, but why you were so anxious to make James believe so.
Why not let him be mistaken?"

"Why--because," said Nathan.

"You see, Nathan," continued Jonas, "the world is full of people that
are continually mistaken; and if you go about trying to set them all
right by disputing them, you'll have a hard row to hoe."

"A hard what?" said Nathan.

"A hard row to hoe," repeated Jonas. "It's never of any service to
attempt to convince people that don't want to be convinced; especially
if they are wrong."

"Especially if they are wrong!" repeated Rollo, in astonishment.

"Yes," replied Jonas. "The very worst time to argue with a boy, is when
he is wrong, and does not want to be set right. It is a great deal
harder to get along in argument with one who is right, than with one who
is wrong; for the one who is wrong, disputes; the one who is right,
reasons."

"Well, Jonas," said James, "which of us was disputing?"

"Both of you," said Jonas.

"Both of us," said James; "but you said that only the one who was wrong,
disputed."

"Well," replied Jonas, "you were both wrong."

"Both wrong! O Jonas!" said James.

"Yes, both wrong," replied Jonas; and so saying, he was going away to
his work.

"But stop a minute longer," said James, "and tell us how it is about the
balloon; we want to know."

"O no," said Jonas, "you don't want to know; you want to _conquer_."

"What do you mean by that?" said Nathan.

"Why, you don't really wish to learn any thing; but you want to have me
decide the case, because each of you hopes that I shall decide in his
favor. You want the pleasure of a victory, not the pleasure of
acquiring knowledge."

"No, Jonas," said Nathan, "we do really want to know."

"Well," said Jonas, "I can't stop now to tell you; perhaps I will this
evening; but I advise you always, after this, not to contradict people,
and dispute with them, when they say things that you don't believe. Do
as the gentleman did, when the man said the moon was a fire."

"What did he do?" said Rollo.

"Why, he let him say it as much as he wanted to."

"Tell us all about it," said James.

"Well, then," said Jonas, "once there was a man, and he saw the moon
coming up behind the trees, and thought it was a large house burning up.
He went along a little way, and he met a vulgar fellow, riding in a
carriage."

"Riding in a carriage!" repeated Rollo, astonished.

"Yes," said Jonas, "handsomely dressed. 'Sir,' said the man, 'see that