ight with the world,
the flesh, and the devil, and a hard time he has had, too, poor old
chap," said Jem.

"Jem," said David, "I think old Tim Bent was the very happiest old man
we knew."

"Well, perhaps he was, after a fashion; but I am sure he had trouble, of
one kind or another--sickness, poverty, and his people not very kind to
him--tired of him, at any rate. However, that don't matter to him now."

"He has gotten the victory," repeated Frank. The words seemed to have a
charm for him. "It is wonderful, isn't it?"

All this was said as the boys were undressing to go to bed. There were
two beds in the room they occupied, the brothers had one, and Frank had
the other. After the lamp was blown out, David reminded the others that
they must be up early in the morning, and that the sooner they were
asleep, the readier they would be to rise when the right time came; so
there was nothing said for a good while. Then Frank spoke:

"What was all that you said about your father's being a banker and a
rich man? Are you asleep already, Jem?"

Jem had been very near it.

"Who? Papa? Oh! yes, he might have been; but you see he chose `the
better part.' I sometimes wonder whether he's ever sorry."

"Jem," said David, "it's not right--to speak in that way, I mean. And
as for papa's being sorry--not to-night, at any rate," added David, with
a sound that was like a sob in his voice.

"And why not to-night? Ah! I understand. It was through him that old
Tim got the victory;" and both the boys were surprised to see him
suddenly sit up in bed in the dark; and after a long silence he
repeated, as if to himself, "I should think not to-night, indeed!" and
then he lay down again.

"Papa has never been sorry--never for a single moment," said David. "He
has helped a great many besides old Tim to win the victory. And
besides, I dare say, he has had as much real enjoyment in his life as if
he had been a rich man like your father. He is not sorry, at any rate,
nor mamma."

"Oh! that is all very well to say," interposed Jem; "I dare say he is
not sorry that he is a minister, but I say it is a shame that ministers
should always be poor men--as they always are!"

"Oh! well. People can't have everything," said David.

"You've got to be very contented, all at once," said Jem, laughing.
"You have said as much about it as ever I have, and more, too. Don't
you remember when the Hunters went away to M--, to school, and you a