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  ELSIE AND HER NAMESAKES

  _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 NAMESAKES

  BY

  MARTHA FINLEY

 

  NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY Publishers

  Copyright, 1905 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY

  _Published October, 1905_

  CHAPTER I

  Things were going on blithely at Woodburn, everybody deeply interestedin the preparations for the approaching wedding, as were all therelatives and connections on the neighboring estates and those on moresouthern plantations. Woodburn seemed a centre of attraction; relativesand friends were constantly coming and going, many consultations wereheld as to suitable gifts, especially for Grace and Harold. There wasgreat interest shown by all in the preparation of the trousseau, andAlma and one or two assistants were very busy over it.

  There were many shopping expeditions, in which Grace sometimes shared,though rather against Harold's wishes, so fearful was he that shemight take cold or suffer from over-exertion. He had long been hercareful physician, but now was not only that, but also her promisedhusband and ardent lover. And to please him Grace left the greater partof the shopping to the other members of the family, and made some ofher selections by samples brought by them or the mails.

  In the meantime, plans for the wedding and the honeymoon werediscussed. Some one spoke of a trip to the North, but Harold vetoedthat promptly. "It was too late in the season now for Grace to trythat. He must take her to a warmer climate."

  "Then let us all go to Viamede for the winter," suggested his mother."Would not that suit you, Gracie dear?"

  "Yes, indeed, Grandma Elsie; I think there is no sweeter spot uponearth," was the pleased response.

  "Then that is where we will go," Harold said with a happy laugh, "andI hope our mother and other dear ones will either accompany or followus."

  "Oh, I like that plan," exclaimed Violet, "but I think few of us willbe quite ready to leave our homes here by the time the bridal partystarts."

  "Then suppose you go in relays," suggested Chester.

  "Why not say we, instead of you, Brother Chester," laughed ElsieRaymond. "I'm sure grandma included you in her invitation."

  "Certainly," said Grandma Elsie, giving Chester one of her sweetsmiles. "May I not count you and Lucilla among my grandchildren?"

  "Indeed, I am delighted to have you do so, and proud to be able toclaim real blood relationship," returned Chester. "And but for theclaims of business, I should be glad to accept your kind invitation.Those, however, will not permit it."

  There were exclamations of regret from several of those present,Grandma Elsie among them.

  "But Sister Lu can go, can't she?" asked Elsie Raymond.

  "Go and leave my husband!" exclaimed Lucilla in mock indignation. "Whocould suspect me of being so unfeeling a wife?"

  "Oh, no, Lu dear, I didn't mean that," Elsie hastened to say. "I knowyou and Brother Chester are very fond of each other, but so are you andpapa; and all the rest of us love you dearly; and we won't any of uslike to do without you, even for a few weeks. Oh Brother Chester, can'tyou get somebody else to manage your business while you go along withus?"

  "No, little sister; and seeing my wife does not want to leave me, I amnot willing to do without her, either."

  "And you are quite right about it, Chester," said the captain, sighingslightly and giving his eldest daughter a look of warm, fatherlyaffection; "much as I shall certainly miss her even for the few weeksof our separation, I must concede that she is right in putting yourclaim to her companionship first."

  "And I know it's right when you say so, papa; so I'll try to becontent," said Elsie cheerfully. "But you and Baby Mary will go withus, won't you, Eva?"

  "And leave Lu alone all day while Chester is away at his office? Oh,I couldn't think of doing that! And, besides, I think home is thebest place for baby and me for the present," returned Evelyn, gazinglovingly down at the cooing babe upon her knee.

  "Oh, thank you, Eva," cried Lucilla, clapping her hands in delight;"the thought of having you and baby left half reconciles me to seeingthe others go, leaving me behind; only--oh, father," with a patheticlook at him and a quiver of pain in her voice, "what shall I--what canI do without you?"

  At that he stepped to her side and laid his hand tenderly on her head.

  "We will comfort ourselves with the thought that the parting will befor but a brief season, daughter dear," he said in moved tones; "andwith the prospect of the joyful reunion in store for us all in thespring."

  "And you will help me with frequent letters, papa dear, won't you?" sheasked, trying to speak lightly and cheerfully.

  "I think there will be a daily bulletin, perhaps more than one--atleast with Eva's share counted in," the captain replied with anaffectionate look at his daughter-in-law and her babe.

  "Oh, I hope so, father; and of course Lu will share with me thepleasure of mine," responded Evelyn with a bright, glad look up intohis eyes.

  "And though Viamede is ever so delightful, I think we will all soon bein haste to get home to see our dear little baby," Elsie exclaimed,hurrying to Eva's side to pet and fondle the little one.

  "Yes; we will all sadly miss both her and her mother," said Violet.

  "Indeed we will," added her mother, "and I sincerely wish we could takeher and all the Sunnyside folk with us. We will hope to do so the nexttime we go to Viamede."

  This was an afternoon chat in the library, where they had gathered forthe time, some few of the cousins with them, and little, feeble Nedasleep on a couch.

  "Go to Viamede? When will we go?" he asked feebly, rousing just in timeto catch his grandmother's concluding words.

  "We hope to do so in the afternoon of the wedding day, carrying my petpatient along," replied Harold, taking the small, white hand in his andpatting it affectionately.

  "Papa and mamma, too?" queried Ned, rather anxiously.

  "We are going in your papa's yacht, and they are to follow us in a fewdays by rail, join us on the Florida coast; and from there we expect togo on together to Viamede."

  "Oh, that's nice--but--oh, what can I do without papa and mamma? Willyou and Gracie take care of me?"

  "Some of the time, I think, but your grandma still more; and yoursister Elsie, and some of the cousins who will be with us, will helpentertain you."

  "And with all those you can do without papa and mamma for a few days,can't you, sonny boy?" queried Violet, leaning over him and patting hischeek caressingly.

  "Yes, mamma; I love my dear grandma and uncle and Sister Elsie--thecousins, too--but I'll miss you and papa."

  "Then you must try to be patient and happy thinking it will be only afew days before we may hope to be together again," returned his mother,repeating her caresses.

  "And show yourself a manly little man of whom we can all be proud aswell as fond," added his father, standing by his side, smoothing hishair and looking down smilingly into his face.

  "I'll
try, papa," responded the little fellow, "and I do believe wewill have a nice time if--if I can keep on getting well."

  "We will hope for that, and you will have your good doctor with you.And you must keep up your spirits with the thought that we expect to beall together again in a few days."

  Grandma Elsie had been taking part in some of the business visits tothe neighboring city, but now she decided to leave all that to theyounger ladies and devote herself to the entertainment of Ned, Elsieand any other of the young people of the family connection who mightcare to share with them in listening to the interesting facts andstories which she would relate for Ned's enjoyment and instruction.She presently announced this determination, which was gladly receivedby all the children present, and asked if any of them could suggest asubject for to-morrow's discourse. Elsie responded with an eager lookof delight and entreaty.

  "Well, dear child, what is it?" asked her grandma.

  "Something about Washington, grandma, beginning with what he did whenhe was a very young man. I'd like to hear all you can tell us aboutBraddock's defeat."

  "Then that shall be our subject to-morrow, if all my audience should bepleased to have it so," was the kindly reply; to which several youngvoices responded with expressions of pleasure in the prospect.