The Squire spoke in slow, measured tones. He looked straight before him into the fire, and his voice had a dreamy, far-away sound, as the voice of one who is lost in the depths of his own thoughts and memories. Bertie, sitting upon the Squire’s knee, drew the encircling arm more closely about him, and rested his head against the kindly shoulder that gave it such comfortable support. “I like to know everything about you,” he said, softly, “and about all of them. I know a great deal, but not quite all. I want to know why you wrote ‘Thy will be done.’” The subtle sympathy that existed between the man and the child made Bertie’s thought clear to the Squire. He understood the child’s meaning, and saw that he had himself been understood. “You want to know how I learned my lesson, Bertie? Very well, you shall hear.” He paused; but Bertie said nothing, and after a long silence the Squire commenced his tale. “I was an only child, and my parents were all that is kind and wise and judicious. I was not spoiled, and yet I had every reasonable indulgence, and I was very happy. I was brought up in the fear and love of God, as well as in the earnest wish to do my duty to my fellow-creatures, especially to those who lived about me, and were, or would be, in a measure dependent upon me for their daily bread. I was never inclined to treat such matters lightly, accepted the teaching my parents gave me readily and sincerely, and I never felt tempted to wander from the beaten track that my forefathers had trodden. I had a very happy, untroubled youth, and life was very bright before and around me. I was kind-hearted and generous, a favorite with our people, and if I had ever been questioned upon the subject, I suppose I should have said that I was doing my best to live the life of a Christian gentleman. I was not in the least aware that there was nothing personal in my religion. I had accepted it from my father and mother in just the same fashion as I had accepted their politics and their teaching upon a variety of subjects; only, whereas I interested myself deeply in secular subjects, and verified the wisdom of their views by practical experience of my own, I was content in the matter of religion to take all upon trust, and accept everything they said, because I had no reason to doubt their wisdom, and because it was much easier to let them do the thinking for me than to do it for myself.