Master William Gentle was riding on the back of his dog Cæsar, when
his grandfather called to him and invited him to take a walk. They
went out together, and as they were walking, they met some boys who had
a hedge-hog, which they were going to hunt.—Mr. _Gentle_ ordered them
to release it.—The boys pleaded that the hedge-hog would injure the
farmers by sucking their cows, and that it therefore ought to be killed.
_Mr. Gentle._ If it were proper to deprive the animal of life, it would
be a duty to do it in as expeditious a manner as possible, and very
wicked to torment the poor creature; but the accusation is false, and
you are unjust as well as cruel.—Release it this instant!
_William._ Will the hedge-hog be glad when he gets loose?
_Grandfather._ Very glad.
_William._ Then I shall be glad too.
_Grandfather._ I hope that you will always delight in making other
creatures happy: and then you will be happy yourself.
_William._ I love to see the dog happy, and the cat happy.
_Grandfather._ Yes, surely; and you love to make them happy.
_William._ How can I make them happy?
_Grandfather._ By giving them what they want, and by taking kind notice
of them, and when you get on Cæsar’s back again, as he lets you ride,
do not strike him, but coax him gently.
_William._ Can I make my brothers and sisters happy?
_Grandfather._ You can each of you make yourself and all the rest of
the children happy, by being kind and good-humored to each other;
willing to oblige, and glad to see the others pleased.
_William._ How, pray?
_Grandfather._ If you were playing with a toy, and _Bartle_ wished to
have it, perhaps you would part from it to please him; if you did, you
would oblige him.
_William._ Should not I want it myself?
_Grandfather._ You would be pleased to see him delighted with it, and
he would love you the better, and when _George_ goes out, and you stay
at home, if you love him as well as you do yourself, you will be happy
to see his joy.
_William._ I shall be happy to see his joy.
_Grandfather._ Your parents are always watching over you all, for your
good; in order to correct what is amiss in your tempers, and teach you
how you ought to behave; they will rejoice to see you fond of each
other, and will love you all the better.
_William._ Grandpa, I remember that my brother wrote a piece last
_Christmas_, which you called Brotherly Love.—I wish I could remember
it.
_Grandfather._ I recollect it;—you shall learn to repeat it.
_William._ I shall like that; pray let me hear it now, sir.
_Grandfather._ You shall.
“The children of our family should be like the fingers on a hand; each
help the other, and each in his separate station promote the good of
the whole. The joy of one should be the joy of the whole. Children in
a house should agree together like the birds in a nest, and love each
other.”
_William._ I thank you grandpa: I remember _Watts’_ hymn:
“Birds in their little nests agree,
“And ’tis a shameful sight,
“When children of one family,
“Fall out and chide and fight.”
The master _Rebels_ often fight; many say that it is jealousy that
makes them do so.—Pray, grandpa, what is jealousy?
_Grandfather._ A passion which I hope will never enter your breast.
Your excellent parents love you all equally, and take care to make it
appear that they do so. A good parent looks around with equal love
on each child, if all be equally good, and each be kind to the rest.
When a family is affectionate, how happy is every member of it! each
rejoiceth at the happiness of the rest, and so multiplies his own
satisfactions. Is any one distressed? the tender and compassionate
assistance of the rest mitigates where it cannot wholly relieve his
pain!
“Our joys when thus shared are always increas’d,
“And griefs when divided are hushed into peace.”