"What did you think, Edith?" The mother smiled encouragingly. "I thought I'd pray for a brother." A tear trembled on the mother's cheek. "A little brother?" The mother looked far away. "Oh, a _b-i-g_ brother!" said the child, stretching her arms by way of illustration. "What would you say, sweetheart, if a big brother should come to-day?" The little one clapped her hands. "A really, _truly_, big brother?" she asked, dancing about in glee. "A really, truly, big brother,--Wathemah. You have never seen him, and he has never seen you, since you were a baby. But he is coming home soon, you know." "Will he play with me?" she asked. "You and Aunt Carla just 'nopolize father and the big ladies and gentlemen when they come. But _sometimes_ father plays with me, doesn't he, mother?" "Yes, sometimes. He loves his little daughter." "I don't know." She shook her head doubtfully. "I heard father say he loved you bestest of ev'rybody in a world." She threw up her arms and gave a little jump. "Oh, I wish I had some one to play with!" "Let's go watch for father again," said the mother, rising. This time they were not disappointed. They heard the sound of wheels; then they saw the father. The little daughter ran like the wind down the road. The father stopped the horses, gave the reins to the driver, and stepped to the ground. In an instant the little sprite was in his arms, hugging him about the neck, while her ripples of laughter filled the air. The wife approached, and was folded in the man's embrace. "Father," said the child, "I am to have a big brother, mother says." "You are?" Great astonishment. The parents smiled. "An', father,"--here she coquetted with him--"you and mother are not to 'nopolize him when he comes. He's going to play with me, isn't he, mother?" "I think so." A grave smile. The child was given to saying her father "un'erstood." "When did you hear from Wathemah, Esther?" the father asked. "About ten days ago. I'll read you his letter. I shall not be surprised to see him any day, now." "Wathemah is my big brother, Father. Mother said so. She says he's always been my big brother, only _I_ didn't re'lize it, you know." The parents looked amused. "Yes, Edith, he is your brother, and a dear brother, too," said the father. When they were seated on the veranda, and the child was perched on her father's knee, Esther brought Wathemah's last letter, and read it aloud to her husband. "_Dear Mother Esther:_ "This is probably the last letter I shall write you from Harvard for some time. As soon as Commencement is over, I shall go to Carlisle again for a brief visit, and then start for Arizona, to Father Kenneth and you, my dear Mother Esther, and my little sister and Carla and Jack. Now that the time approaches for me to return to you, I can hardly wait. "I may have expressed my gratitude to you and Father Kenneth in different ways before, but I wish to do so again now.