echo
of whose din we heard so distinctly? How did they amuse themselves,
these sailors, who had but newly come over the sea from distant
countries where the sun was always hot? What life was careless and
simple and free as theirs!

My emotions lose their force when I endeavor to interpret them, and my
words seem very inept. But I know that seeds of trouble, and seeds of
hope (to develop how I could not guess) were at about this time planted
in my little being. When, with my cakes in my hand, I re-entered the
parlor where the family sat talking together quietly, I felt for a
quick, almost inappreciable, moment suffocated and imprisoned.

At half-past nine, because of me seldom later, tea was served, and with
it we had thin slices of bread, spread with the most delicious butter,
and cut with the care one gives to very few things in these days.

Then at about eleven o'clock, after a reading from the Bible and a
prayer, we retired.

As I lay in my little white bed I was always more restless Sunday nights
than at any other time. Immediately ahead of me there was the prospect
of Mr. Ratin whom morning would surely bring, and he was always a most
painful sight to me after a respite; also I was full of regret because
Sunday was over, always over so quickly!--and I felt a great weariness
when I thought of the many lessons it would be necessary for me to
prepare before Sunday came again. Sometimes, as I lay there, I would
hear the songs the sailors sung as they passed in the distant lands and
noble ships; and a sort of dull and indefinite longing took possession
of me and I felt as if I would like to be out of doors myself in search
of pleasurable and exciting adventure. I hungered to be in the bracing
wintry night air, or in one of those foreign lands where the sun beats
down with tropical warmth; I yearned to be out and singing like them, as
loud as possible, just for the joy of being alive.

CHAPTER XXIV.

"And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven,
saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the
earth!"

Besides reading the Bible with the family every evening, I read a
chapter from it each morning before rising.

My Bible was a very small one, with exceedingly fine print. Pressed
between its pages were some flowers that I was very fond of; especially
was I of the spray of pink larkspur, which had the power of bringing
very distinctly before my mind's eye the stu