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 gence and honesty; or at least, you ought to give some time to examining into the things that they are doing every day to prove that they do understand, before you set them down as liars, frauds, or superstitious puppets."

Uncle Rob was very much in earnest, and I didn't have anything to say,—so I kicked the railing again.

Suddenly Uncle Rob smiled. "You make me think," he said, "of the man who was calling a certain theory ridiculous, absurd, and without foundation. 'But how do you refute it?' asked his friend. 'This way!' and he kicked against a great boulder by the roadside. He didn't joggle or mar the boulder,—but he hurt his toe!"

I didn't so much as grin. "Now see here, Chester," he went on, "suppose you take that book and look in it for some things that you can understand, instead of looking for trouble. Everything that you do understand, will prove a clue to something that you thought you didn't; and if you take it that way, you'll find that as each statement unravels before your eyes, it shows its connection with some other statement which had seemed confused; and by and by you