for the
paper-makers."

"Ah! well, then, we will tear these into bits and let them go to the
paper-makers."

Max was standing by his father's side. "Papa," he said, with a roguish
look into his father's face, "don't you think you would enjoy reading them
first?"

The captain laughed. "No, my son," he said; "I have not the slightest
inclination to read them. Bring me that waste basket and you may help me
tear them up."

They began the work of destruction, Max taking the paper, the captain the
book his son had been reading. Presently something in it attracted his
attention; he paused and glanced over several pages one after the other,
till Max began to think he had become interested in the story. But no; at
that instant he turned from it to him, and Max was half frightened at the
sternness of his look.

"My son," he said, "I am astonished and deeply grieved that you could read
and enjoy anything like this, for it is full of profanity; and reading or
hearing such expressions is very likely to lead to the use of them. Max,
do you ever say such words?"

Max trembled and grew red and pale by turns, but did not speak.

"Answer me," was his father's stern command.

"Not often, papa."

The captain barely caught the low breathed words. "Not often? sometimes,
then?" he groaned, covering his face with his hand.

"O papa, don't be so grieved! I'll never do it again," Max said in a
broken voice.

The captain sighed deeply. "Max," he said, "dearly as I love my only son,
I would sooner lay him under the sod, knowing that his soul was in heaven,
than have him live to be a profane swearer. Bring me that Bible from the
table yonder."

The boy obeyed.

"Now turn to the twenty-fourth chapter of Leviticus, and read the
sixteenth verse."

Max read in a trembling voice, "'And he that blasphemeth the name of the
Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall
certainly stone him; as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land,
when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.'"

"Now the twenty-third," said his father.

"'And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth
him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones; and the
children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.'"

Max had some difficulty in finishing the verse, and at the end quite broke
down.

"Papa," he sobbed, "I didn't know that was in the Bible. I never thought
about