done a great deal for
her to-day."

"No," said Mr. George. "All that I have done has not been for her sake,
but for William's. William is an excellent good friend of mine, and I am
very sorry that he has not got a more agreeable travelling companion."

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VII.

CORRESPONDENCE.

One day, when Mr. George and Rollo were at the town of Leyden, it began
to rain while they were eating their breakfast.

"Never mind," said Rollo. "We can walk about the town if it does rain."

"Yes," said Mr. George, "we can; but we shall get tired of walking about
much sooner if it rains, than if it were pleasant weather. However, I am
not very sorry, for I should like to write some letters."

"I've a great mind to write a letter, too," said Rollo. "I'll write to
my mother. Don't you think that would be a good plan?"

"Why,--I don't know,"--said Mr. George, speaking in rather a doubtful
tone. "It seems to me that it would be hardly worth while."

"Why not?" asked Rollo.

"Why, the postage is considerable," said Mr. George, "and I don't
believe the letter would be worth what your father would have to pay for
it; that is, if it is such a letter as I suppose you would write."

"Why, what sort of a letter do you suppose I should write?" asked Rollo.

"O, you would do as boys generally do in such cases," replied his uncle.
"In the first place you would want to take the biggest sheet that you
could find to write the letter upon. Then you would take up as much of
the space as possible writing the date, and _My dear mother_. Then you
would go on for a few lines, saying things of no interest to any body,
such as telling what day you came to this place, and what day to that.
Perhaps you'd say that to-day is a rainy day, and that yesterday was
pleasant--just as if your mother, when she gets your letter, would care
any thing about knowing what particular days were rainy and what
pleasant, in Holland, a week back. Then, after you had got about two
thirds down the page, you would stop because you could not think of any
thing more to say, and subscribe your name with ever so many scrawl
flourishes, and as many affectionate and dutiful phrases as you could
get to fill up the space.

"And that would be a letter that your father, like as not, would have to
pay one and sixpence Or two shillings sterling for, to the London
postman."

Rollo laughed at this description of the probable result of his proposed
attempt to