and
servants, were called together into the sitting-room to be catechized
by Mr. Allison; that was succeeded by family worship, and then they sang
hymns until it was time for the children to go to bed.

As Elsie laid her head on her pillow that night, she said to herself that
it had been a very pleasant day, and she could be quite willing to live
at Elmgrove, were it not for the thought of her own dear home in the
"sunny South."

The next morning her father told her they would be there for
several weeks, and that he would expect her to practise an hour every
morning--Miss Rose having kindly offered the use of her piano--and every
afternoon to read for an hour with him; but all the rest of the day she
might have to herself, to spend just as she pleased; only, of course, she
must manage to take sufficient exercise, and not get into any mischief.

Elsie was delighted with the arrangement, and ran off at once to tell
Sophy the good news.

"Oh! I am ever so glad you are going to stay!" exclaimed Sophy joyfully.
"But why need your papa make you say lessons at all? I think he might
just as well let you play all the time."

"No," replied Elsie, "papa says I will enjoy my play a great deal better
for doing a little work first, and I know it is so. Indeed, I always find
papa knows best."

"Oh, Elsie!" Sophy exclaimed, as if struck with a bright thought, "I'll
tell you what we can do! let us learn some duets together."

"Yes, that's a good thought," said Elsie; "so we will."

"And perhaps Sophy would like to join us in our reading, too," said Mr.
Dinsmore's voice behind them.

Both little girls turned round with an exclamation of surprise, and
Elsie, taking hold of his hand, looked up lovingly into his face, saying,
"Oh, thank you, papa; that will be so pleasant."

He held out his other hand to Sophy, asking, with a smile, "Will you
come, my dear?"

"If you won't ask me any questions," she answered a little bashfully.

"Sophy is afraid of you, papa," whispered Elsie with an arch glance at
her friend's blushing face.

"And are not you, too?" he asked, pinching her cheek.

"Not a bit, papa, except when I've been naughty," she said, laying her
cheek lovingly against his hand.

He bent down and kissed her with a very gratified look. Then patting
Sophy's head, said pleasantly, "You needn't be afraid of the questions,
Sophy; I will make Elsie answer them all."

Elsie and her papa stayed for nearly two months at Elmgr