Georgie | Page 3

of this story.

TWO GOOD FRIENDS.
Rollo ran along to the end of the bridge, clambered down to the water's
edge, went along the shore among the trees and shrubbery, until he
came to the seat where Georgie was sitting. Georgie asked him to sit
down, and stay with him; but Rollo said he must go directly home; and

so Georgie took his crutches, and they began to walk slowly together
up the garden walk.
"Where have you been, Rollo?" said Georgie.
"I have been to see my cousin James, to ask him to go to the city with
us to-morrow."
"Are you going to the city?"
"Yes; uncle George gave James and I a half a dollar apiece, the other
day; and mother is going to carry us into the city to-morrow to buy
something with it."
"Is Jonas going with you?"
"Yes," said Rollo. "He is going to drive. We are going in our carryall."
"I wish you would take some money for me, then, and get Jonas to buy
me something with it."
"Well, I will," said Rollo. "What shall he buy for you?"
"O, he may buy any thing he chooses."
"Yes, but if you do not tell him what to buy, he may buy something you
have got already."
"O, Jonas knows every thing I have got as well as I do."
Just then they came up near the house, and Georgie asked Rollo to look
up at the golden pippin tree, and see how full it was.
"That is my branch," said he.
He pointed to a large branch which came out on one side, and which
hung down loaded with fruit. It would have broken down, perhaps, if
there had not been a crotched pole put under it, to prop it up.

"But all the apples on your branch are not golden pippins," said Rollo.
"There are some on it that are red. What beautiful red apples!"
"Yes," said Georgie. "Father grafted that for me, to make it bear
rosy-boys. I call the red ones my rosy-boys."
"Grafted?" said Rollo; "how did he graft it?"
"O," said Georgie, "I do not know exactly. He cut off a little branch
from a rosy-boy tree, and stuck it on somehow, and it grew, and bears
rosy-boys still."
Rollo thought this was very curious; Georgie told him he would give
him an apple, and that he might have his choice--a pippin or a
rosy-boy.
Rollo hesitated, and looked at them, first at one, and then at another;
but he could not decide. The rosy-boys had the brightest and most
beautiful color, but then the pippins looked so rich and mellow, that he
could not choose very easily; and so Georgie laughed, and told him he
would settle the difficulty by giving him one of each.
"So come here," said he, "Rollo, and let me lean on you, while I knock
them down."
So Rollo came and stood near him, while Georgie leaned on him, and
with his crutch gave a gentle tap to one of each of his kinds of apples,
and they fell down upon the soft grass, safe and sound.
[Illustration]
They then went into the house, and Georgie gave Rollo his money,
wrapped up in a small piece of paper; and then Rollo, bidding him good
by, went out of the little white gate, and walked along home.
The next morning, soon after breakfast, Jonas drove the carryall up to
the front door, and Rollo and his mother walked out to it. Rollo's
mother took the back seat, and Rollo and Jonas sat in front, and they

drove along.
They called at the house where James lived, and found him waiting for
them on the front steps, with his half dollar in his hand.
He ran into the house to tell his mother that the carryall had come, and
to bid her good morning, and then he came out to the gate.
"James," said Rollo, "you may sit on the front seat with Jonas, if you
want to."
James said he should like to very much; and so Rollo stepped over
behind, and sat with his mother. This was kind and polite; for boys all
like the front seat when they are riding, and Rollo therefore did right to
offer it to his cousin.

A LECTURE ON PLAYTHINGS.
After a short time, they came to a smooth and pleasant road, with trees
and farmhouses on each side; and as the horse was trotting along
quietly, Rollo asked his mother if she could not tell them a story.
"I cannot tell you a story very well, this morning, but I can give you a
lecture on playthings, if you wish."
"Very well, mother, we should like that," said the boys.
They did not know very