JONAS’S MAGNET.
One evening, after tea, Rollo was seated upon his cricket, before the fire, reading. His mother was upon the sofa, also reading, and so the room was very still.
By and by, Rollo finished his book. It was quite a small story-book, and he had been reading it some time, and so he had got to the end. He laid the book down, therefore, upon the table, and began to consider what he should do next.
“Mother,” said Rollo, “what shall I do?”
“I don’t know,” said his mother; “you must contrive some way to amuse yourself, for I am busy reading, now.”
Rollo sat still, looking at the fire a few minutes, and then he thought he would go out into the kitchen, and see what Nathan was about. Accordingly, he went into the kitchen. Dorothy was at work, making some bread for the next day. Jonas was bringing in wood. Nathan was sitting upon the floor before the fire, very much interested in looking at something which he held in his hand.
“What have you got, Nathan?” said Rollo.
“I am seeing this nail stick on,” said Nathan.
“Stick on!” said Rollo; “what does the child mean?” He accordingly came up to Nathan, and found that he had a smooth, flat bar of steel, not very regular in its shape, in one hand, and a nail in the other; and he was amusing himself with applying the nail to the bar of steel, and seeing it adhere.
“It is a magnet,” said Rollo. “What a big magnet! Where did you get it, Nathan?”