steel plate, sixteen inches thick, through which a twelve-inch
shot had been fired. It had cracked the plate and thrown the upper corner
half a yard away. I forgot to say the projectile fired from that gun
weighs a ton, and goes sixteen miles."

"Oh," cried Grace, "that's just dreadful! I hope there will never be a war
where such terrible guns will be used--never any more at all; but that
very soon, as the Bible says, the people 'shall beat their swords into
plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'"

"Yes," said Grandma Elsie, overhearing her, "that will be a blessed time."

"Yes, indeed!" said Lucilla.

"Where else did you go?" asked Grace.

"Oh, we have been promenading along the lake shore, sitting down now and
then on the seats to watch the many boats of various sorts and sizes, our
own among the rest; and now, here we are to stay for the night, I suppose.
I must, at least, for papa has said so."

She looked smilingly up into his face as she spoke, for he was now
standing by her side.

"I think that will be best for each of my children, and hope that my dear
eldest daughter does not feel at all rebellious in regard to the matter,"
he said in his pleasant, fatherly way.

"No, indeed, papa!" she responded heartily, "though the beautiful Court of
Honor is so fascinating--especially at night--that if you had given me
permission to go back there after tea I should have been very glad to do
so."

"And I should take pleasure in allowing you that gratification if I
thought it best and right."

"I don't doubt that in the least, papa, and I am very glad to have you to
decide all such questions for me," she replied.

"Will we go over there, to the Court of Honor, to-morrow, papa?" asked
little Elsie.

"No, daughter, we must keep the Sabbath day holy, and if we go anywhere it
will be to church."

"And if we don't, we'll have a meeting here on our own deck as we have on
some other Sundays; won't we, papa?"

"Yes; and the Lord Jesus will be with us; for he has said, 'Where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.'"

"Oh, papa, I shall like to think of that--that the dear Lord Jesus is here
with us--but I do wish I could see him."

"I too," said little Ned. "Please, papa, sit down now and let your baby
boy sit on your knee a little while. You have been gone so long away from
m