"Yes," said Al. "Well, there was a lot of figures of London street people, and some were the funniest-looking things you ever saw."
"I saw so much china and 'pottery,' as you call it, that I hardly recollect any of it. But 'pottery,' I thought, meant merely flower-pots and other ordinary stone-ware?"
"Why, no," said Willie; "it means anything that is formed of earth and hardened by fire. I heard Uncle Jack say so, and he knows, doesn't he?" said Willie, decidedly.
"Of course; but people do call these things 'china' or 'porcelain' as well as 'pottery,' don't they?"
"Yes; but Uncle Jack says 'pottery' means all those together, and 'porcelain,' 'majolica,' and other names like that are names of different kinds of pottery," answered Willie.
"Well," said Al, "let's ask Uncle Jack to tell us all about it. What do you say?"
"Yes; let's ask him this very night."
When the lads reached home they told their plan to Willie's sister Matie, and then all three determined to carry it out.
"Rap-a-tap, tap," sounded briskly at the library door after supper. "Come in," was the response, and in bounded the three children, their faces lighted up with smiles at the prospect of spending an evening with Uncle Jack.
"Welcome, youngsters," said he, in a cheery tone. "But you look as if you were expecting something; what is it?"