more gentle than in kindly relieving her, when opportunity offers, from the heavy basket of clothes, which, with much care, she has nicely done up for his use; neither is his best bow ever made with more grace, than when bestowed upon some humble cottager, from whom he may have received some needed information. And of the true lady, it is enough to say, that she is a lady everywhere. A thousand little, unnameable things, in our intercourse with others, go to promote their happiness. A look, a word, even the tone of a word, has great power to wound or to comfort. A kind word, or a pleasant look, which costs us nothing, is often more valued than the richest of gifts; it may send sunshine into the heart of another, that shall cheer the whole day. "If a civil word or two will render a man happy," said a French king, "he must be a wretch indeed who will not give them to him. Such a disposition is like lighting another man's candle by one's own, which loses nothing of its brilliancy by what the other gains." And yet, it is "more blessed to give than to receive," and we shall always find our own greatest happiness in making others happy, as well in the thousand little courtesies of every day intercourse, in the What is said about treating our inferiors with politeness? What is the effect of so doing? What is said of a real gentleman? Of a true lady? In what little ways may we promote the happiness of others? What saying of a French king? In what shall we always find our own greatest happiness? school and in the family, as in the greater acts of public life. Courtesy leads to ease and grace of demeanor, and to refinement of manners in all respects. It requires cleanliness of dress and of person; it forbids the taking of meals with indecent haste; it bids us look at the public speaker or any person who is addressing us, and give attention to what he is saying; it does not allow us to interrupt one while speaking, neither does it permit us to do all the talking ourselves, so that another cannot find a place to put in a word. If a superior bids us to enter a door before him, it would have us do so, without drawing back with the expression, "after you, sir." "after you, sir." It is related of a King of France, that on a certain occasion, when one of his noblemen was about to accompany him on a ride, that the king said to the nobleman, "Step into the carriage, sir;" and the latter did so, while his sovereign was still standing upon the ground. Upon this the king said to him, "You are the most polite man in my kingdom. Had I given the same direction to most of my courtiers, they would have bowed, stepped back, and said, Not before your majesty; but you did as I bade you." In short, courtesy requires of us, in everything, those manners which belong to, the true gentleman and to the true lady. To what does courtesy lead? What does it require, forpid, etc.? What in regard to superiors? What anec dote is related? In short, what does courtesy require of us? PART FOURTH. MISCELLANEOUS DUTIES. CHAPTER 1. DUTIES TO BRUTES. "I would not enter on my list of friends, Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm." ALL brute animals may be considered as our fellow-creatures. They are created by the same kind Father of all; He has made them capable of receiving pleasure and pain, and we have abundant reason to suppose that He desires their happiness. God has given life to animals of an infinite variety of form and of size, varying from the huge elephant and the mighty whale, to the smallest insect that can be seen by the naked eye. And more than this, it is found that almost all matter is composed of living creatures, so inconceivably minute, that they can be discovered only by the aid of the most powerful magnifying instruments. We suppose that God delights in the happi Subject of Part Fourth? Subject of Chapter I.? Motto? How may brute animals be considered? Why? To what has God given life? What may we suppose God's feeling in regard to His creatures? ness of all His creatures; that life is to them a source of happiness; and, therefore, that the life of everything which He has created is dear to Him. We must believe, then, that the wanton or unnecessary destruction of the life of any animal, however small or insignificant, is wrong. We may innocently kill those which are necessary for food, or which would be likely to injure or destroy us, but in those cases we should take their lives in such a way as will give them the least suffering. We may take fish for food, but it is cruel and wrong, for mere amusement, to present the murderous hook to the innocent little fishes which are gracefully gliding about in their own native brook, "so happy they don't know what to do with themselves." The shooting of birds, and the hunting of other animals, merely for sport, is equally unjustifiable, and ought not to be practised. Dr. Channing says, "I never killed a bird, and I would not crush the meanest insect. They have the same right to live that I have; they received it from the same Father, and I will not mar the works of God by wanton cruelty." All amusements derived from the fighting of animals, such as bull-baiting, cock-fighting, and the like, are barbarous and wicked. Even horse-racing, when animals are urged on far What must we think wrong? What animals may we innocently kill? What is said of fishing and hunting merely for sport? What is quoted from Dr. Channing? What of the fighting of animals, and of horse-racing? The frogs beyond their strength, is wrong. said pertinently to the boys that pelted them: "Children, though this be sport to you, it is death to us." Boys who delight in worrying cows with dogs, or in throwing stones at them, and those who amuse themselves by putting pins through flies, spiders, and other insects, show a very cruel and unfeeling disposition. In regard to a great many animals which are unpleasant and troublesome to us, we may pass from them, or put them away from us, without doing them any injury. We may let the harmless serpent by the wayside hasten out of our sight, as it gladly would, without pelting it with stones, and crushing out its life. Flies, spiders, and other disagreeable insects, we may put out of doors with the benevolent farewell of that good man, who is related to have said on such an occasion, "Go thy way, little insect; there is room enough in the world for me and thee." We may use animals for labor, and for administering to our comfort. We may employ the ox to help till the ground, and the horse to carry us from place to place; we may keep the cow to supply us with milk, and the sheep to furnish wool for our clothing. "But while we so use them, we are bound to treat them kindly, to furnish them with sufficient What saying of the frogs is applicable? What boys show a very cruel disposition? What is said about disagreeable animals? The serpent, flies, spiders, etc.? For what may we use animals? But how are we bound to treat them? What is said of cruelty to animals? |