The callers left early, declining an invitation to stay to tea; the family partook of their evening meal; Grace and the little ones, wearied with their journey, the excitement of the homecoming, and seeing so much company, went early to bed; an errand took the captain into the village for a short season, and Violet and Lulu were left for an hour or more to each other's society. They were on the veranda together, pacing slowly back and forth, each with an arm about the other's waist. "Oh, Mamma Vi, isn't it just delightful to be at home again?" exclaimed Lulu. "Yes, indeed! when the home is such an one as ours, and with such a man as your father at the head of affairs," returned Violet. "Lu dear, I'm so glad that you and all his children love him as you do, though really I do not see how any one of you could help it." "Nor do I, Mamma Vi; and I'm very glad that you love him so too; that makes me love you even better than I could if you didn't appreciate him so highly. But we can't love him so dearly without loving one another; can we?" "No, certainly not; I am very fond of all five of his children as well as of their father," Violet replied, with her low, sweet laugh. * * * * * Transcriber's note: Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. Inconsistent hyphenation was retained. Page 27, "suceeeded" changed to "succeeded" (Rennie succeeded in) Page 76, "surrrender" changed to "surrender" (would not surrender the) Page 77, "mutined" changed to "mutinied" (them mutinied, spiked) Page 80, "confederates" changed to "Confederates" (drove the Confederates) Page 81, "quantites" changed to "quantities" (Great quantities of cotton) Page 82, "strips" changed to "stripes" (by the stars and stripes) Page 94, "sufficent" changed to "sufficient" (sufficient cause for) Page 102, "Ganesvoort" changed to "Gansevoort" (delivered to Gansevoort) Page 133, "whereever" changed to "wherever" (for herself wherever) Page 140, "y" changed to "by" (profit by so doing) Page 146, "he" changed to "be" (would be back)