“I should think it was,” said young Bass. “What did you say in return?”
“I told him that I had not thought about it, and that, as I enjoyed life, I had no intention of leaving it,” answered Harry. “He then reminded me that I might fall overboard any day, or the ship might be lost with all hands, or the boat in which I happened to be might be capsized, or I might die of fever, or be cut off by savages, or that I might lose my life in a number of other ways. He asked me, if any of these disagreeable things were to happen, where I expected to go. I told him, of course, that I wished to go to heaven; and he then inquired what right I had to go there.”
“I do not think he had any right to ask you any such questions,” observed Harry’s companion. “I should have told him to mind his own business. I do not like to be bothered by that sort of questions.”
“I could not answer him in that way,” replied Harry, “for he spoke very kindly. He is, besides, an old man, and has been for a number of years with my father, who thinks highly of him, for I have heard him say so. Besides, he has taken great pains to teach me seamanship, always tells me anything I ask him; and if it were not for him I should not know half as much as I do.”
“Still, I do not see why he should try to frighten you about dying, or ask you where you expect to go if you do. It looks as if he doubted that you would go to heaven,” said Dickey.
“He told me very distinctly that I had no claim whatever to go there, and that unless my sins were washed away, the Bible says that I should be unfit to go there; that heaven is a pure and holy place, and that all people are impure and unholy,” said Harry, in a graver tone than usual.
“But I suppose he wants you to become religious, and read good books, and give up laughing and singing and being the capital jolly fellow you are now, Harry,” interrupted Dickey Bass. “If I were you, I would not listen to him; neither your father nor Mr Champion ever speaks to us in that way. Just forget all he said, and drive dull care away.”
“I have already forgotten, I am afraid, a great deal that he said,” answered Harry; “but he seemed, at all events, very much in earnest, and I cannot help remembering some of the things. Besides, Mr Champion has lately spoken to me more seriously than he has ever done before; and only last Sunday he gave me a book to read, and told me that he thought it would do me good. As I found my sister Hannah’s name in it, I suppose she asked him to give it to me, and that he had forgotten to do so till then.”
“I saw you with one in your hand. Did you read it?” asked young Bass.
“It seemed very dry, and I fell asleep over it, so that I cannot say I know much about it,” answered Harry.