Then remembering how ill able she was to bear late hours, he, after a moment’s reflection, bade her mention in each note of invitation that the parents need not fear that their children would be injured by loss of necessary sleep, as early hours would be kept except on Christmas eve, and even then their sports should not continue later than ten o’clock.
Her extreme fatigue from the Pinegrove party made him very glad he had taken this precaution. No mother ever watched more tenderly and untiringly over a child’s welfare than he over that of this darling only daughter. And no childish heart was ever more full of grateful filial love than Elsie’s.
Glowing accounts, heard through the servants, of the grand preparations going on at the Oaks soon made Enna regret her haste in rejecting her brother’s invitation, and the regret deepened as time went on, till at length she resolved that she couldn’t and wouldn’t miss the fun and the feasting in store for Elsie’s guests; so she coaxed and wheedled her mother into writing a note to Mrs. Rose Dinsmore saying they might expect Enna; she would come to dinner on Monday, and probably remain through the week.
This note was handed Rose at the breakfast-table on Saturday. She glanced over it, laughed a little, then read it aloud.
Mr. Dinsmore smiled sarcastically. Elsie sighed, and Annis looked provoked. Evidently Enna would not be the most welcome of the expected guests.
But it was entirely the fault of her own ill-temper and selfishness.
“Well, daughter,” Mr. Dinsmore said cheerily, for Elsie’s sigh, though neither loud nor deep, had reached his ear, “don’t let this—shall I say unfortunate?—turn of affairs spoil your pleasure. It may be that Enna will show herself in a new character. At all events we have still two days of grace.”
“Oh, yes, sir!” she responded, her face resuming its accustomed sweet and joyous expression, “and I think we’ll enjoy our shopping to-day. I have my list made out and I hope we’ll be able to get everything; because we could hardly take time to go in again on Monday.”
“No, certainly not, at least not without tiring you too much, as you expect to have a gay and long evening with your young guests.”
“And Monday morning must be devoted to labelling presents and trimming the Christmas tree,” remarked Rose.