e. Then the shelves
and the window were filled with all sorts of boxes, and whips, and
puzzles, and tea-sets, and dolls, dressed and not dressed. There were
bows and arrows, and darts, and jumping ropes, and glass dogs, and
little rocking-horses, and a thousand other things.

When the boys first came in, there was a little girl standing by the
counter with a small slate in her hand. She looked like a poor girl,
though she was neat and tidy in her dress. She was talking with the
shopman about the slate.

"Don't you think," said she, "you could let me have it for ten cents?"

"No," said he, "I could not afford it for less than fifteen. It cost me
more than ten."

The little girl laid the slate down, and looked disappointed and sad.
Rollo's mother came up to her, took up the slate, and said,

"I should think you had better give him fifteen cents. It is a very good
slate. It is worth as much as that, certainly."

"Yes, madam, so I tell her," said the shopman.

"But I have not got but ten cents," said the little girl.

"Have not you?" said Rollo's mother. She stood still thinking a moment,
and then she asked the little girl what her name was.

She said it was Maria.

She asked her what she wanted the slate for; and Maria said it was to do
sums on, at school. She wanted to study arithmetic, and could not do so
without a slate.

Jonas then came forward, and said that he should like to give her five
cents of Georgie's money, and that, with the ten she had, would be
enough. He said that Georgie had given him authority to do what he
thought best with his money, and he knew, if Georgie was here, he would
wish to help the little girl.

Rollo and James were both sorry they had not thought of it themselves;
and, as soon as Jonas mentioned it, they wanted to give some of their
money to the girl; but Jonas said he knew that Georgie would prefer to
do it. At last, however, it was agreed that Rollo and James should
furnish one cent each, and Georgie the rest. This was all agreed upon
after a low conversation by themselves in a corner of the store; and
then Jonas came forward, and told the shopman that they were going to
pay the additional five cents, and that he might let the girl have the
slate. So Jonas paid the money, and it was agreed that Rollo and James
should pay him back their share, when they got their money changed. The
boys were very much pleased to see the little girl go away so happy with
her slate in her hand