Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters

om the companion-way upon the deck, the next morning, having obtained permission the night before to do so in

, and so near that he took her

r tones as he bent down and bestowed upon her the caress she never faile

, in moved tones, putting her arms about his neck and pressing her lips to

God bless my darling and have her ever in His kind care and keeping!" He clasped

om side to side in eager curiosity. "This wide

that in the night, and

d, "and the water is so quiet that it seems a very su

only we try to s

our usual service in the morning; we younger ones

ren a Bible lesson, and we will not shut out any who may choose

or you always make a Bible lesson ver

finds it so," he said

a apparently in deep thought, her father watching with keen

Of what are you thinkin

erday morning, Was I ready for heaven? Would I have gone there if I had been drowned without time to think and prepare to meet my Judge? Oh, father, can anyone be saved withou

rgiven in advance. He says: 'I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.' In another place he says, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation; but is p

papa,

at, dau

thinking that I really belong

doubt that y

papa, not t

do you

nly to look in the glass to see that I have your features, that I r

he sentence for her as she paused with a

ate to be conformed to the image of His Son.' If we are really His, we will, in a greater

is image in me, papa?" sh

d bring you to Him, and I am very happy to say that for a long while now I have seen that you were striving earnestly to overcome your faults and live as a true disciple of Christ. And had you been snatched from me in that sudden way, wh

stian it is because you have taken almost infinite pains to make me such, to point me to

on has been granted. When you see a work laid to your hands for which you feel incompetent, ask help from on high, remembering and pleading His gracious promise-'If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men libera

aith and never, never doubt one word of God's promises, or threats either, and that I may be always ready for

me," her father responded, pressing the hand he held, "and for the hope that we wi

n this world. Oh, this is such a lovely morning and the view is as new to me as it is enchanting, for, as you kn

me time in the afternoon you will get a sight of the Thousand Islands; though,

't stop at a

urse. Most of them are mere rocky islets, covered generally with stunted hemlocks and cedar

the river where

afely among all the islands, and there is a deep channel for steamboats and l

o Canada, papa? I ought to know, bu

dstone, Carleton, and Wells are the names of the largest of those belongi

y stories connected with

them up; for I know that my children-to say

ke them interesting," she said, with an upward glance

rtial eldest daughter, who can see nothing i

y his wife," remarked a clea

t Violet, bent down and kissed her tenderly, "This is a most agreeable surprise, my dearest, for I left you

wake just as you closed the door, and thinking I would secure for myself the rare treat of an early walk with my-better half, I left my berth promptly and bega

the other way. She is my property, yet h

er, and Lu can say the same to you

earer and dearer to him than I, you cannot say as I can, that you have h

t I can say I belong to him of

hould be all the same his very, very own. That is, if he would have me," she added, with a

t again. "Since the day I first heard of your birth there has not been one in which I

e jealous even of me, Lu," Violet

er be papa's daughter than his wife. But, I suppose, you would

ile the captain drew his daughter a little closer, saying, "

me," exclaimed Lucilla, with a pleased little laugh. "But I t

sitate to give you an order to go below,"

, he resumed the interrupted promenade of the deck till they we

e day was spent upon the deck holding the Sabbath services usual with them there, then in reading and conversation suited to the sacred time, or in gazing out over the waters, watc

op at any of them,

me haste to reach Montreal, as we hope t

Harold and Herbert-that they have arrived safely at home; als

all good news," added

to some of them, that all may be apprised

this time? I wish we might come across them and persuade them to travel in the Do

d object to that, I

pinion that it would pay," said Lu

ymond replied to that. "And I hope they have found ours agreea

treal," remarked Grace. "Papa, is it

rgest in Bri

papa?" asked

ver, 200 miles below Lake Ontario; 160 above

ere to-day, pap

, and you and Neddie will be going presently to your beds, to have a good n