ther; but
Mr. Cope felt that he was thinking of himself more than of Jem.

'All our sufferings in this life come as punishment of sin,' he said. 'If
there had been no sin, there would have been no pain; and whatever we
have to bear in this life is no more than is our due, whatever it may
be.'

'Every one is sinful,' said Alfred slowly; 'but why have some more to
bear than others that may be much worse?'

'Did you never think it hard to be kept strictly, and punished by your
good mother?'

Alfred answered rather fretfully, 'But if it is good to be punished, why
ain't all alike?'

'God in His infinite wisdom sees the treatment that each particular
nature needs. Some can be better trained by joy, and some by grief; some
may be more likely to come right by being left in active health; others,
by being laid low, and having their faults brought to mind.'

Alfred did not quite choose to take this in, and his answer was half
sulky:

'Bad boys are quite well!'

'And a reckoning will be asked of them. Do not think of other boys.
Think over your past life, of which I know nothing, and see whether you
can believe, after real looking into it, that you have done nothing to
deserve God's displeasure. There are other more comforting ways of
bringing joy out of pain; but of this I am sure, that none will come home
to us till we own from the bottom of our heart, that whatever we suffer
in this life, we suffer most justly for the punishment of our sins. God
bless and help you, my poor boy. Good night.'

With these words he went down-stairs, for well he knew that while Alfred
went on to justify himself, no peace nor joy could come to him, and he
thought it best to leave the words to work in, praying in his heart that
they might do so, and help the boy to humility and submission.

Finding Mrs. King in her kitchen, he paused and said, 'We shall have a
Confirmation in the spring, Mrs. King; shall not you have some candidates
for me?'

'My daughter will be very glad, thank you, Sir; she is near to seventeen,
and a very good girl to me. And Harold, he is but fourteen--would he be
old enough, Sir?'

'I believe the Bishop accepts boys as young; and he might be started in
life before another opportunity.'

'Well, Sir, he shall come to you, and I hope you won't think him too idle
and thoughtless. He's a good-hearted boy, Sir; but it is a charge when a
lad has no father to check him.'

'Indeed it is, Mrs. King; but I think