e the most noise get the
victory."

"The men's way is the best," said Rollo.

"I think so myself," replied his father.

"And what does the secretary do?" asked Mary.

"The secretary keeps the record. He writes an account of every meeting."

"Does he write all that every body says?" asked Rollo.

"No," said his father, "only the decisions."

"Well," said Rollo, with a tone of satisfaction, "and the cabinet keeper
keeps the cabinet, I suppose."

"Yes," said his father, "and so all disputings about where the things
are to be placed in the cabinet, are avoided; for he decides the whole.
He must be a person of judgment and skill."

"Jonas would be a good cabinet keeper for us," said Rollo.

"I think you had better form a regular society, Rollo," said Mary.

"Well," said Rollo, "will you belong to it?"

"Yes," said Mary.

"And we can choose our officers by lilac ballots," said James.

"We'll have the first meeting to-morrow afternoon," said Rollo. "I will
go in the morning, and ask Henry to come,--if mother will let me."

* * * * *

His mother did let him, and the next afternoon the children all
collected in the yard, intending to form their society, and proceed
regularly. Mary promised to meet with them, and help them make their
arrangements. They were to meet in the play room.

Before the time of the meeting, Mary went in, and, with Rollo's help,
made some seats of boards, not far from the cabinet, so that all the
members of the society might sit down. The children played about in the
yard, some gathering lilac leaves for ballots, and some talking about
the curiosities they meant to collect, until, at length, Mary came down
and told them it was time to go and have their meeting. She had a great
many little papers in one hand, and some pencils in the other. James
asked her what she was going to do with those papers. She said they were
for ballots.

"O, we have been getting lilac leaves for ballots," said Lucy.

"Papers are better," said Mary, "when there is a good deal of balloting
to be done."

Then the children threw down the lilac leaves they had gathered, and
followed Mary into the play room. They all came around the cabinet, and
began to open it and talk about the curiosities. But Mary told them
that, if they were going to have a society, they must not touch the
cabinet until they had appointed a cabinet keeper--they ought all to go
and sit down.

So they went an