breakfast.

CHAPTER I.

TEXTS.

HIS is the blessed Sabbath, the happiest day in all the seven," said Aunt Myra, as she kissed the two little faces upturned to hers, fresh from their morning run in the garden before

There was not much response in the children's faces; then little Evelyn said: "We don't think Sunday such a very happy day, auntie."

"No," continued Bertram, "we have no toys to play with, and, except when we are at church, we dawdle about; and, as Evie and I do not care for reading, we have nothing to do, and everybody says we are in the way."

"Well, that does sound very dull," said Aunt Myra, smiling; "but now you are come to live with Grannie and me, we will try and see if we cannot make Sunday a really happy day."

Bright little Bertram looked up with eager expectation, and put his hand confidingly into that of his aunt. “What shall we do?" he asked.

"That is a secret," said Aunt Myra; "but I hear Grannie coming, and now we must have prayers and breakfast."

It

The little ones had lately parted from their father and mother, who, having been obliged to go to India on business, were glad to leave their children under the care of their maternal grandmother, Mrs. Everest, and their aunt Myra. was the latter who took the principal charge, as Mrs. Everest was too aged to bear the noise of six high-spirited children between the ages of four and twelve years.

When breakfast was over, the children assembled in the drawing-room, Arthur and Nelly on each side of their aunt, Robin and Muriel beside them; Bertram in a little chair just opposite, while little Evelyn sat on a stool at her feet, leaning her curly head upon her knee.

"Well," said Aunt Myra, "you shall tell me what you generally do at this time."

"We learn the Catechism, and say it to Miss

Evers; but I thought we were going to do something really nice to-day," said Evelyn, with the most pleading look in her blue eyes.

'You shall do nothing that you dislike on Sunday," said Aunt Myra. "I cannot promise that for all the week days; but Sunday shall be our holiday as well as our holy day."

"Oh! hurrah, hurrah," shouted Bertram, and, as Robin and Evelyn joined in the cry, it was some minutes before Aunt Myra could get order again; but she was in no hurry. She knew that children must shout sometimes to give vent to their feelings, and what she chiefly wanted was to do away with the idea that Sunday was a dull day.

"Do you know any texts?" she said, at length.

"When I go into the ragged school, I ask the children to tell me texts, and one after another stands up and says a text-some quite little ones, younger than Bertie, and I do so enjoy hearing them."

"Oh! Aunt Myra," exclaimed Robin, “do let us pretend to be the ragged school; it will be such fun, and then we will say you lots of texts."

"Oh yes, do," cried Bertram. "Now, I will be a little boy very poor and ragged.”

"And I will be a poor little girl who has no shoes and stockings," said Evelyn; and in a

moment her little bare feet were stretched out

triumphantly.

Aunt Myra laughed.

You shall be the

ragged school if you like, only I think Evelyn must be a little girl whose kind mother gave her a nice pair of shoes and stockings on purpose to go to school in, and she put them on so quick.”

Yes, she did," said little Evelyn, pulling on her socks again.

"Cannot we see who knows the most texts, auntie?" said Arthur.

"No, because of course you know the most," was the cry of all the others.

But, suppose I write your names on this piece of paper, and prick with a pin whenever a text is said quite rightly; then it would not be only who knew the most, but who said them perfectly," said Aunt Myra.

Yes; that will do," said the children.

And the one who does best shall sit next me

at dinner," said their aunt.

"That is capital," said Bertram. "Now all you children of the ragged school keep quiet; Aunt Myra is going to begin."

"Tell me texts about prayer," said Aunt Myra.

Ask, and it shall be given you," said Arthur

at once.

"Pray without ceasing," said Robin. very fond of short texts, Aunt Myra."

"I am

"The ragged children do not talk when they are saying texts," said his aunt; "Now, Evie."But Evelyn had gone off into a fit of laughing, and it was some time before she could remember a verse. Aunt Myra did not say anything, she only looked grave, and, turning from Evelyn, she stooped down to whisper to little Bertram.

"Auntie has taught me a text; it is 'Lord, teach us to pray;' now, I shall get a prick hole in my paper," said Bertram, exultingly.

"Cannot I say one now?" said Evelyn imploringly; "I do know such a lovely one."

"If you can say it very reverently, for I do not like laughing when we are saying God's Word," said Aunt Myra.

Evelyn looked very thoughtful, and repeated softly, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

"That is a lovely verse; who said those words?"

Jesus," said the children; and then they repeated text after text, growing eager in their pleasure at remembering so many.