CHAPTER III.

SOUNDING JOHN.

MR. DEXTER had buried his wife and only son and child, full twenty years before, and now, at fifty, was sad and lonely. He had an ample estate, but no God in the world, and therefore no worthy object for which to live. He professed to believe in a God, a God of love, as he said, - but not in the Bible as a revelation from him, and this God he approved of but did not worship. He had been thinking for somet time that such an aimless life as his was no longer endurable; and it was in accordance with plans which he had already formed, that he decided, after his conversation with John,-"I must see that young man again. Perhaps, — yes, perhaps he is the very one I want. I will sound him!"

He tried to think of some good excuse to send for him, but not finding any which suited him, he finally despatched the following brief note:

"I should be glad to have you and Jerry call at my house, some evening as soon as your convenience may permit.

In haste,

J. DEXTER."

John received this through Mr. Dexter's man, and sadly puzzled to know the reason of such a summons, he passed it over to Jerry, whose blue eyes opened wide with surprise.

"What now?" asked Mr. Blacher, who. had noticed with some wonder the delivery of the note, and could not fail to perceive, also, its reception. John handed the laconic epistle to him.

"Hem! well," said Mr. Blacher, “you are decidedly in luck. It strikes me, you

are the one most wanted, John. Postpone your lessons for once, and go to-night."

John accordingly returned an answer to that effect. Why Mr. Dexter should send for them was a question which our young friends discussed much during the day, without coming to any satisfactory conclusion.

"I hope he will not say any more about religion," said John, earnestly. "You know he is a skeptic, and he might bring forward arguments which we should not be wise enough to refute."

"It would not pay him to talk with us boys," replied Jerry; "if we were men, he might do it."

"Somehow, I feel as if we were going into danger," said John. "Something

may bring up the subject, as it did the other day. Let us ask God to go with us, and guard us from all harm, to direct us about whatever he wishes to see us for, and

to make us wise and valiant if he should

assail our religion."

So the young Christians sought God's blessing upon their unknown business, his strength to meet possible trial and temptation.

"You don't think we ought not to go, do you?" asked Jerry, as they started upon their walk.

"No; for we have no reason to suppose that the least allusion will be made to religion, only that we know what he is, and what he said the other day. You remember Mr. Warren warned us that temptation often comes when we least expect it."

They found Mr. Dexter, comfortably arrayed in dressing-gown and slippers, by his library fire, for it was a chilly evening.

"Glad to see you, my young friends; take some seats," he said, without rising. "And now for my reason for sending for you. But first, John, will you read me

that little article?" and Mr. Dexter handed him the evening paper. John read it.

“There was one other thing I wanted to hear, suppose you read it for me, Jerry. Here it is;" and Mr. Dexter having found the place, passed the paper to the latter. So Jerry read it.

"Thank you," Mr. Dexter said, when the reading was concluded; "now to business. I am not so young as you are, and my eyes trouble me when I read much, evenings. I am willing to pay somebody well to read to me. I thought you might have the time, say two or three evenings in the week; you could relieve one another, and would find it profitable as a means of education. I have a good library, and it is historical, scientific, and philosophical works that I want to hear. What do you say? I will give you a dollar for every evening you read.”

John said they must consult Mr. Blacher