Holidays at Roselands | Page 6

ride with the rest of you this afternoon, and he said that I might do just
as I pleased about going to-night," Elsie summed up rather
triumphantly, adding, in a very pleasant tone, "It is entirely my own
choice to stay at home; so you see, Lucy, you must not blame my papa
before you know."
Lucy looked a little ashamed, while Mary Leslie exclaimed:
"Your own choice, Elsie? why, how strange! don't you like parties?"
"Not nearly so well as a quiet evening with papa," replied Elsie,
smiling.
"Well, you are a queer girl!" was Mary's comment, while Caroline
expressed her disappointment and vainly endeavored to change Elsie's
determination. The little girl was firm, because she felt sure she was
doing right, and soon managed to change the subject of conversation to
the pleasure nearest at hand--the ride they were to take immediately
after dinner.
They were a merry party, and really enjoyed themselves about as much

as they had expected; but they returned earlier than usual, as the
gentlemen decided that the little ladies needed some time to rest before
the evening entertainment.
Elsie assisted her young friends to dress for the party--generously
offering to lend them any of her ornaments that they might fancy--saw
them come down, one after another, full of mirth and eager expectation,
and looking so pretty and graceful in their beautiful evening-dresses,
heard their expressions of commiseration toward herself, and watched
the last carriage roll away without a sigh or regret that she was left
behind. And in another moment a graceful little figure glided quietly
across the library, and sitting down on a stool at Mr. Dinsmore's feet,
looked lovingly into his face with a pair of soft, dark eyes.
His pen was moving rapidly over the paper, but ere long there was a
pause, and laying his hand caressingly on the curly head, he said, "How
quiet my little girl is; but where is your book, daughter?"
"If you please, papa, I would rather answer Miss Rose's letter."
"You may," he said, "and if you want to stay with me, you may ring the
bell and tell the servant to bring your writing desk here."
She joyfully availed herself of the permission, and soon her pen was
vainly trying to keep pace with her father's. But presently his was
thrown aside, and rising, he stood behind her chair, giving her
directions how to sit, how to hold the pen, how to form this or that
letter more correctly, guiding her hand, and commending her efforts to
improve.
"There, you have spelled a word wrong, and I see you have one or two
capitals where there should be a small letter; and that last sentence is
not perfectly grammatical," he said. "You must let me correct it when
you are done, and then you must copy it off more carefully."
Elsie looked very much mortified.
"Never mind, daughter," he said kindly, patting her cheek; "you do very

well for a little girl; I dare say I made a great many more mistakes at
your age, and I don't expect you to do better than I did."
"Oh, papa, the letters I sent you when you were away must have been
full of blunders, I am afraid," she said, blushing deeply; "were you not
very much ashamed of me? How could you bear to read them?"
"Ashamed of you, darling? No, indeed, neither of you nor them. I loved
them all the better for the mistakes, because they showed how entirely
your own they were; and I could not but be pleased with them when
every line breathed such love to me. My little daughter's confidence
and affection are worth more to me than the finest gold, or the most
priceless jewels."
He bent down and kissed her fondly as he spoke; then, returning to his
seat, bade her finish her letter and bring it to him when done.
He took up his pen, and Elsie collected her thoughts once more, worked
busily and silently for another half hour, and then brought her sheet to
him for inspection; presenting it with a timid, bashful air, "I am afraid it
is very full of mistakes, papa," she said.
"Never mind, daughter," he answered, encouragingly; "I know that it
takes a great deal of practice to make perfect, and it will be a great
pleasure to me to see you improve."
He looked over it, pointed out the mistakes very kindly and gently, put
the capitals in their proper places, corrected the punctuation, and
showed her how one or two of her sentences might be improved.
Then, handing it back, he said, "You had better put it in your desk now,
and leave the copying until to-morrow, as it will soon be your bedtime,
and I want