"Then, to repeat my interrogatory, what was you a doing of with the
kitten in the hogshead?"

"I was teaching her to swim," said Ben, looking out of the corner of
his eye at his father, to see what impression this explanation made upon
him.

"And what advantageous result do you think would be brought about by
teaching of the kitten to swim, Benjamin?" persisted his father.

"Advantageous result!" repeated Ben, demurely, pretending not to
understand.

"Certingly."

"What does that mean?"

"Do you not study your dictionary at school, Benjamin?"

"Yes, but I don't like it much."

"You are very much in error. You will never learn to employ your tongue
with elegance and precision, unless you engage in this beneficial
study."

"I can use my tongue well enough, without studying grammar," said Ben.
He proceeded to illustrate the truth of this assertion by twisting his
tongue about in a comical manner.

"Tongue," exclaimed his father, "is but another name for language I mean