'Molly, do you know what tribulation means?'
'I'm not sure that I do,' was the hesitating reply; 'I think it's something dreadful. Why do you want to know?'
'Is it like the dark valley Christian went through in the Pilgrim's Progress, or the goblin's cave we make up about?'
'I expect it is something like. Why?'
'It's on the way to heaven,' whispered Betty, in an awestruck tone; 'the Bible says so.'
There was silence, then Molly said,—
'There's a book in father's library will tell you about it. It tells the meaning of every word; father said so. A dick something it is.'
'I'll ask Mr. Roper to get it for me.'
And Betty turned over on her pillow comforted by this thought, and fell fast asleep.
Mr. Stuart was a Member of Parliament, and being a man who threw his whole soul into everything he did, was too much engrossed with business when in town to have much to do with his children. He spent a great part of his day in the library with his secretary, a quiet young fellow, who was looked upon by the children as an embodiment of wisdom and learning. Mrs. Stuart saw as little of her children as her husband; her time was fully occupied in attending committee meetings, opening bazaars, and superintending numerous pet projects for ennobling and raising the standard of social morality amongst the masses. She was not an indifferent mother; she was only an active, busy woman, who, after carefully selecting a thoroughly good and trustworthy woman as her nurse, left the children's training with perfect confidence to her. And between her social and charitable claims there was not much time for having her little ones about her. A young governess came every day for two hours to teach the three eldest ones, but their life was essentially a nursery one. And when the House was closed, and the husband and wife would go off to the Continent or to the Highlands, the children would be sent to a quiet seaside town with their nurse and the nursery maid.