“‘And where is Charles?’ said his uncle. ‘Is he not afraid, too?’
“‘Charles is out in the yard piling wood. I told him he’d better come in and read the Bible, but he said pa had told us to pile the wood, and that he remembered his last Sabbath School lesson, and could think of that if he wanted to, without reading the Bible; but I meant to be good, so I came right in as soon as I could. And now shall I call Charles, uncle?’
“‘Has he got the wood all piled?’
“‘I don’t know, uncle, but I don’t think he can have piled it all by this time.’
“‘And if he comes in, who will pile the wood?’ asked his uncle.
“‘I don’t know; perhaps pa will,’ said Frank, somewhat thoughtfully.
“‘And would it be better for your father to pile the wood than for his two little boys to do it?’ inquired his uncle.
“Frank waited awhile before he replied, and then said, in a tone of earnest surprise, ‘Why, Uncle Thompson, do you think it is being as good to pile wood as to read the Bible?’
“His uncle replied, ‘To pile wood when it is the proper time to pile wood is as much an act of goodness as to read the Bible in the proper time.’
“‘Why, uncle, I thought it was always proper to read the Bible at any time. Isn’t it?’