promised him, how he
then had gone with them, also how the others had brought large baskets
to put grapes in, but he did not know where they were to get the grapes.
The pastor, however, now knew everything, for Sally had reported how the
Mayor was expecting his grape-thieves again and how he was going to
receive them. It was now quite plain, as one had always suspected, that
the same crowd, the Middle Lotters, under Churi's lead, had plundered
the vineyard.

"Erick," said the pastor earnestly, "you want to be an honorable man and
you mean it seriously so far as you understand the word, I have seen
that; but that is not the way which will lead you there. See, you can
understand, that you have made friends with a crowd of boys who are on
no good road; for, to run about wild on Sunday, when the bells call to
church, and to be obliged to hide behind barns from nice people,--you
did not learn that from your mother, did you, Erick?"

Erick had to lower his open eyes and answered very low: "No."

"But worse things turn up if one goes with bad boys," the pastor
continued. "Through them, one often comes where one never wanted to
come. See, if you had not been saved from it through your mother's song
which you heard, you would have been caught with the others in the
vineyard as a thief, and punished as such. Well, Erick, if your mother
should have had to hear that!"

Erick had grown dark red in the face. He was silent for some time,
visibly from fear and perplexity, then he asked timidly: "Can I no
longer grow to be an honorable man?"

"Yes, indeed, Erick," said the pastor now kindly, "that you can. You
know now on what road one cannot go; think of that and keep yourself far
from bad companions. And now I will tell you how you can become a man of
honor. Do you remember how the verse in your mother's song goes, which
begins:

"'Thy Zion scatters palms
And greening twigs for Thee,
But I in glorious psalms
Will lift my soul to Thee!'"

In an instant Erick continued:

"'My heart be overflowing
In constant love and praise,
In service will be growing,
Will Thy dear name then grace.'"

"Erick, you must never forget these words. If you bring all your deeds
before the dear God and look to it before Him, whether you 'Will grace
His dear name' as well as you know, then you will become a genuinely
honorable man. Will you think on it?"

"Yes, I will," Erick promised gladly, as now he look