The fisher lad’s face brightened.
“Would’ee now? Eh, but that’s prime! I’ll learn un twice as fast with thee.”
They sat down together upon the sand and laid their arms over each other’s shoulders. David produced a card upon which the words of his lesson were printed in large type:
“I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
Together the children read the words, and repeated them again and again until they were quite familiar. David had almost mastered them before, and Bertie had no trouble in impressing them upon his memory; but after this was done, and David considered the matter at an end, his little companion looked straight at him and asked,—
“What does it all mean, David?”
David stared hard for a few seconds at his questioner, and said, slowly,—
“Teacher said as it was what God said to Joshua after Moses had gone and died, you know.”
Bertie’s chin rested meditatively in his hand, his eyes were fixed upon the shining sea.
“Did He say it only to Joshua?” he asked, with a certain wistfulness in face and voice.