“No,” said her father; “usage makes them correct. There is no other rule for good English than good usage.”
“Very well, then,” said Lucy’s mother; “I’ll call it the convalescent box; and I think it will be a very convenient box indeed.”
They did no more about the box that evening; for it was now time for the children to go to bed. The next day, however, they made some rules for the box, which Royal wrote out in a very plain hand, and pasted upon the under side of the lid. They were as follows:—
“Rules.
“1. This box must not be opened for Royal or Lucy, unless they have been sick enough to have to take medicine.
“2. It must be shut and locked again, the first time they are well enough to go out of doors.
“3. The playthings and books must always be put back in good order, and the key given to mother.”
When Royal had pasted the paper containing a copy of the rules into its place, he and Lucy began to look around the house to find books and playthings to put into it. Lucy said that she meant to go and ask her mother what she had better put in.
“What do you think, mother,” said she, “that we had better put into the marble box?”
“That is rather a hard question to settle,” her mother replied. “You want very interesting books and playthings when you are sick; but then all that you put in will be entirely lost to you while you continue well; for you know the box is never to be opened when you are well.”