Part 17 (1/2)
”I won't be a hypocrite, mother, and I may as well own that, while getting my lesson, I could not help thinking of the new boat. I don't want you to believe I am better than I am.”
”It is very natural that you should think of her; but you must try not to do so. It is almost a pity the boat had not come on Monday, so that you could have had a whole week to think about her before Sunday.”
Paul ran down to the beach, and discovered that the door of the cuddy of the Fawn was open. Jumping on board, he found John stretched out upon one of the beds, apparently very busily engaged in studying his Sunday school lesson.
”What are you doing here, John?” demanded Paul, though his tones were very gentle.
”I am getting my lesson,” replied John, as demurely as though he had not chosen an unusual place for the exercise.
”Have you got it?”
”All but two questions.”
”What made you come here?”
”I couldn't help thinking of the boat, and I made up my mind that I could get my lesson here better than anywhere else.”
”I'm afraid you haven't studied it much.”
”Hear me say it, then,” said John, jumping up, and handing Paul the book.
”Not now; breakfast is ready. But I want to have an understanding with you, as you are part owner of the Fawn, that neither of us go on board of her on Sunday, unless there is some strong reason for it. Will you agree to it?”
”I shan't want to after to-day.”
”No matter; will you agree to it?”
”Yes; but there was a strong reason this morning.”
”What was it?”
”Why, I wanted to see her.”
”That's no reason at all. I have just as hard work as you have to keep away from her; but we mustn't do everything we want to do. Come, lock the cuddy, and let us go up to the house.”
”That's honest, and not a bit like preaching,” said John to himself, as he locked the cuddy, and followed his brother up the hill.
”I am trying to make money, John, but I don't believe money is all we have to live for.”
”Of course not; there is a good deal of fun to be had in this world, that costs money instead of bringing it in,” answered John, very soberly; and it was evident that his thoughts were not upon his Sunday school lesson.
”I wasn't speaking of fun. Up to the time I went to sleep last night I was thinking how I should make money; this morning, the first words I saw when I opened the Testament to get my Sunday school lesson, were, 'For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?'”
”I guess you had the nightmare last night, and have got the blues this morning,” said John, trying to get up a laugh, in which, however, he did not succeed very well, for it is hard, even for a tolerably well-disposed boy, to make fun of serious things.
”I mean just what I say, John; you needn't laugh. I feel that we have something else to live for besides money. It is a very pleasant thing to make money----”
”Little by little,” added John, adopting his brother's favorite motto.
”But I wouldn't be a rich man, if I had to be as mean and selfish as old--no matter who. He is poorer than I am now, with his hundreds of thousands. I mean to lay up good principles----”