Is "our Assembly" the Albany convention mentioned in the note at the head of the selection, or is it the Assembly of Franklin's own colony? What is the meaning of _apprehending_? Do you like it better than _thinking_? What do you suppose was the nature of the "information" the Assembly had received? Do you think that someone had told them that Braddock was prejudiced, or did they infer it from actions of Braddock which had been described to them? Who was averse to it? What is the meaning of "wait upon him"? Do we use that phrase frequently now? What might we say now? What do you understand by "not as from them"? Can you put into that phrase one word that will make its meaning clear? Was Franklin then postmaster-general of his colony? Was he ever postmaster-general of the United States? What is the meaning of _guise_? What is meant by "under the guise"? Does _celerity_ mean more than _quickness_? Is there any shade of difference in the meanings of the two words? Do you think Franklin used the best word he could find when he wrote _celerity_? What are "despatches"? What kind of despatches would pass between Braddock and the governors of the different provinces? How many different provinces were there for Braddock to help defend? What were they? Who proposed to pay the expense? Does _propose_ in this case have a different or larger meaning than that in which you are in the habit of seeing it used? Of what did they propose to pay the expense? If a young person can answer all the questions in the preceding paragraph, he undoubtedly understands the passage upon which they are based. The questioner must watch the answers and be ready to detect mistakes. Often the answer shows why the person fails to understand, and a different question will then bring out the correct reply. The questions always should be so worded that they do not anticipate the answer, yet so the person questioned will thoroughly understand what is expected. A little help now and then is appreciated by anyone, certainly by those who are being led to think. Carried to excess, close reading is wearisome; and parents, remembering this, should be discriminating in their selections for study and not too exacting in their requirements. Everything may be lost by dwelling too long upon even the most delightful selections. Left to himself, almost every child will be fond of _The Village Blacksmith_, but it may be read and "studied" till the very thought of it is obnoxious to the young reader. _Industry and Sloth_ (Volume I, page 300) To bring out the thought in this selection, study it as follows: