"Why shouldn't they be sleeping?" asked Martin.

"Who?" said his father, turning to attend to the horses.

"I don't know," said Martin. "I mean my verse."

"Martin," stated the stage-driver, "I'm no hand at explaining. Don't
ask any more questions."

Every Sunday after this Miss Bruce persisted in asking whether the
boys read in their Testaments.

"It's mean the way some of the boys don't read any, after her giving
us all nice red Testaments," Martin told his father. "I don't read
much, but I ought to read some, after her fringing that red ribbon!
Most verses I read are short, like 'Lest coming suddenly, he find
you sleeping.' "

The stage-driver moved uneasily at the words.

"He hasn't forgot that verse after all these weeks?" thought the
man.

"I know what that verse means now," went on Martin. "Miss Bruce told
me. She says some folks forget they've got to die, and they ought to
be ready for that. A good many folks don't become Christians, and
Miss Bruce says she's afraid they'll be like that verse, 'Lest
coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.' You and I won't be that way,
will we, father? I'm going to try to be ready. Ain't you? Miss Bruce
says folks ought to always be."