"And y'll all help me, too, won't you?" asked Ned. "I want to buy the
prettiest thing I can find for Aunt Rosie."

"Yes; you shall have all the advice you want, my son," his father said.
"And now, as you have all finished eating, we will go to the library and
have family worship; then make ourselves ready and set off upon our trip
to the city."

"I think we couldn't have selected a better time for our expedition,"
Violet said as they entered their carriage; "the air is bracing, the
weather delightful, and the roads are in excellent order, are they not,
my dear?"

"Yes," the captain answered, "we could ask no improvement, and I think
will travel rapidly enough to reach the city in very good season." They
did so and were successful in finding what they esteemed beautiful gifts
for the coming bridal. And Rosie's pleasure on receiving them was as
great as they, the givers, had hoped. She had many handsome and valuable
presents, but none seemed to gratify her more than these from her
Woodburn relatives and friends.

"I like those gray dresses of yours, girls; they are both pretty and
becoming, and very suitable for such a trip as we have taken to-day,"
remarked Violet as they rode homeward. "You will wear yours to the
picnic to-morrow, I suppose, Lu?"

"If papa approves," answered Lucilla with a laughing look at him.

"Entirely," he said; "though I shall not insist if you prefer something