I wouldn't do a mean thing." "No, of course not," she said, kissing him good-night, and leaving him with a parting, "Don't forget to say your prayers, Phil." Mr.and Mrs.Ross were not Christian parents; careful and solicitous about the temporal welfare of their children, they gave little thought to their spiritual needs.

Lucy taught them, in their infancy, to say their prayers before lying down to rest at night, as they grew older sent them to Sunday-school, took them to church on pleasant Sabbath mornings, when it was convenient, and she felt inclined to go herself, and provided each one with a copy of the Bible.
This was about the extent of the religious training they received; and it was strongly counteracted by the worldly atmosphere of their home, the worldly example set them by their parents, and the worldly maxims and precepts constantly instilled into their young minds.
From these, they learned to look upon the riches, honors and pleasures of earth as the things to be most earnestly coveted, most worthy of untiring efforts to secure.
Life at the Crags was a strange puzzle to the Ion children: no blessing asked at the table, no gathering of the family morning or evening for prayer or praise or the reading of God's word.
"Mamma, what does it mean ?" they asked; "why doesn't Uncle Ross do as papa does ?" Elsie scarce knew how to answer them.

"Don't let us talk about it, dears," she said: "but whatever others may do, let us serve God ourselves and seek his favor above everything else; for 'in his favor is life' and his loving kindness is better than life.".