“It was delightful! It was better than a hard trotting-horse! I liked to be tossed as much as Master Leonard himself does! It has given me such a shaking up and such an appetite for breakfast as I never had before! I am famished, grandpa!” “Oh, exactly! exactly! so you must be! Drusa! Drusa, my dear!” exclaimed the old gentleman, looking around for his young volunteer housekeeper. But Drusilla had already vanished within to give her orders. “And now, dear grandpa, I will go to my room to change my dress. I presume it is ready for me, and I know where to find it. Dick, see that the luggage is sent up,” said Anna, turning to go into the house. But she was met at the door by all the household servants, who had learned her arrival from Drusilla and had come out to welcome her. Hands were shaken and good-wishes heartily offered and warmly received, and then Anna passed on to her apartment. In less than half an hour she hurried down-stairs, looking fresh and blooming in her white muslin dress with blue ribbons. The family were waiting for her in the breakfast room, and as soon as she entered she was greeted again and seated in the pleasantest seat at the table. All the windows were open, and all the brightness, beauty, fragrance, and music of June filled the place. The morning sunshine played upon every polished point; the fresh breeze danced with every fold of drapery; the aroma of the clove pink, the cape jessamine, the tea rose, the clematis, and the heliotrope perfumed the air. Humming-birds flitted about like winged flowers. And the song of the thrush in the sweet-briar bush was echoed by the mocking-bird from the acacia tree! “What a beautiful morning! And what a beautiful scene! In all our travels, grandpa, we did not see so sweet an old home as this!” said Anna enthusiastically. “I am glad you think so, my dear; but great allowance must be made for your natural attachment to your birthplace,” smiled the General, as he sipped his coffee. “Now, Drusilla, what do you say?” inquired Anna, appealing to her friend. “I have not seen very much of the world to compare this with other places; but still, I think you are right, Anna. It is a ‘sweet old home.’ It is perfectly beautiful, and besides it seems to me that every one who was ever born here, or ever lived and died here, must have been very good and loving, that their spirits still pervade the place, and make it holy,” said Drusilla, warmly. “My dear, you will make me so much in love with my home that I shall not like to grow old and die and leave it,” said the General, smiling. “Dear uncle, please to believe that there is not the slightest necessity for you to grow old, much less to die before your century is completed. And if you do so I shall think that you will be treating your loving children very badly,” said Drusilla. “My dear!”