oing things, or of making things, to
condemn it at once, and say how much better the thing is in their
country. But I thought that you had travelled enough to know better than
that."

"How so?" asked Rollo.

"Why, you see that after people have travelled more, they get their
ideas somewhat enlarged, and they learn that one way of doing things may
be best in one country, and another in another, on account of some
difference in the circumstances or the wants of the two countries. So,
when they see any thing done in a new or unusual manner, they don't
condemn it, or laugh at it, until they have had time to find out whether
there may not be some good reason for it."

"But I don't see," said Rollo, "what possible good reason there can be
for having the sidewalks made so that every cart that comes along can
run over you."

"And because you don't in a moment see every reason, does that make it
certain that there cannot be any?" said Mr. George.

"Why, no," replied Rollo.

"Then if you had travelled to much purpose," said Mr. George, "you would
suspend your judgment until you had inquired."

It was not long before Rollo saw what the reason was for making the
sidewalks in this way. Indeed, with a little reflection, he would
probably have thought of it himself.

The object was to make it easy to wheel and convey the goods from the
ships across to the warehouses. For, as the ships and boats go into
almost all the streets in the town, goods have to be wheeled across
every where, from the margin of the quay to the warehouses of the
merchants, and a range of curbstones and gutter would make an obstacle
that would be very much in the way.

Besides, contrary to Rollo's hastily formed opinion, there ought _not_
to be any gutters in such a town as this, as far as the streets are
perfectly level, from end to end; if gutters were made the water would
not run in them. The only way to have the rain water carried off, is to
form a gentle slope from the houses straight across the quay to the
margin of the canal, and this requires that the connection between the
sidewalk and the road way should be continuous and even. So that on
every account the plan adopted in Rotterdam is the best for that town.

I advise all the readers of this book, whether old or young, if they
have not yet had an opportunity to learn wisdom by actual experience in
travelling, to remember the lesson that Rollo learned on this occasion;
and whenever, in their