He opened it, and giving her a kiss and a “Good-morning, darling,” led her across the room to where he had been sitting by a window looking into the garden.  Then taking her on his knee, and stroking her hair fondly, he said with a smile, “My little girl looks very bright this morning, and as if she had had a good night’s rest.  I think she obeyed me, and did not lie awake talking.”

“No, papa, I did not, though I wanted to very much,” she answered with a slight blush.

“We did not have our chapter together last night,” he said, opening the Bible, “but I hope we will not miss it very often.”

Their plan was to read verse about, Elsie asking questions about anything she did not understand, and her father explaining and making remarks, he having read it first in the original, and generally consulted a commentator also.  Then Elsie usually had one or two texts to recite, which she had learned while Chloe was dressing her; after that they knelt down and Mr. Dinsmore prayed.  They never read more than a few verses, and his prayer was always short, so that there was no room for weariness, and Elsie always enjoyed it very much.  They had still a little time to talk together before the breakfast-bell rang, of which Elsie was very glad, for she had a great deal to say to her father.

“It is such a sweet, sweet Sabbath-day, papa,” she said, “is it not? and this is such a nice place, almost as pretty as our own dear home; and are they not pleasant people?  I think they seem so kind to one another, and to everybody.”

“Which must mean you and me, I suppose; there is no one else here,” he answered smilingly.

“Oh! the servants, you know, papa, and the people at the hotel:  but don’t you think they are kind?”

“Yes, dear, they certainly seem to be, and I have no doubt they are.”

“And the baby, papa! isn’t it pretty, and oh, papa, don’t you like Miss Rose?”

“I hardly know her yet, daughter, but I think she is very sweet looking, and seems to be gentle and amiable.”

“I am glad you like her, papa; and I knew you would,” Elsie said in a tone of great satisfaction.

The church the Allisons attended was within easy walking distance of Elmgrove, and service was held in it twice a day; the whole family, with the exception of the very little children and one servant, who stayed at home to take care of them, went both morning and afternoon, and Mr. Dinsmore and Elsie accompanied them.

The interval between dinner and afternoon service Elsie spent in her father’s room, sitting on a stool at his feet quietly reading.  When they had returned from church Miss Allison gathered all the little ones in the nursery and showed them pictures, and told them Bible stories, until the tea-bell rang; after which the whole family, including children and servants, were called together into the sitting-room to be catechized by Mr. Allison; that was succeeded by family worship, and then they sang hymns until it was time for the children to go to bed.