Then Mr. Bright bowed his head, and said:
"Our Father in heaven, whose weak and erring children we all are, bless the boy whose confession we have just heard, and help him to keep his word of honor like a man. And help us all, in all our strifes with evil and with wrong, that we may come out of them better, and stronger, and purer, even as our Master was made perfect through suffering, Amen." That was all!
Perhaps there were dry eyes in the room just then. If so, they did not appear,
After a pause of an instant, Mr. Bright said:
"You may go on with your work," and the pupils turned to their books again.
In five minutes more the hum of the busy school room was as if nothing uncommon had happened, and classes were reciting as usual.
The deacon and his fellow-members sat upon the platform till recess, listening to recitations, and then left; the president remarking to the teacher as they went out, that they "thought the school was doing very well!"
"Dodd" and Mr. Bright walked home together after school was out.
"Where do you suppose I hid?" asked "Dodd," as they walked along.
"I have no idea," returned Mr. Bright.