86 The Brothers.

 

about the room, whistling the evening hymn
to himself. At last he began to sing it.

“Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.”

His brother’s dark eyes were raised and
fixed upon him.

“Being wicked,” said Stephen suddenly,
“would make you dread them both, I sup-

ose ?”

Stephen had been so silent lately, that John
was quite delighted to hear him speak of his
own accord ; but as he had not been thinking
much of the words he sang, he did not under-
stand the observation.

“ Dread what, Stephen ?”

Stephen repeated the lines slowly.

“T suppose you would be afraid of going to
bed, because you would have no peace there;
and afraid of dying, because you would have
to be judged then, and get no peace.”

“Well, I suppose so,” returned the other,
who was more given to singing hymns than
to considering what they meant.

“Tt would be dreadful to lie down in bed in
the dark, and remember some very bad thing
youhaddone. I should think it would go over
and over in your head and let you get no rest.”