October was now far advanced. One evening — the evening of the
last Sunday in the month — Mrs. Montgomery was lying in the
parlour alone. Ellen had gone to bed some time before; and
now, in the stillness of the Sabbath evening, the ticking of
the clock was almost the only sound to be heard. The hands
were rapidly approaching ten. Captain Montgomery was abroad;
and he had been so — according to custom — or in bed, the
whole day. The mother and daughter had had the Sabbath to
themselves; and most quietly and sweetly it had passed. They
had read together, prayed together, talked together a great
deal; and the evening had been spent in singing hymns; but
Mrs. Montgomery's strength failed here, and Ellen sang alone.
_She_ was not soon weary. Hymn succeeded hymn, with fresh and
varied pleasure; and her mother could not tire of listening.
The sweet words, and the sweet airs — which were all old
friends, and brought of themselves many a lesson of wisdom and
consolation, by the mere force of association — needed not the
recommendation of the clear childish voice in which they were
sung, which was, of all things, the sweetest to Mrs.
Montgomery's ear. She listened till she almost felt as if
earth were left behind, and she and her child already standing
within the walls of that city where sorrow and sighing shall
be no more, and the tears shall be wiped from all eyes for
ever. Ellen's next hymn, however, brought her back to earth
again; but though her tears flowed freely while she heard it,
all her causes of sorrow could not render them bitter.


"God in Israel sows the seeds