"Vell, maype not; but dat Nero ish a goot, kind tog; he bide dramps, but nefer dose nice leetle girl. Dis ish de great day when dose nice old lady pees von huntred years old. What you dinks? a fery long dime to live?"
"Yes; very long," returned Lulu, emphatically. "I wish I knew papa would live to be that old, for then he'd be at home with us almost forty years after he retires from the navy."
"Somebody ish call you, I dinks," said John, and at the same moment
Grace's clear, bird-like voice came floating on the morning breeze,
"Lulu, Lulu!" as her dainty little figure danced gayly down the garden
path in search of her missing sister.
"Oh, there you are!" she exclaimed, catching sight of Lulu. "Come into Aunt Wealthy's house and see the pretty presents everybody has given her for her hundredth birthday. She hasn't seen them yet, but she is going to when she comes down to eat her breakfast."
"Oh, I'd like to see them!" exclaimed Lulu, and she and Grace tripped back to the house together, and on into the sitting-room, where, on a large table, the gifts were displayed.
They were many, and some of them costly, for the old lady was very dear to the hearts of these relatives, and they were able as well as willing to show their affection in this substantial way.
There were fine paintings and engravings to adorn her walls; fine china, and glittering cut glass, silver and gold ware for her tables; vases for her mantels; richly-bound and illustrated books, whose literary contents were worthy of the costly adornment, and various other things calculated to give her pleasure or add to her ease and comfort.
She was not anticipating any such demonstration of affection—not expecting such substantial evidences of the love and esteem in which she was held—and when brought face to face with them was almost overcome, so that tears of joy and gratitude streamed from her aged eyes,
They were soon wiped away, however, and she was again her own bright, cheery self, full of thought and care for others—the kindest and most genial of hostesses.
She took the head of the breakfast-table herself, and poured the coffee for her guests with her own hands, entertaining them the while with cheerful chat, and causing many a merry laugh with the old-time tripping of her tongue—a laugh in which she always joined with hearty relish.