Now Bob always carried his little Bible that his mother had given him in his pocket, and as he stood there by the bedside the captain saw it.
“What book is that?” said he.
“It is a book my mother gave me, sir,” said Bob, “the nicest book you ever saw.”
“Can you read it, Bob?”
“O yes, sir; my mother taught me, and I should like to read it to you if you please, sir.”
“Well, yes, I don’t care if you do. The truth is I’m tired of lying here alone with nothing to do. Take away this tray now, I have done, and then you may read.”
Bob took away the tray, and then sat down on a box by the bedside and took out his Bible. He found one of the places where it tells about Jesus, how he went about doing good, how kind he was to the poor, and the sick, and the lame, and the blind, and how he healed them and forgave their sins. He read on a long time, and the poor man drank in every word, and when the boy stopped he asked him to come again the next day.
After this he was with the captain almost all the time. He took the best care of him that he could; he brought him food and clean clothes, and kept the room in order, and, in short, made a very good little nurse. Still he was more of a teacher than a nurse, and for long hours they would sit and talk of Jesus and the Bible, and how to be good. Little Bob told him about his mother, and all that she had taught him, and all that he had learned at the Sunday-school. It was a good thing that Bob had learned so much; it was a good thing that he did not forget what he had learned, for he was now able to tell almost all that the captain wanted to know.
At last some of the crew began to wonder what made Bob visit the cross captain so much, and one came and put his ear to the door from day to day and heard some of the things that were said. Then he went and told the others, and then they asked Bob about him, and he told them that a great change had come over the captain, and that he was now very kind and good. So one by one they got leave through Bob to come and see him, and they begged his pardon and he begged theirs, and they were all friends again.