﻿ADOLPHUS AND JAMES. 151 



Adolphus was all triumphant ; he was about to have spoken to 

 confound his enemy, when his father said to him : " And you, 

 Adolphus, look upon this book also, and read a page to me." 



Adolphus, delighted at having an opportunity to display his 

 learning before all the peasants, approached, took the book with an 

 air of importance, looked around upon the audience, and then upon 

 the volume. Everybody was attentive. Adolphus looked at the 

 book, looked again, was troubled, and did not read. 



" What is the matter?" asked his father; "do you not know 

 how to read ?" 



" Yes, papa, I can read and write." 



" Read, then." 



" But I cannot read this book." 



" Well, read only one line." 



" I cannot." 



"One word." 



" I cannot." 



" One letter." 



" I cannot ; this book is not in our language.' 



" In what language is it, then ?" 



" I do not know." 



" How, you do not know anything ! Well, this book is written 

 in Greek." 



" But, papa, I have never studied Greek ; it is not, therefore, 

 surprising that I am ignorant of it." 



" That is true ; but then, two days since, at the city, in the 

 parlor, you should have reasoned thus with respect to James ; and 

 when you presented him with a book of history to mortify him, 

 should have said to yourself: Since James has never learned to 

 read, it is not surprising that he should not know how ! Now, 

 my children, listen ; I am about to read to you from this book, what 

 will explain this engraving, with the temple which you see in the 

 back-ground, and those two men ascending its steps. 



" ' Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in them- 

 selves that they were righteous, and despised others : 



" ' Two men went into the temple to pray ; the one a Pharisee, 

 and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus 



