be contaminated by your bad example."

"Well," he answered, puffing away, "I'll not let her or them know I ever
indulge. I'll only smoke up here and at night, and the smell will be all
off my breath by morning."

"I wish you'd give it up entirely. Where did you ever learn it?"

"Comes natural; guess I inherited the taste. But nearly all the fellows at
school do it--on the sly."

"Ah, Phil, I'm afraid you're a sad fellow!" Lucy said, shaking her head
reprovingly; but he could see the smile shining in her fond, admiring
eyes, and lurking about the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, come now, ma, I'm not so bad; not the worst fellow in the world. 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."

CHAPTER EIGHTH.

"To each his sufferings: all are men
Condemn'd alike to groan;
The tender for another's pain,
The unfeeling for his own."
--GRAY.