CHAPTER XVI.
"Hail, Holy Day! the blessing from above Brightens thy presence like a smile of love, Smoothing, like oil upon a stormy sea, The roughest waves of human destiny-- Cheering the good, and to the poor oppresse'd Bearing the promise of their heavenly rest." MRS.

HALE'S PRIME OF LIFE.
When Chloe came in to dress her young charge the next morning, she found her already up and sitting with her Bible in her hand.
"Don't make a noise, mammy," she whispered; "Sophy is still asleep." Chloe nodded acquiescence, and moving softly about, got through the business of washing and dressing her nursling, and brushing her curls, without disturbing the sleeper.

Then they both quietly left the room, and Elsie, with her Bible in her hand, rapped gently at her father's door.
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.