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  _A LIST OF THE ELSIE BOOKS_

  BY

  MARTHA FINLEY

  ELSIE DINSMORE ELSIE’S HOLIDAYS AT ROSELANDS ELSIE’S GIRLHOOD ELSIE’S WOMANHOOD ELSIE’S MOTHERHOOD ELSIE’S CHILDREN ELSIE’S WIDOWHOOD GRANDMOTHER ELSIE ELSIE’S NEW RELATIONS ELSIE AT NANTUCKET THE TWO ELSIES ELSIE’S KITH AND KIN ELSIE’S FRIENDS AT WOODBURN CHRISTMAS WITH GRANDMA ELSIE ELSIE AND THE RAYMONDS ELSIE YACHTING WITH THE RAYMONDS ELSIE’S VACATION ELSIE AT VIAMEDE ELSIE AT ION ELSIE AT THE WORLD’S FAIR ELSIE’S JOURNEY ON INLAND WATERS ELSIE AT HOME ELSIE ON THE HUDSON ELSIE IN THE SOUTH ELSIE’S YOUNG FOLKS ELSIE’S WINTER TRIP ELSIE AND HER LOVED ONES ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES

  ELSIE AND HER LOVED ONES

  BY MARTHA FINLEY

 

  NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS

  Copyright, 1903,

  By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY.

  Published, November, 1903.

  ELSIE AND HER LOVED ONES

  CHAPTER I

  IT was a lovely spring day—very lovely at Viamede, where Mrs.Travilla—or Grandma Elsie, as some of her young friends loved to callher—was seated under the orange trees on the flower-bespangled lawn,with her father and his wife, her cousins, Mr. Ronald Lilburn andAnnis, his wife, her children, and some of the more distant relativesand friends gathered about her or wandering here and there at somelittle distance on the same beautiful lawn.

  “What a beautiful place this is!” exclaimed Zoe, breaking a pause inthe conversation.

  “Yes,” said her husband, “but I am thinking it is about time wereturned to our more northern homes.”

  “I think it is,” said his grandfather, Mr. Dinsmore.

  “I also; I feel as if I had been neglecting my business shamefully,”sighed Chester.

  At that Dr. Harold shook his head smilingly. “Don’t let consciencereproach you, Chester, for what has probably saved you from invalidismand perhaps prolonged your life for years.”

  “Well, cousin doctor, you will surely admit that I am well enough to goback to work now?” laughed Chester.

  “Perhaps; but wait a little till you hear a plan I have to propose.Mother,” he went on, turning to her, “I met a gentleman yesterday whohas just returned from California, which he pronounces the loveliest,most salubrious section of our country, and what he had to say ofits climate and scenery has aroused in me a strong desire to visitit, taking you all with me—especially those of our party who are mypatients.”

  “Hardly at this time of year; though, I suppose, Harold,” she replied,giving him a look of loving appreciation, “it would seem wiser to movein a northerly direction before the summer heats come on.”

  “Well, mother, this gentleman says the summers there are really moreenjoyable than the winters, and the map shows us that Santa Barbara isa few degrees farther north than we are here, and San Francisco somefew degrees north of that. It is not a tropical, but a semi-tropicalclimate, and for every month in the year you need the same sort ofclothing that you wear in New York or Chicago in the winter. He tellsme that for two-thirds of the year the weather is superb—the heat rareabove 68 degrees and almost always tempered by a refreshing breezefrom the ocean or the mountains. Sometimes there are fogs, but theydon’t bring with them the raw, searching dampness of our eastern ones.Indeed, from all I have heard and read of the climate I think it wouldbe most beneficial for these patients of mine,” Harold concluded,glancing smilingly from one to another.

  “And a most enjoyable trip for us all, I have no doubt,” said CaptainRaymond.

  “How about the expense?” queried Chester.

  “Never mind about that,” said the captain. “I claim the privilege ofbearing it for the party. How many will go?”

  “The Dolphin could hardly be made to hold us all, papa,” laughed Grace.

  “No; nor to cross the plains and mountains,” returned her father withan amused smile. “We would go by rail and let those who prefer goinghome at once do so in our yacht.”

  At that Edward Travilla, standing near, looked greatly pleased. “Thatis a most kind and generous offer, captain,” he said, “and I for oneshall be very glad to accept it.”

  “We will consider that you have done so,” returned the captain, “andyou can begin engaging your passengers as soon as you like. But I amforgetting that I should first learn how many will accept my invitationfor the land trip. Grandpa and Grandma Dinsmore, you will do so, willyou not? And you, mother, Cousin Ronald and Cousin Annis?”

  There was a slight demur, a little asking and answering of questionsback and forth, which presently ended in a pleased acceptance of thecaptain’s generous invitation by all who had come with him in theDolphin—Violet, his wife, with their children, Elsie and Ned; hisolder daughters, Lucilla and Grace, with Chester, Lucilla’s husband,and Grace’s lover, Dr. Harold Travilla; Evelyn, Max’s wife, and lastbut not least in importance, Grandma Elsie, Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore—herfather and his wife—and the cousins—Mr. Ronald Lilburn and Annis, hiswife.

  All had become greatly interested, and the talk was very cheery andanimated. Different routes to California were discussed, and it waspresently decided to go by the Southern Pacific, taking the cars at NewOrleans—and that they would make an early start, as would those whowere to return home in the Dolphin.

  “May I take my Tiny along, papa?” asked Elsie, standing by his sidewith the little monkey on her shoulder.

  “I think not, daughter,” he replied; “she would be very apt to get lostwhile we are wandering about in that strange part of the country.”

  “Then I suppose I’ll have to leave her here till we come back; and doyou think any of the servants can be trusted to take good care of herand not let her get lost in the woods, papa?” asked the little girl intones quivering with emotion.

  “If you will trust me to take care of her she can go home with us inthe yacht and live at Ion till you come for her,” said Zoe. Then,turning to Ned, who was there with his pet: “And I make you the sameoffer for your Tee-tee,” she added, “for, of course, if Elsie’s can’tbe trusted to go to California, neither can yours.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Zoe,” both children answered, but in tones that toldof regret that even for a time they must resign the care of their petsto another.

  “And we’ll have Tiny and Tee-tee in the yacht with us. How nice thatwill be!” exclaimed little Eric Leland. “They are fine, amusing littlefellows, and you may be sure, Elsie and Ned, that we will take goodcare of them.”

  “And be willing to give them back to us when we get home?” asked Elsie.

  “Honest enough to do so, I hope, whether we’re willing or not,” laughedEric.

  “Yes, of course we would,” said his sister, Alie, “for we are honestfolks; but I’m glad we can have the cute little monkeys with us evenfor awhile.”

  “On the yacht you will, but I think we’ll have them at Ion after weget home,” said Lily Travilla, the little daughter of Edward and Zoe,“because it’s papa and mamma who have promised to take care of them.”

  “Yes,” said Elsie, “and I’m sure Uncle Edward and Aunt Zoe will be goodto them—so good that I’m most afraid they’ll grow fonder of them thanof Ned and me.”

  “Oh, no, I don’t think there is any danger of that,” said Zoe, “and ifthey should, you can soon win their hearts back again by your love andkindness.”

  “Oh, I do believe we can, Aunt Zoe; for the dear little things love usnow, I’m sure,” cri
ed Elsie, giving Tiny a hug and a loving pat.

  But the older people were chatting about the necessary preparationsfor the journey, and the children grew quiet to listen. Their planswere laid in a few moments, and within twenty-four hours all embarkedfor New Orleans, in the same boat, and on reaching that city the twocompanies parted, Edward and his charges starting eastward in theDolphin, Captain Raymond and his taking a westward-bound train on theSouthern Pacific.

  The little company, especially the younger ones, were in fine spirits;they were pleasant companions for each other, the weather was fine,and the prospect of sight-seeing before them quite delightful. Thechildren had many questions to ask about what they should see inCalifornia, which the older people, especially their father, werekindly ready to answer.

  “At what place will we stop first, papa?” asked Elsie.

  “At Coronado Beach, which is not very far from Los Angeles. We willtake rooms at the Hotel del Coronado, which is an immense building,yet very homelike and delightful. It has an inner court, with trees,flowers and vines, and around that court many suites of rooms, eachwith its own bath and sitting-room, so that a party of guests such asours can be very comfortable and as private as they please.”

  “And if they don’t want to be very private I suppose they can minglewith other folks, can’t they, papa?” asked Ned.

  “Yes, indeed; there is almost every kind of amusement that is foundelsewhere. Probably fishing and yachting, walking and driving along thebeach, will suit us as well or better than anything else; there is adrive of twelve miles along the beach at low tide.”

  “But I fear we will find it too warm for outdoor sports at this time ofyear,” remarked Mrs. Dinsmore.

  “No, grandma, I think not,” said Dr. Harold. “I have been told thesummer climate is better than the winter—never too warm for comfort,dry and tempered as it is by the ocean breeze. You do not find therethe raw, searching dampness felt at Eastern seaside resorts; but I’mtold it is too cold for the comfort of invalids during the March rains.They are happily over now, and I think that even our invalids will findthe weather comfortably warm.”

  “And comfortably cool?” queried his mother, giving him a proudlyaffectionate look and smile.

  “I think the ocean breeze will make it that, mother,” he answered,returning her smile with one as full of affection as her own.

  “I do believe we are going to have a delightful time,” exclaimedLucilla in joyous tones; “everything will be so new and fresh—lovelyscenery, beautiful plants and flowers, and the climate all that onecould desire.”

  “Well, I hope you will not be disappointed, daughter,” the captainsaid; “but California is not heaven and you must expect someunpleasantnesses.”

  “I hope there won’t be sicknesses,” said Grace.

  “No,” said Evelyn sportively, “we must all try to keep well that ourgood doctor may not be robbed of his vacation.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Raymond,” said Harold, with a bow and smile, “I sincerelyhope you will all keep well for your own sakes more than mine.”

  “You may be sure we will all do our best in that line, Harold, and evenmore for our own sakes than for yours,” laughed his sister, Violet.

  “I hope so,” he returned. “Having persuaded you all to take the trip Iam extremely desirous that it may prove beneficial.”

  They had been talking during a pause in the movement of the train, andnow, as it started on again, they relapsed into silence.