"Tell us what they would be, uncle," said James.
"O, I know," said Rollo; "you could not stand up straight without gravitation."
"O, we could, couldn't we, father?" said Nathan.
"What makes you think, Rollo," said his father, without replying to James's question—"what makes you think that we could not stand up straight without gravitation?"
"Why, you see," said Rollo.—Here he paused, and looked confused, and did not know what to say. He had an indistinct recollection of having read something about it in some book; but he could not tell what.
"I don't see what should prevent any body's standing up straight, if the attraction of the earth should cease; in fact, if it made any difference, it would be rather easier to stand up straight."
Here Rollo looked rather foolish, but he did not reply. The truth is, like almost all other children, who take an interest in reading, he was sometimes a little vain of his knowledge; and in this case, instead of listening attentively, and endeavoring to learn something new from his father's explanations, he seems to have thought it a good plan for him to help him elucidate the subject to James and Nathan. He exchanged the character of learner for teacher too soon.
"Well, uncle," said James, "what would be the consequence if gravitation should cease?"
"Why, in the first place," said Rollo's father, "all the streams in the world would stop running."
"The streams!" said Rollo, astonished.