said she was only chosen for the walk."

"And so she would not serve any longer?"

"No, sir."

"That was right, Lucy. Never attempt to command without a commission.

"But, Rollo," added his father, "I should think it would be best for you
to have some sort of organization, if you are going to attempt to do any
thing in company. Men never think that they can accomplish any thing in
company, without organization; and I should certainly think that
children would not be able to."

"Organization?" said Rollo; "what is that?"

"Why, some plan for investing some persons with authority. There must
always be authority to decide little questions without debate, and for
getting the opinions of all, on great questions, regularly.

"If a number of men," he continued, "were going to form a cabinet of
curiosities, they would form a _society_. They would choose one to be
president, and one to be secretary, and one to be cabinet keeper."

"What does the president do?" asked Lucy.

"The president decides who shall speak, when several want to speak at
the same time; and so he prevents all confusion. Nobody must speak
without his leave."

"Do they have to ask him?" said Rollo.

"Yes, in fact, they ask him, though not formally in words. They ask him
by rising. In large meetings among men, whoever wants to speak, stands
up, and then the president calls their name, and that is giving him
permission to speak. If more than one stand up at a time, then he calls
the name of one of them, and _he_ has leave to speak, and the other
must sit down."

"Which one does he call?" asked Rollo.

"The one whom he happens to notice first. He must be careful not to call
his friends more than he does other persons. He must be impartial. Then,
besides, the president _puts the question_."

"Puts the question?" asked Rollo; "what is putting the question?"

"Why, after all has been said about the plan that they want to say, the
president asks all that are in favor of it, to hold up their hands; and
he counts them. Then he asks all that are against it to hold up their
hands. He counts these too. And it is decided according to the number of
votes."

"Is that the way they do?" said Rollo.

"Yes," replied his father, "that is the way that men do; but boys all
talk together, and dispute. If some want to play ball, and some want to
play horses, they all talk together, and dispute; it is all,--'I say we
will,' and 'I say we won't,'--and those that mak