"Why, pretty well," said Rollo; but he spoke in an indifferent and hesitating manner, which showed that he did not feel much interest in his mother's proposal.
"I can't understand very well about the air," said Nathan.
Their mother, finding that the boys did not wish much to hear any conversation about the air, said nothing more about it just then, and Rollo and Nathan got some books, and began to read; but somehow or other, they did not find the books very interesting, and Rollo, after reading a little while, put down his book, and went to the window, saying that he wished it would stop raining. Nathan followed him, and they both looked out of the window with a weary and disconsolate air.
Their mother looked at them, and then said to herself, "They have not energy and decision enough to set themselves about something useful, and in fact I ought not to expect that they should have. I must supply the want, by my energy and decision."
Then she said aloud to Rollo and Nathan,—
"I want you, boys, to go up into the garret, and under the sky-light you will see a large box. Open this box, and you will find it filled with feathers. Select from these feathers three or four which are the most downy and soft about the stem, and bring them down to me."
"What are they for?" said Rollo.
"I will tell you," replied his mother, "when you have brought them to me."
So Rollo and Nathan went up into the garret, and brought the feathers. They carried them to their mother. She said that they would answer very well, and she laid them gently down upon the table.
Then she took up her scissors, and began to cut off some of the lightest down, saying, at the same time,—