you for your diligence in picking up and storing away such precious
bits of knowledge, I promise you for your next Christmas present a
gilt-edged copy of Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress.'"

"I thank you very much, dear uncle," replied Dannie; "but, if it makes
no difference with you, I would prefer 'Josephus' to 'Bunyan.'"

"Certainly, certainly, my dear nephew; it shall be as you wish,"
replied Uncle Juvinell, a little provoked with himself for having been
so thoughtless as to overlook the fact, that Daniel, being a
curly-headed, Jewish boy, was not likely to be much interested in the
ups and downs of good old Christian's doleful pilgrimage.

"Tell me, uncle," cried John, who had an ear for rhyme, "what is meant
by taxation, and legislation by representation, in a nation. Is it
sense, or only poetry?"

"Bad poetry, but mighty good sense, my little boy," replied Uncle
Juvinell; "and, if you will be right attentive, I will endeavor to
make clear to you what is meant thereby. In a popular form of
government,--such as the one we live under,--the people tax
themselves, and make laws for themselves, through persons chosen by
themselves, and from among themselves, to serve for a certain term of
months or years in our State Legislatures or in our National
Congress, as the case may be. The persons whom the people thus
authorize to tax them and make laws, or, as it is otherwise termed, to
legislate for them, representing, as they do, the will, desires, and
wants of the communities by whom they are chosen, are called
representatives; and hence the phrase, 'taxation, and representation
by legislation.'"

"In a nation," added Johnnie, by way of giving it a finish, and to
show that it was all as clear as day to him.

"Yes, in a nation and a state too," rejoined Uncle Juvinell, with a
merry twinkle in his eye.

"Will you have the kindness, uncle," said Dannie, "to tell us the
difference between a legislature and a congress and a parliament?"

"In our own country," replied Uncle Juvinell, "a legislature is the
law-making assembly of a State, and Congress is the law-making
assembly of the whole nation; while Parliament is the great law-making
or legislative assembly of Great Britain and Ireland. The rules and
regulations in all these bodies are quite similar; and, besides being
vested with the power of laying taxes and making laws, they perform
other services necessary to the safety and welfare of the state or
nation. Thus the o