THE ARITHMETIC LESSON. 17

' bravely. It began to grow late, and father did not come
home. Jane and Mary kissed mother, and went away
to bed; I nestled close beside her.

“Mother, I wish, when you were a girl, you had
studied this arithmetic, so that you could tell me,” I
said, looking up into her face, and wondering that she,
who knew so much, should not know how to work-out
my sums. _

“‘T am very sorry my dear boy prefers being told to .
studying it out himself,” she answered, gravely.

“Mother, I cannot!” declared I, knocking my heavy
cow-hide shoes against the legs of her chair. ©

“Cannot is a lazy drone,” said she.

“And what is caz, mother?” I merrily: said.

“A smart, brisk, persevering creature, that stands on
his own legs, and does not need to use other people’s.”

Alas! how many bright prospects and fair hopes
has that same /azy drone overcast and blasted! How
many have met some flattering temptation, and when
* reason and ‘conscience have cried out, “Resist! Flee!”

they have drawled out a languid “JZ cannot!” and given

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