Part 6

A FALSE ALARM.

As Rollo and Jonas walked along towards home, Rollo told Jonas that he thought he had been very successful in collecting curiosities that day.

"Why, what curiosities have you got besides your hornets' nest?" asked Jonas.

"Why, there are my raspberry seeds," said Rollo; "I think they are a curiosity; and besides that, I have got some very beautiful, bright pebbles in my pocket."

"Let us see them," said Jonas.

So Rollo put his hand into his pocket, and drew forth several pebbles; but they were by no means as beautiful as he had imagined. They looked rough and dull.

"They were very bright, when I got them," said Rollo.

"That is because they were wet," said Jonas. "Pebbles always look brightest and most beautiful when they are in their own proper place, in the brook; and that is the reason why I think it is generally best to leave them there."

Rollo looked at his faded pebbles with an air of disappointment. He asked Jonas if there was no way of keeping them bright all the time.

"I think it probable that they might be oiled, and the oil would not dry."

"Ho!" said Rollo, "I should not like to have them oiled."

"Nor I," said Jonas; "I should rather leave them in the brook."

"But is not there any other way?"

"They might be varnished," said Jonas. "That would bring out the colors; and the varnish would dry, so that you could handle them."

"That would do," said Rollo, "if I only had some varnish."

"But the best way is to polish them," said Jonas.

"How is that done?" asked Rollo.

"O, it is very hard to do," replied Jonas. "They grind them on stones, and then they polish them on polishing wheels."

"I wish I could do it," said Rollo.

"It is not worth while to take so much pains with any of your curiosities," said Jonas, "because you very soon get tired of them, and throw them away."

"O, no," said Rollo, "I never throw them away."

"You leave them lying about the house and yard, then, and so other people throw them away."

Rollo knew that this was true, and so he did not contradict Jonas.

"It's not of much use to collect curiosities," said Jonas, "unless you have a museum."

"A museum?" said Rollo.

"Yes, that is a cabinet to put them in, and keep them safe. Then, when you have done looking at them yourself, you put them away safely; and, after a time, you get a great many collected, and you take pleasure in looking them over from time to time, and showing them to other boys that come to see you."

"Well," said Rollo, "I should like to have a museum."

"O, you could not keep one," said Jonas.