PHILOSOPHY. 87

“ Yes, ma’am,” said Robert ; “that is exactly
the way.”

Lucy’s attention was here taken up by watch-
ing Eben, who seemed very much interested in
looking into the hole which he had been punching.
He was trying whether he could see the squirrel
there. She jumped off the log, and went to the
hole, saying, —

“Can you see him, Eben?”

“ Yes,” said Eben, “I believe I can see him.”

“ Let me look,” said Lucy.

Lucy put her head pretty close to the hole,
and looked very intently.

“ Can you see him?” said her mother.

“T don’t know,” said Lucy, “ whether I can
see him or not.”

“If we had a dark closet here, where we could
shut you up a few minutes, then you could see
better down in the hole,’’ said her mother.

“Won't it do for me to shut my eyes?” said
Lucy. .

“ T don’t know,” replied her mother, ‘ whether
that will produce the effect, or not. I don’t know
what it is that causes the eye to change, — whether
t is the mere absence of light, or the effort we
make to see when looking in the dark. If it
were the mere absence of light, then it would