Page:Anna Chapin--Half a dozen boys.djvu/145

Rh games. They will be more thoughtful and considerate, and through helping you and each other they will come to help every one who is in  trouble. And you will be so much more happy, too. If all this shyness were gone, so you needn’t be in constant dread of meeting some one besides ourselves and Rob, you could go out freely, take long walks with me, and be  with the boys. I want you to live, my boy, not so that people will pity you for what you have lost, but admire you for what you are in spite of it all. Isn’t that the truer way for our hero to live?”

“I will try. Miss Bess,” said Fred slowly. “I know I am a baby, but I really do want to be brave.”

“That is my dear Fred! The old Greeks used to say, ‘Not to live, but to live well.’ We will take that for our motto, and hope that the day will come when you can feel that your life has done as much good in the world as it might have done if you could have seen us all.”

As Bessie paused, the old clock in the hall slowly struck twelve. She counted the strokes, and then said gently,—