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Frank. Boys not older than we are; and one of them was to stay there for several years.

George. They deserved it, I suppose; so they had themselves to blame.

Frank. That was the worst of it; to have to think that they had lost their liberty by wickedness, and so could not expect any comfort.

George. Did the minister talk to them?

Frank. Yes, he told them, that just so they had chosen, by wicked conduct, to be in prison, instead of by good conduct to be at liberty; so they might choose to be in misery when they die, instead of being happy in heaven.

Philip. But surely they did not choose to be in prison?

Frank. Yes, they did: they knew that was the punishment for breaking the law; and they might have kept the law if they chose: and so not be put into jail.

Philip. Choosing to keep a law, and choos ing to go to heaven, are very different things George. I know this much, that choos

ing to keep a law is the way to get to hea

ven.

Frank. You are mistaken there, George: I suppose you mean God's law of the ten commandments; now I know we never keep that law strict enough to get to heaven by it.

George. I mean, by choosing to keep God's law, that we would rather keep it than break it, because we love and fear him; and if we do love and fear God, you know, we will love Jesus Christ, and so go to heaven when we die. I meant another thing too: it is God's law, that we must believe on Jesus Christ to have our souls saved; so if we keep that law we shall go to heaven.

Philip. Why, George, you talk like a mi

nister.

George. If you went to Sunday school, and read the Bible at home too, Philip, as father teacners us to do; you could talk about what is in it as well as I can.

Philip. You think because I never was at Sunday school, I know nothing about the Bible; I read it at week day school.

George. But reading it at home, and learning to say parts of it at Sunday school, would be of much more use to you.

Philip. You have your old grandfather at home to read it to, and can ask him questions about it.

George. If you went to Sunday school, you could learn verses at home; and then the teacher would answer any questions you wished to ask, about what you learned. Philip. I am too old to go now.

George. You are not older than I am; and some boys go who are older than us.

Frank. Do tell me, George, is that long building the State House?

George. The middle building which looks so old, is the State house: Independence was declared there; and the people give in their votes at the windows.

Frank. Who do they give them to?

George. To judges, inspectors and clerks, who sit inside.

Philip. Who chose them?

George. The people chose them last Fri

day: you go to all the elections, and talk so much of them, I wonder you do not know more about them.

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Philip. I was at the election on Friday; but I did not know what it was for.

George. Yet, when I met you afterwards, you said, hurra, for our side!

Philip. I know I did; I always hurra for the right side; but it is time enough to know what the election is for, when I am old enough

to vote.

Frank. You had better wait until then, to talk about it.

Philip. This is a free country, and every one may talk of what he pleases.

Frank. Be as silly as he pleases," you

mean.

Philip. Silly!

Frank. Yes truly; it is silly enough, to talk of what you own you know nothing about. Philip. Why, my wise one, do you know much about elections?

Frank. I know in what way the people in my own state vote: and when there is an election, I know what it is for; but I never

go to one, for my father thinks none but those who vote have any business there; and when he goes, he seldom stays longer than to talk a little with the neighbours, and give his vote; for, he says, a whole day is too much to lose.

Philip. Well, I think American boys should go to elections, that they may know how to vote, like freemen, when they are of age.

George. Boys ought to know what they must do when they grow up to be men; but they will not learn that at elections, I know. Philip. How then?

George. By reading books.

Philip. Would you have a boy read law books? and if he wanted to, where would he get them?

George. No, not law books; but he can get books out of the Apprentices' Library, that will teach him all he need know about the laws. There are more than two thousand books in it; and I heard that almost seven hundred boys now borrow them.

Philip. You are a great reader, I know; I suppose you have read all the laws.

George. You may laugh as much as you

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