84 LUCY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

small hole, just big enough to look through. Then
suppose that I should have a picture pasted against
the back side of the box opposite to the hole.”

“We couldn’t see it, mother,” said Lucy ; “it
would be all dark.”

* Yes, that’s true,” said her mother. “ But now
suppose I should make another hole in the side of
the box to let in a little light.”

“ How could you make it, mother?” said Lucy.

“QO, I don’t know, —Icould get Royal to bore
it for me with his gimlet.”

“ That wouldn’t be big enough,” said Lucy.

“ Hasn’t he got a big one?” asked her mother.

“Yes,” said Lucy, “he has got one, but it
does not make a good hole; and then it almost
always splits the wood. I think it would spoil
the box to have him bore a hole in it with the
large one.”

“OQ,” said her mother, “it won’t hurt the box ;
it is nothing but an imaginary box.”

‘An imaginary box?” repeated Lucy.

“Yes,” said her mother; “it is only an ima-
ginary box, and it won’t hurt it to bore an ima-
ginary hole in it.”

Lucy laughed, and her mother went on with
the illustration

“Now, suppose,” said she, “we had such a