It was not till the afternoon was growing cool and pleasant that she was released from dinner and dressing and free to go with her Bible to her favourite reading place;--or rather one of her favourites; a garden seat under a thick oak.

The oak stood alone on a knoll looking over a beautiful spread of grassy sward that sloped and rolled away to a distant edge of thicket.

Other noble trees dotted the ground here and there; some fine cattle shewed their red and white heads, standing or lying about in the shade.

Above the distant thicket, far, far away, rose the heads of great blue mountains.

The grass had just been mown, in part; and a very sweet smell from the hay floated about under the trees around the house.