Yes, there she was, a little slender girl in deep mourning, standing
slightly apart from the embracing, rejoicing relatives. She was not
decidedly pretty, but graceful and refined in appearance, with an
earnest, intelligent countenance and very fine eyes. She seemed quite
free from self-consciousness and wholly taken up with the interest of the
scenes being enacted before her.
"How many of them there are! and how they love one another! how nice it
is!" she was thinking within herself, when the two Elsies, releasing each
other from a long, tender embrace, turned toward her, the older one
saying, half inquiringly, "And this is Evelyn?"
"Yes, mamma. Eva, this is my dear mother," said Mrs. Leland.
Mrs. Travilla took the little girl in her arms, kissed her
affectionately, and bade her welcome to Ion, adding, "And if you like you
may call me Grandma Elsie, as the others do."
"Thank you, ma'am," Evelyn answered, coloring with pleasure; "but it
seems hardly appropriate, for you look not very much older than Aunt
Elsie; and she is young to be my aunt.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129