Walter Dane was in a hurry to go off to play at ball with some of his schoolfellows; and so he did not give much thought to the lesson which he had to learn.
It was a lesson in grammar. Walter's mother took the book, and said, "I fear my little boy finds it hard to put his thoughts on his lesson to-day."
"Try me, mother," said Walter. "I will do my best."
"Then, I will put you a question which is not in the book," said mamma. "Which is the heavier,—a pound of feathers, or a pound of lead?"
"A pound of lead, to be sure!" cried Walter confidently.
"There! you spoke then without thinking," said Mrs. Dane. "A little thought would have made it clear to you that a pound is a pound, and that a pound of feathers must weigh just as much as a pound of lead."
"When I spoke, I was thinking that Tom Burton was out in the yard waiting for me," said Walter.
"Well, take your thoughts off from Tom Burton, and put them on the question I am now about to ask you. What is a noun?"
"A noun is a word used as the name of any object."
"Very well. A noun, then, is a name-word."