ke to have James come and
help me, if you are willing;--we can get them done so much quicker if
there are two."

"But my great object is, not to get the nails sorted very quick, but to
teach you patient industry. I know it is tiresome for you to be alone, but
that is the very reason why I wish you to be alone. I want you to learn to
persevere patiently in doing any thing, even if it is tiresome. What I
want to teach you is, to _work_, not to _play_."

Rollo felt disappointed, but he saw that his father was right, and he went
slowly back to his task. He sorted out two or three handfuls more, but he
found there was no pleasure in it, and he began to be very sorry his
father had set him at it.

Having no heart for his work, he did not go on with alacrity, and of
course made very slow progress. He ought to have gone rapidly forward, and
not thought any thing about the pleasantness or unpleasantness of it, but
only been anxious to finish the work, and please his father. Instead of
that, he only lounged over it--looked at the heap of nails, and sighed to
think how large it was. He could not sort all those, possibly, he said. He
knew he could not. It would take him forever.

Still he could not think of any excuse for leaving his work again, until,
after a little while, he came upon a couple of screws. "And now what shall
I do with these?" said he.

He took the screws, and laid them side by side, to measure them, so as to
see which was the largest. Then he rolled them about a little, and after
playing with them for a little time, during which, of course, his work was
entirely neglected, he concluded he would go and ask his father what he
was to do with screws.

He accordingly walked slowly along to the house, stopping to look at the
grasshoppers and butterflies by the way. After wasting some time in this
manner, he appeared again at his father's table, and wanted to know what
he should do with the _screws_ that he found among the nails.

"You ought not to have left your work to come and ask that question," said
his father. "I am afraid you are not doing very well. I gave you all the
necessary instructions. Go back to your work."

"But, father," said Rollo, "as he went out, I do not know what I am to do
with the screws. You did not say any thing about screws."

"Then why do you leave your work to ask me any thing about them?"

"Why,--because,--" said Rollo, hesitating. He did not know what to say.

"Your work is to s