was mortal, and right in the midst of the Collect, Aikenside and its
owner would rise before her, together with the wonder how she and her
grandfather would feel one week from that Sabbath day. Would the
desired certificate be hers? or would she be disgraced forever and
ever by a rejection? Would the mortgage be paid and her grandfather at
ease, or would his heart be breaking with the knowing he must leave
what had been his home for so many years? Not thus was it with the
aged disciple beside her--the good old man, whose white locks swept
the large lettered book over which his wrinkled face was bent, as he
joined in the responses, or said the prayers whose words had over him
so soothing an influence, carrying his thoughts upward to the house
not made with hands, which he felt assured would one day be his. Once
or twice, it is true, thoughts of losing the dear old red cottage
flitted across his mind with a keen, sudden pang, but he put it
quickly aside, remembering at the same instant how the Father he loved
doeth all things well to such as are His children. Grandpa Markham was
old in the Christian course, while Maddy could hardly be said to have
commenced as yet, and so to her that April Sunday was long and
wearisome. How she did wish she might just look over the geography, by
way of refreshing her memory, or see exactly how the rule for
extracting the cube root did read, but Maddy forebore, reading only
the Pilgrim's Progress, the Bible, and the book brought from the
Sunday school.

With the earliest dawn, however, she was up, and her grandmother heard
her repeating to herself much of what she dreaded Dr. Holbrook might
question her upon. Even when bending over the washtub, for there were
no servants at the red cottage, a book was arranged before her so that
she could study with her eyes, while her small, fat hands and dimpled
arms were busy in the suds. Before ten o'clock everything was done,