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  ELSIE'SCHILDREN

  A SEQUEL TO"ELSIE'S MOTHERHOOD"

  ByMARTHA FINLEY

  Complete Authorized Edition

  Published by arrangement withDodd, Mead and Company

  A.L. BURT COMPANY

  PUBLISHERSNew York Chicago

  DODD, MEAD & COMPANY.

  1877

  1905, BYDODD, MEAD & COMPANY.

  Preface.

  With this volume, bringing the Story of Elsieand her Children down to the present time, theseries closes.

  It was not by request of the author's _personal_friends, that either this or any one of the previousvolumes was written, but in acquiescence with thedemands of the Public--the friends and admirersof Elsie herself; and we know that as child, asyoung girl, as wife and mother, she has had manyfriends who have been loath to part with her.May they find neither her nor her children lesslovable in this, than in the earlier volumes, andmay their society prove sweet, comforting and helpfulto many readers and friends both old and new.

  M.F.

  Elsie's Children.

  CHAPTER FIRST.

  "Of all the joys that brighten suffering earth, What joy is welcom'd like a new-born child." --MRS. NORTON.

  A merry scene in the nursery at Viamede, where the little Travillas arewaiting for their morning half hour with "dear mamma." Mammy coming insmiling and mysterious, her white apron thrown over something heldcarefully in her arms, bids the children guess what it is.

  "A new dolly for me?" says Vi; "I'm going to have a birthday to-morrow."

  "A kite," ventured Harold. "No, a balloon."

  "A tite! a tite!" cried little Herbert, clapping his hands.

  "Pshaw! it's nothing but a bundle of clothes mammy's been doing up for oneof you girls," said Eddie. "I see a bit of lace or work, or something,hanging down below her apron."

  "Is it a new dress for Vi, mammy?" asked Elsie, putting her arm about hersister and giving her a loving kiss.

  "Yah, yah; you ain't no whar nigh it yet, chillens," laughed mammy,dropping into a chair, and warding off an attempt on the part of littleHerbert to seize her prize and examine it for himself.

  "Oh, it's alive," cried Harold, half breathlessly, "I saw it move!" Thenas a slight sound followed the movement, "A baby! a baby!" they allexclaim, "O, mammy, whose is it? where did you get it? oh, sit down andshow it to us!"

  "Why, chillen, I reckon it 'longs to us," returned mammy, complying withthe request, while they gathered closely about her with eager anddelighted faces.

  "Ours, mammy? Then I'm glad it isn't black or yellow like the babies downat the quarter," said Harold, eying it with curiosity and interest.

  "So am I too," remarked Violet, "but it's got such a red face and hardlyany hair on the top of its head."

  "Well, don't you remember that's the way Herbie looked when he firstcame?" said Eddie.

  "And he grew very white in a few weeks," remarked Elsie. "But is itmamma's baby, mammy?"

  "Yes, honey, dat it am; sho's yer born, 'nother pet for ole mammy,--debressed little darlin'," she answered, pressing the little creature toher breast.

  The information was received with a chorus of exclamations of delight andadmiration.

  "Tate a bite of cacker, boy," said Herbert, offering a cracker which hewas eating with evident enjoyment.

  Mammy explained, amid the good-natured laughter of the older children,that the newcomer had no teeth and couldn't eat anything but milk.

  "Oh, poor 'ittle fing!" he said, softly touching its velvet cheek. "Won't'oo tum and pay wis Herbie?"

  "No, it can't play," said Violet, "it can't walk and it can't talk."

  "Where's mamma, mammy?" asked Eddie, glancing at the clock; "it's past hertime; I wonder too she didn't come to show us the new baby herself."

  "She's sick, chile," returned mammy, a grave and anxious look coming intoher old eyes.

  "Mamma sick?" exclaimed little Elsie, "oh, may I go to her?"

  Mammy shook her head. "Not jes now, honey darlin', byme by, when she'sbettah."

  "Mamma sick?" echoed Violet. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry!"

  "Don't fret, chillen, de good Lord make her well again soon," said mammy,with cheerful hopefulness, for she could not bear to see how sad eachlittle face had grown, how the young lips quivered, and the bright eyesfilled with tears; for dearly, dearly, they all loved their sweet, gentlemother.

  "Herbie wants mamma," sobbed the baby boy, clinging to his eldest sister.

  "Don't cry, pet," Elsie said chokingly, hugging him close and kissing awayhis tears. "We'll all ask God to make her well, and I'm sure he will."

  "Why! why! what's the matter here?" cried a cheery voice, as the dooropened and Mr. Travilla stepped into their midst. "What's the matter withpapa's darlings?" he repeated, gathering them all into his arms, andcaressing each in turn.

  "Is mamma, dear mamma, very sick?" they asked, Vi immediately adding injoyous tones,

  "No, no, she isn't, or papa wouldn't look so happy."

  "I am very happy," he said with emotion, glancing toward the bundle inmammy's lap, "we are both very happy over the new treasure God has givenus; and I trust she will soon be well."

  "Can we go and speak to her?" they asked.

  "After a while," he said, "she is trying to sleep now. What do you allthink of the little sister?"

  "Sister," cried Elsie. "Oh, that is nice, nice! I thought it was a boy.What's its name, papa?"

  "It has none yet."

  "I sorry for it," remarked Herbert, gazing with curious interest at thetiny creature, "I sorry for it; cause can't walk, can't talk, can't eatgood fings; dot no teef to eat wis. Do, boy, try to eat cacker, cackerdood, Herbie likes," and breaking off a fragment he would have forced itinto the wee mouth, if papa and mammy had not interfered for itsprotection.

  "No, no, my son, you would choke it," said Mr. Travilla, gently drawinghim away.

  "It isn't a boy; it's a girl, Herbie," corrected Harold.

  "Oh!" cried Vi, who was gently feeling the top of the tiny head, and shelooked aghast at her father, "O, papa, its head's rotten!"

  "No, daughter, don't be alarmed," he said smiling slightly, "there'snothing wrong there; all young babies' heads are soft like that on thetop."

  "Oh, are they?" she said with a sigh of relief, "I was afraid it wouldspoil soon and we couldn't keep her."

  "No, she seems to be all right," he said with a grave and tender smile."God has been very good to us."

  "Yes, papa. Oh such a pretty darling as it is!" said Elsie.

  "Yes, indeed," chimed in the others; Vi adding, "and I'm so glad she's agirl: 'cause now we have two sisters, Elsie, just the same as the boys."

  "Oh, but we have three now!" said Eddie, laughing good naturedly at Vi'screstfallen look.

  "Oh, yes," she acknowledged, then brightening, "but we have threebrothers, and you only two; so it's even all around after all, isn't it,papa?"

  The children were full of delight over their treasure, and eager to showit to grandpa, grandma, Aunt Rosie, Aunt Wealthy and Aunt May; regrettingmuch that the rest of their friends had left Viamede before the advent ofthe little stranger.

  She proved a frail, gentle little creature, with violet eyes and palegolden hair, so fair and delicate that Lily was the name that most readilysuggested itself and the one finally settled upon as really hers.

  Lily became a great pet with them all, but Violet claimed a specialproperty in her because as she would say, "The darling came to us almoston my birthday and she's just the sweetest, prettiest birthday presentmamma ever gave me."

  The weather was growing very warm at Viamede and Aunt Wealth
y and thelittle Duncans found the heat oppressive; so when Lily was three weeks oldand the dear mamma able to be up again, looking bright and well, thatparty bade good-bye and set out on their return to Lansdale.

  The Dinsmores and Travillas lingered until the middle of May, when theytoo set their faces northward, not parting company till very near to Ionand the Oaks.