The result of it all was, that Mr. George collected twenty-two poor little ragged lads, and gave them a two weeks' outing at Freeville that summer. From this beginning, the whole wonderful plan of the Republic shaped itself in his mind. He thought that if he could get hold of the rough children of the streets, who have no kind parents to care for them, and use the summer holiday to influence them to good actions, he would be doing a great work for them. He felt that the best way to bring this about was to put them in a miniature world of their own, where they would have the same trials and temptations as in their city homes, but with the advantage of having some one at hand to show them the right way. His plan was to form a genuine republic, to which boys and girls would be equally welcome as citizens. The plan has been carried out, and the Junior Republic is a great success. It is an absolute republic, with a government like our own. It has its President, its Senators and Congressmen, and so forth. Mr. George is the President; the boy and girl citizens form the Congress, the Cabinet officers, the Judge, and the police. The Constitution of the United States, and the laws of New York State, are followed as closely as possible, and other laws are made to regulate the particular needs of the Republic. All citizens, boys and girls, are required to work. Nothing is given away in Freeville. The young citizens are paid for their work, and have to support themselves on their earnings. The boys and girls who will not work get no food. In all large cities and communities, the people who have money are obliged to pay a certain sum to help others who have none. Therefore men and women who do not work because they are old or ill, are provided with food and shelter from the money, or taxes, that the well-to-do have to pay. [Illustration] In Freeville it is different. All the citizens are young and healthy, and able to work, so a law has been passed that no laws shall be made to raise money to keep the idle. No money is set aside to keep paupers, and those who do not work cannot eat. The result is, that there are no paupers or tramps in Freeville. The way the children earn their money, is by working from eight-thirty till noon every day at farming, landscape gardening, carpentry, cooking, millinery, and sewing. They are paid according to their skill, and are divided into three grades; unskilled, medium, and skilled labor. The children naturally try their best to improve, so that they may get higher wages, and thus they gradually progress, and learn their trades. They are paid every Saturday, like regular laborers, and out of the money they earn, they pay for their board and lodging through the week. There is a bank in which the thrifty can put their savings, and when they go back to the city they draw these savings out.