n Scripture. Simon Peter was a
fisherman."

"True; and Andrew and his brother. But thou forgettest: they did not
follow fishing as a diversion, as I fear thou doest.--Thou readest the
Scriptures?"

"Sometimes."

"Sometimes?--not daily?--that is to be regretted. What profession dost
thou make?--I mean to what religious denomination dost thou belong, my
young friend?"

"Church."

"It is a very good profession--there is much of Scripture contained in
its liturgy. Dost thou read aught besides the Scriptures?"

"Sometimes."

"What dost thou read besides?"

"Greek, and Dante."

"Indeed! then thou hast the advantage over myself; I can only read the
former. Well, I am rejoiced to find that thou hast other pursuits beside
thy fishing. Dost thou know Hebrew?"

"No."

"Thou shouldst study it. Why dost thou not undertake the study?"

"I have no books."

"I will lend thee books, if thou wish to undertake the study. I live
yonder at the hall, as perhaps thou knowest. I have a library there, in
which are many curious books, both in Greek and Hebrew, which I will show
to thee, whenever thou mayest find it convenient to come and see me.
Farewell! I am glad to find that thou hast pursuits more satisfactory
than thy cruel fishing."

And the man of peace departed, and left me on the bank of the stream.
Whether from the effect of his words, or from want of inclination to the
sport, I know not, but from that day I became less and less a
practitioner of that "cruel fishing." I rarely flung line and angle into
the water, but I not unfrequently wandered by the banks of the pleasant
rivulet. It seems singular to me, on reflection, that I never availed
myself of his kind invitation. I say singular, for the extraordinary,
under whatever form, had long had no slight interest for me; and I had
discernment enough to perceive that yon was no common man. Yet I went
not near him, certainly not from bashfulness, or timidity, feelings to
which I had long been an entire stranger. Am I to regret this? perhaps,
for I might have learned both wisdom and righteousness from those calm,
quiet lips, and my after-course might have been widely different. As it
was, I fell in with other guess companions, from whom I received widely
different impressions than those I might have derived from him. When
many years had rolled on, long after I had attained manhood, and had seen
and suffered much, and when our first interview had long si