Anonymous

“ Now we see that John has acquired a great stock of most delightful and important knowledge. His mind is like a large room that is filled with many hundred pictures of the most beautiful objects; so that he can never want entertainment for his thoughts. Wherever he may travel, he will find in every garden, and field, and wood, new objects, which are yet like old friends to him ”

“ Now was not it very wrong of him, Mamma?”
“I know he often teases you, my love; for boys are very fond of teasing their little sisters; but yet I think you should not be very glad when he is reproved, because he is really good natured, and willing to do any thing for you that you want.”
“So he is, poor fellow,” said Phebe; “and I did not particularly wish him to be reproved, only I was afraid that he would spoil my doll. ”

“ What is dexterity, Papa?
Father. Dexterity is the habit a man acquires, by use, of performing any particular action in the best way, with the least trouble or effort. Think [Pg 113] now, if you can, of a man whose business it is to exercise strength, without even having need of dexterity.
Henry considered for some time, and then replied,—“The man who turned the winder of the crane, to raise the hogshead into the warehouse: he had nothing to do but to move his arms round and round.” ”

“ Henry. Because, Papa, we ought always to be willing to help those who are in distress; even though it should cost us a great deal of trouble and money.
Father. Then you see, that though it is not necessary for all men to exercise strength, or industry, or to have knowledge, or genius, it is necessary for all men to be,——?
Henry. Ready to help each other in distress.
Father. If I want a house to be built, I must find out a man that is used to build houses:—If I want clothes, I must go to the draper:—If I want to be taught any thing, I must apply to those who have acquired knowledge ”

“ As he rode home, Thomas began to consider the reason why he and the French boy could not understand each other. He did not know a word of any language except English; and he had never before thought on the subject. He remembered to have heard that the people in France speak [Pg 166] French; and he had heard too, the son of the captain of the mine talk about learning Latin; but he had no clear notion of what was meant by another language. “I suppose,” said he to himself, “speaking French, or speaking Latin, means calling things by different names to what we do.” ”

“ But what was her disappointment at finding, when she awoke in the morning, that it rained hard; she thought it very unfortunate, that, out of so few days, one of them should be rainy.
“Dear! dear! what shall I find to do all day long,” said Phebe, as soon as she came down stairs. “What a very great pity it is that it should rain so fast.”
“O, do not make troubles out of nothing, my little lass,” said Mr. [Pg 39] Mason, “I dare say you will find something to do, though it is a wet day: beside don’t you know, that we should not complain when things are not just as we wish them to be?” ”

“ Then, Papa, if men can do what they wish by contrivances and machines, I do not see that patience is of much use.
Father. What you mean, is properly called industry: patience means, bearing pain quietly. But industry is of great use to execute what has been thought of and contrived by those who have knowledge and ingenuity: and, besides, there are many things that require very little skill, but are performed chiefly by industry. Let us return to the wharf where we saw the blocks of stone. ”

“ Perhaps my dear Fanny may think the books of which I beg her acceptance rather odd ones for a little girl. I must therefore explain to her why I made choice of them for her: and in order to do this, I must write rather a long letter, which, however, I hope may give her some useful hints.
“The minds of some children, I [Pg 61] must observe, are so dull and inactive, that they seem to have no curiosity: they seldom ask any questions: they take very little notice of what they see or hear; and never learn any more than what they are forced to learn by their Parents and Masters. ”

“ Archibald confessed, that, seeing the parcel lying on the grass in the church-yard, he had carried it up into the belfry; only just, as he said, to frighten the little boy, and make him think he had lost it; but intending to bring it down, or, at least, tell him where it was: but when his brother called him to come down lest he should be locked in, he was in such a hurry, that he quite forgot the parcel.
“What is to be done?” said Harold. “Do you know, little boy, what was in the parcel? Do you think your master can wait for it till to-morrow?” ”

“ Mason’s, Mamma.—I dare say I [Pg 21] shall sit up to supper every night; and I shall most likely sleep in a room all by myself, instead of in the nursery: and every thing will be a great deal more pleasant than it is here.”
“Why, really Phebe,” said her Mamma, “if a little girl who lives in a comfortable house, with a kind Papa and Mamma, and several good brothers and sisters, and a great many playthings, finds so much to be discontented with, I cannot promise that she will find every thing just as she would wish it, even at Mrs. Mason’s.” ”

“ I am sure nothing would be easier than to get such as I should like.”
“I am not quite so certain about that as you seem to be, my love; for really, Fanny, I do not know one little girl who never gives any trouble, and who always does exactly as she ought. However, as you seem so fond of teaching children to read, I think you will be very glad when you are old enough to teach at the Sunday School with sister Harriet.” ”

“ Peter Simons, as we have said before, could plait a straw hat pretty neatly. It was a sort of employment that suited him; because he could do it while he sat lolling in the sunshine; thinking about nothing; with his eyes half shut, and his mouth half open. He thought that if he made two or three hats, he might be able to sell them at the town for as much money as would buy the screw-driver, [Pg 10] or what other tools he might want. He procured the straw therefore, and taking it to the cabin of the old sloop, went to work more heartily than ever he had done in his life before. ”

“ When I wanted the new stables built, what did I do?
Sam. You sent for Mr. Bond, Papa, and told him to do it.
Father. But what should make Mr. Bond willing to take the trouble of building stables for me?
Sam. You told him you would pay him for doing it.
Father. Very well: then you see, money is the first thing requisite when any great work is to be performed. If a man wants nothing but what he can procure for himself, he has no need of money: but then he must be content to live upon wild fruits, and to shelter himself in a cavern: this is what is called savage life. ”

“ Fanny could remember the names over most of the shop doors in the town: but Mary was acquainted with the nature of the principal trades and manufactures: she knew what countries the different articles of food, dress, or furniture come from, and how they are prepared for use.
Fanny not only knew the names of most of the neighbours; but also, how [Pg 54] many servants they kept; or what their business was; or who their relations were: but Mary knew the names of the most famous men who have lived in different ages of the world ”

“ Instead of [Pg 163] being, like some boys, who think themselves unhappy because they are obliged to learn, and who would be content to spend all their time in play; Thomas employed every opportunity for improving his mind. While the man who had the charge of the drove of mules was transacting business in the town, Thomas would take his book to a niche in the rock that hung over the sea; where he would spend half an hour, or sometimes an hour, in study: and perhaps he might learn as much in this short time as some boys do in a whole day; though they have masters to teach them every thing. ”

“ Mason, laughing; “for, if we had not a great deal of air, the milk would not keep sweet.”
“O would not it, I did not know that,” said Phebe; who just now recollected what her Mamma had very often told her; that children should never attempt to teach grown people.
She returned to the kitchen again, and stood for sometime at the window, looking into the farm yard; but there was nothing to be seen but a few cows, standing as still as Phebe, and seeming not much happier. ”

“ I must confess I do not think so;—but, on the contrary, I think you would show much more generosity by giving two shillings of your own money to this poor woman, (which you say is as much as you can afford,) than you would, by being governess over six little girls, in a nice snug room, who were to be so good tempered and clever that they would be no trouble to teach, and whose pretty new frocks were to be bought with Papa’s money.—What do you really think, my love? ”

“ She found her way to the parlour; but was surprised to see that the window shutters were not open. [Pg 30]
“No, this way, if you please, Miss;” said Susan, opening a door on the other side the passage.
“Dear,” said Phebe, looking quite amazed as she entered a large old-fashioned kitchen, strewed with red sand, finding that they were really going to breakfast there. “Well, I did not know that people ever lived in kitchens: I thought they were only made for servants. We do not live in ours.”
“No, I dare say not,” said Mrs. Mason, “but you like this kitchen love, don’t you?” ”

“ When such young persons grow up, they generally care about nothing but eating and drinking; and become more and more stupid and selfish every year that they live.
“But this cannot be said of either of my nieces: my dear Mary and Fanny, have both of them very active minds: they are very inquisitive, and very observant of every thing they see or hear. I think I have sometimes passed many months, in which I have not had to reply to half the number of questions that were put to me, in one [Pg 62] week, by the two little girls to whom I am now writing. ”

“ Harold continued to walk along steadily, because he had heard that bulls often pursue persons who run away from them; but seldom attack those who do not appear to be frightened.
When they had got out of the meadow into the adjoining lane, Harold would have proceeded home; but Archibald, who had recovered from his fright, said he was determined to have a little fun with the old churl. So he [Pg 127] filled his pockets with pebbles, and clambered into a tree in the hedge, where he knew that he should be perfectly safe, and then began hallooing and throwing stones at the bull. ”

“ But I dare say Fanny will ask, ‘Who would ever be so stupid as to wish to know exactly how many trees, and shrubs, there are in the fields and gardens?’ To this I must answer, that I do not really believe any one could be found, who would be quite so stupid as this; but I do really believe that some people are very desirous to know things that are quite as foolish and unprofitable; and things too that are much more hurtful in their consequences upon their own character.
“Suppose, now, a person wishes to hear stories about the private affairs of all his neighbours ”

“ But the man who merely exerts strength, looks on the ground; breaths chiefly through his mouth; moves stifly; and appears either ferocious, sullen, or stupid; unless he follows also some other occupation which exercises his mind.
By this time the boat had reached the foot of Blackfriar’s Bridge, where they left it. In Bridge Street they took a coach: when they were well seated, the conversation was continued.
Father. Now let us compare the coachman’s occupation with that of the waterman: What has he need of?
John. The horses draw the coach; so he does not want strength ”

“ It also makes them impertinent, and fond of the company of ignorant, vulgar, and worthless people; because it is only such people who will tell them the things they wish to know. When young persons indulge this sort of curiosity, [Pg 70] though it be only from idleness, they soon become tale-bearers, and mischief-makers, and in the end they are despised and hated by all who know them.
“When I thought of sending some little token of my affection to my two nieces, I endeavoured to think what would be most suitable to the taste and disposition of each. ”

“ Thomas Trewellan was employed, along with a man and another boy, in driving mules from a copper mine, in the western part of Cornwall, to a small sea-port town on the northern coast: he went and returned with the drove once every day.
Thomas had usually an hour or two of leisure in the evening: this time he employed in learning writing and arithmetic: his father was a tinner, that is to say, a miner, and like many others, he had acquired a good deal of knowledge. He gave his son all the instruction that he could ”

“ Yes: and you may observe, even in their looks, the difference between those who have need of some dexterity in employing their strength, and those who have no need of it. The man who employs his strength with dexterity, looks briskly about him; often closes his lips firmly ”

“ Needham began to question him relative to what had happened to the cart. But he found William very reluctant to answer any questions on the subject.
“Well, well;” said he, at length, “I see how ’tis, Will: Hugh made you promise not to tell tales of him: That’s it, is’nt it now?”
“Yes;”—muttered William.
“That’s enough: that’s enough:” [Pg 85] said Mr. Needham: “I won’t make you break your word.”
He then took a large square of gingerbread from the window, and gave it to William. William took it home, and divided it among his brothers and sisters; taking only an equal share for himself. ”

“ Some people thought Archibald a much more spirited boy than his brother Harold: but I am of opinion that Harold was really the most courageous.
One morning, Harold and Archibald, in returning from a walk, passed through a meadow in which cattle were grazing: there was a bull among them. Archibald pulled off his hat, and waved it at the bull; at the same [Pg 126] time making a bellowing noise. The animal looked up and breathed heavily. Archibald then repeated his threatening gestures. The bull then began to strike the ground with his fore foot ”