d boy. always in trouble
himself, and trying to get others into trouble. The youngest,
whose name was George, was a very good boy.
George wished to do right, but was very much wanting in
courage. The other boys were named Henry and James. As
they walked along, they talked as follows:
Henry. What fun it would be to throw a snowball against
the schoolroom door, and make the teacher and scholars all
jump!
James. You would jump, if you should. If the teacher did
not catch you and whip you, he would tell your father, and
you would get a whipping then; and that would make you
jump higher than the scholars, I think.
Henry. Why, we would get so far off, before the teacher
could come to the door, that he could not tell who we are.
Here is a snowball just as hard as ice, and George

THIRD READER. 135
would as soon throw it against the door as not.
James. Give it to him, and see. He would not dare to
throw it.
Henry. Do you think George is a coward? You do not
know him as well as I do.

Here, George, take this snowball, and show James that you
are not such a coward as he thinks you are.
George. I am not afraid to throw it; but I do not want to. I
do not see that it

136 ECLECTIC SERIES.
will do any good, or that there will be any fun in it.
James. There! I told you he would not dare to throw it.
Henry. Why, George, are you turning coward? I thought
you did not fear anything. Come, save your credit, and throw
it. I know you are not afraid.
George. Well, I am not afraid to throw. Give me the
snowball. I would as soon throw it as not.
Whack! went the snowball against the door; and the boys
took to their heels. Henry was laughing as heartily as he
could, to think what a fool he had made of George.
George had a whipping for his folly, as he ought to have
had. He was such a coward, that he was afraid of being
called a coward. He did not dare refuse to do as Henry told
him, for fear that he would be laughed at.
If he had been really a brave boy, he would have said,
"Henry, do you suppose that I am so foolish as to throw that
snowball, just because you want to have me? You may throw
your own snowballs, if you please!"

THIRD READER. 137
Henry would, perhaps, have laughed at him, and called
him a coward.
But George would have said, "Do you think that 1 care for
your laughing? I do not think it right to throw the snowball. I
will not do that which 1 think to be wrong, if the whole town
should join with you in laughin