“O, yes, sir; it’s a word that signifies to be, to act, or to be acted upon,” was the parrot-like reply.
“Very well. Now can you tell me what is the verb in this sentence: ‘John struck James with a big stick.’”
“O, yes, papa—big stick.”
“Indeed! Why so?”
“O, sir, because the stick was what he did it with. P’raps he wouldn’t have dared strike him at all if he hadn’t had any stick!”
“O, what an idea!” cried wise Susy.
But her father and mother were not at all disturbed by Prudy’s ignorance, and did not even try to set her right. In fact, they thought she was too young to study grammar.
“But all this while we have not heard from Dotty,” said Mrs. Parlin; “she began to speak a little while ago, and some of us interrupted her.”
“O, nothing, mamma, only Lina Rosenbug’s been stealing!”
“Stealing, Dotty!”