for my age;
but I felt very nervous when the sick man drew a Bible from his side,
and put it in my hands. I wondered what I should read; but it was soon
settled by his asking for certain Psalms, which I read as clearly and
distinctly as I could. At first I was rather disturbed by his
occasional remarks, and a few murmured Amens; but I soon got used to
it. He joined devoutly in the "Glory be to the Father"--with which I
concluded--and then asked for a chapter from the Revelation of St.
John. I was more at ease now, and read my best, with a happy sense of
being useful; whilst he lay in the sunshine, folding the sheet with
his bony fingers, with his eyes fixed on the beloved "bit of green,"
and drinking in the Words of Life with dying ears.

"_Blessed are they that dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem, where there
is no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the
glory of_ GOD _does lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof._"

By the time that my father returned, the sick man and I were fast
friends; and I left him with his blessing on my head. As we went home,
my good kind father told me that I was nearly old enough now to take
an interest in his concerns, and began to talk of his patients, and of
the poverty and destitution of some parts of the town. Then he spoke
of the bad state of trade--that it was expected to be worse, and that
the want of work and consequent misery this year would probably be
very great. Finally he added, that when so many were likely to be
starving, he had thought it right that we should deny ourselves our
little annual treat, and so save the money to enable us to take our
part in relieving the distressed.

"Don't you think so, my boy?" he concluded, as we reached the door of
our comfortable (how comfortable!) home.

My whole heart was in my "Yes."

It is a happy moment for a son when his father first confides in him.
It is a happy moment for a father when his son first learns to
appreciate some of the labour of his life, and henceforth to obey his
commands, not only with a blind obedience, but in the sympathizing
spirit of the "perfect love" which "casts out fear." My heart was too
full to thank him then for his wise forbearance and wiser confidence;
but when after some months my sister's health made change of air to
the house of a country relative necessary, great was my pride and
thankfulness that I was well enough to remain at the post of duty by
my father's side.

O