When the Bible reading commenced, Tip hesitated, and his face flushed; he
had never owned a Bible to read from before, but this morning his new one
lay in his pocket. The question was, Had he courage to take it out? What
would the boys think? What would they say? How should he answer them?

He began to think he would wait until tomorrow morning; then he grew
hot and ashamed as he saw that he was already trying to hide his
colours. Suddenly he drew out his Bible, and began very hurriedly to
turn the leaves.

Bob heard the rustling, and, glancing around, puckered his lips as if he
were going to whistle, and, snatching the book, read the name which Mr.
Holbrook had written therein; then he whispered, "You don't say so! When
did we steal a Bible, and turn saint?"

The blood growing hotter and redder in Tip's cheeks was his only answer;
but he felt that his temptation had begun. The next thing was to read;
when he had finally found the place, even though there were more than
fifty voices reading those same words, yet poor Tip imagined that his
would be louder than all the rest, and he choked and coughed, and made
more than one trial before he forced his voice to join, even in a
whisper, at the words, "And they clothed Him with purple, and plaited a
crown of thorns and put it about His head."

It did not help him in his reading that Bob made his lips move with the
rest, but said, loud enough for him to hear,--

"The man in the moon
Came down too soon,"