“No,” said his son, “you have worked hard in your day, you deserve to rest; and you have no right to torment yourself. You have lived sixty years in your own habits; it would be impossible for you to change them. You would only torment yourself for nothing.”

“Yes, yes,” exclaimed his niece, in confirmation of this, “you would be in want, you would be out of sorts, you would grumble, and you would commit worse sin. But God is merciful and pardons all sinners⁠—much more such a good kind uncle as you are!”

“Yes, and why should we?” asked another old man, a contemporary of the old uncle. “You and I may not have two days longer to live. So what is the use of beginning?”