-. &6 SOBER JOHN.

ferred staying there to going out to play
' with his brothers and cousins. Did [ tell
you about his cousins ? ”

*No,”’ said Rollo, “not a word.”

“He had some cousins, who lived in the
next house, at a short distance through the
trees. And his cousins and his brothers used
to play together a great deal; but it was very
seldom that they could get John to play
with them, and so they called him Sober
_ John. But they liked him very much,
notwithstanding.”

“Why?” said Rollo.

‘Because he was always very kind to
them ; and then he often contrived plays for
the other boys, and helped them plan a great
_ many things they never would have thought
__ of without him. He was excellent in plan-
hing and calculating. He learnt it out of
his books.

_ “The boys often came to him, when they
* got tired of all their plays, for some new
- amusement, and he generally contrived
* something for them.”
i “What kind of plays did he contrive ?”
_ asked Lucy.
_  “O, TI don’t know,” said Jonas, “ all kinds,