"How odd it is," said he, when he had finished reading; "I should
never have thought it could be thus; this Andrew and Julia, after
all, were much happier than we are, and than I am, in particular.
Ah!" added he, as he walked on by the hedge-side, looking on the
ground, "possibly Josephine may have spoken the truth, and that,
after all, the right way is the one which this lady points out."
As he thought over the little story he had been reading, he retraced
his steps towards his own village, at first rather slowly, but soon
at a quicker pace, and he entered his father's house very quietly,
and without either whistling or making a noise, as he generally did.
"You have not then been to the fete," said Josephine.
_Mark_.--(A little ashamed.)--"I dared not go, I was afraid my
father would beat me."
_Josephine_.--"It would have been better, Mark, if you had been
equally afraid of offending God."
Mark was on the point of ridiculing her, as he always did, but he
recollected Andrew and Julia, and was silent.
_Josephine_.--(Kindly.)--"But is it not true, Mark? would it
not be better to fear God, than to be always offending him?"
_Mark_.
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