A Reflection of himself.

The little boy asks his father about the other little boy because it is a reflection of him. The son sees the young boy as a reflection of himself. He is seeking encouragement from his father in a round about way. Trying to decide where he is supposed to go and if he is going to be "okay." The little boy is looking for the fire within him which in this case is self-confidence and trust in himself. After his father is gone he is going to be that lonely little boy he saw in the beginning of the book.

The son turns to his father for comfort. He wants to know that he is g0ing to be saved and that he's going to be alright. The boy asks what is going to save him and the father responds goodness will save him. Personally goodness comes from only one source and that is God. I think that father is telling his son that God will save him. The father believes that the boy is not lost. He has the fire, the faith, the hope, the goodness to keep on the path that will lead him through the hard times. He believes his son is goodness.