ng to have a share in the
museum, to come one afternoon and begin to collect the curiosities. They
all came--Lucy, James, and Henry. And when Rollo saw them all collected
in the garden yard, with baskets in their hands all ready to go forth
after curiosities, he capered about full of anticipations of delight.

"Now," said Henry, "let us go down to the hemlock-tree."

"No," said Rollo, "it will be better to go to the brook, where I found
the pebbles."

"But I want to go and see if I can't find another hemlock-seed," said
Henry.

Rollo was, however, very unwilling to go that way, and yet Henry
insisted upon it. Lucy listened to the dispute with a countenance
expressive of distress and anxiety. First, she proposed to Rollo to
yield to Henry, and then to Henry to yield to Rollo; but in vain. Henry
said that Rollo ought to let him decide, because he was the oldest; and
Rollo said that he himself ought to decide, because it was his museum.
They were both wrong. Neither ought to have insisted upon having his own
way so strenuously. At length, after quite a long and unpleasant
altercation, Lucy proposed that they should draw lots for it. The boys
consented.

"I'll tell you a better plan than that," said a voice above them. They
looked up, and saw Mary sitting at the window of the chamber. She had
been reading, but, on hearing this dispute, she had closed her book, and
now interposed to do what she could to aid in settling it.

When Rollo heard his sister Mary's voice, he felt a little ashamed of
his pertinacity. Lucy asked Mary what the plan was.

"Why," said she, "in all expeditions where there are several children,
it is very desirable to have a regent."

"A regent?" said Lucy.

"Yes," said Mary, "a commander, to take the lead, and decide the
thousand little questions which are likely to occur. Unless there is
somebody to decide them, there will be endless disputes."

"Well," said Henry, "I'll be regent."

"No," said Mary, "you must choose one. I'll tell you how. You must
choose the regent by ballot. Lilac leaves make good ballots. Each one
of you must consider who you think will be best for regent,--that is,
who will have the most discretion and judgment, to decide wisely, and at
the same time be mild and gentle, and amiable in manner, so as to be a
pleasant commander. Of course, no one must vote for himself."

"But I don't understand," said Rollo. "What are the lilac leaves for?"

"For ballots; that is, for