"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