This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1861 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VII. SUNDAY AT DOVE'S NEST. "Oh! let me love this blessed day, The best of all the seven," Were the words which came into Bertha's mind as she opened her eyes on the Sabbath morning. "Ah! I am afraid that I shall not do so to-day !" was her next feeling. "When mamma was with us, singing hymns and reading the Bible to us, and telling us all about holy things, then indeed Sunday was a happy day--but now I expect nothing but difficulties. I am sure that the Probyns will not care to do as we have done, and they will not be kept to lessons with papa as they are on week-days; mamma took our Sunday teaching herself. Oh! what shall we do without her " and for the first time in her life on a Sunday morning Bertha wished that the evening had come! Yet the sun shone out so brightly, the raindrops which hung from the fresh green leaves danced so gaily in his beams, and the flowers gave out such a delicious scent, that it seemed wrong to be dull and anxious, when all Nature was rejoicing around Then Bertha had the comfort of hearing that her mother had passed a tolerable night, that her head was greatly relieved, and her fever almost subdued Laura's face looked like sunshine itself, Aleck's manner was even kinder than usual, the breakfast went pleasantly over, and nothing occured to give a feeling of discomfort, till Mr. Roby having retired to his study, his children and the Probyns were left in the sitting-room together. "We had better go on as if mamma were with us," said Bertha softly to her brother, unclasping her little pocket Bible. "We can repeat our texts to each other." Aleck looked doubtfully at the Probyns who were turning carelessly over some books which lay on the table. "We shall hardly get them to do anything," said he. "I...