use it if it has," laughed Lulu, rather enjoying
Rosie's fun, "for he has never punished any of us--his own children--in
that way."

"Still there is no knowing but he may take a new departure, now, when
he's going