"Yes, two of them. I have six, you know," he answered, with a fond sigh: "five girls and one boy. The lasses are rather in the majority." "I heard you were quite a _paterfamilias_," I said. "Won't you come and kiss me, little girl?" To this proposal the elder answered by burying her head bashfully in her father's shoulder, while the smaller one simply opened her eyes wider and stared with more fixed intensity. "Oh, by the way," exclaimed Armstrong, "of course you'll take tea with us and spend the evening. I wish I could offer to sleep you here; but the fact is, Mrs. Armstrong's sister is with us for a few days, and the parents of one of my boys, who is sick, are also staying here; so that my guest chambers are full." "Don't mention it," I said. "I couldn't stay over night. I've got to be in New York in the morning, and must take the nine-o'clock train. But I'll stay to supper and much obliged, if you are sure I sha'n't take up too much of your time." "Not the least--not the least. This is a half holiday, and nothing in particular to do." He bustled to the door and called out loudly, "Mother! Mother!" There was no response. "Nelly," he commanded, "run and find your mamma, and tell her that Mr. Polisson--from New Orleans--an old classmate of papa's, will be here to tea. That's a good girl. Polisson, put on your hat and let's go round the place. I want to show you what an establishment I've got here." We accordingly made the tour of the premises, Armstrong doing the cicerone impressively, and every now and then urging me with emphatic hospitality to come and spend a week--a fortnight--longer, if I chose, during the summer vacation. "Bring Mrs. Polisson and the kids. Bring 'em all," he said. "It will do them good; the air here is fine; eleven hundred feet above the sea. No malaria--no typhoid. I laid out four hundred dollars last year on sewerage." It being a half holiday, most of the big boys had gone to a pond in the neighborhood for a swim, under the conduct of the classical master,--a Yale graduate, Armstrong explained, who had stood fourth in his class, "and a very able fellow,--very able."