Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/77

 geometry; getting ready for next term you know."

"Do you study and work during vacation?" exclaimed Tom, who had never heard of such a piece of foolishness before.

"Of course I do; we all do."

'Tm glad that I haven't such parents as you seem to have," said Tom, rudely.

"Our parents have nothing whatever to do with it. It's the rule of the company."

"That you shall work during vacation?" cried Tom.

"That we shall keep busy at something—yes. We are told that an idle brain is the workshop of a certain old chap who shall be nameless, but we go further, and hold that there is no such thing as an idle brain. It is at work all the time during our waking hours, and sometimes when we are asleep—dreams, you know—and if it is not busy with good things, it is ready to take in bad ones. Have you seen any boys loafing around the corners since you have been here? Then you can bet your bottom dollar that they didn't belong to us."

"Well, when I get to be a member of the