nd so Rollo stepped over
behind, and sat with his mother. This was kind and polite; for boys all
like the front seat when they are riding, and Rollo therefore did right
to offer it to his cousin.

A LECTURE ON PLAYTHINGS.

After a short time, they came to a smooth and pleasant road, with trees
and farmhouses on each side; and as the horse was trotting along
quietly, Rollo asked his mother if she could not tell them a story.

"I cannot tell you a story very well, this morning, but I can give you a
lecture on playthings, if you wish."

"Very well, mother, we should like that," said the boys.

They did not know very well what a lecture was, but they thought that
any thing which their mother would propose would be interesting.

"Do you know what a lecture is?" said she.

"Not exactly," said Rollo.

"Why, I should explain to you about playthings,--the various kinds,
their use, the way to keep them, and to derive the most pleasure from
them, &c. Giving you this information will not be as _interesting_ to
you as to hear a story; but it will be more _useful_, if you attend
carefully, and endeavor to remember what I say."

The boys thought they should like the lecture, and promised to attend.
Rollo said he would remember it all; and so his mother began.

"The value of a plaything does not consist in itself, but in the
pleasure it awakens in your mind. Do you understand that?"

"Not very well," said Rollo.

"If you should give a round stick to a baby on the floor, and let him
strike the floor with it, he would be pleased. You would see by his
looks that it gave him great pleasure. Now, where would this pleasure
be,--in the stick, or in the floor, or in the baby?"

"Why, in the baby," said Rollo, laughing.

"Yes; and would it be in his body, or in his mind?"

"In his face," said James.

"In his eyes," said Rollo.

"You would see the _signs of it_ in his face and in his eyes, but the
feeling of pleasure would be in his mind. Now, I suppose you understand
what I said, that the value of the plaything consists in the pleasure it
can awaken in the mind."

"Yes, mother," said Rollo.

"There is your jumping man," said she; "is that a good plaything?"

"Yes," said Rollo, "my _kicker_. But I don't care much about it. I don't
know where it is now."

"What was it?" said James. "_I_ never saw it."

"It was a pasteboard man," said his mother; "and there was a string
behind, fixed so that, by pulling it, you