Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-10-10
NUMBER al.
THE RULE OF CONTRARIEs.

IA cerUln may OF my acquaintance, tho
wife ofa country Clergyman, had three
sons, whom she was very anxious to
train in every principle of virtue aud mo-
ralitv. To this end, as soon as they
could read, she placed in their childish
hands some carefully selected stories Of
moral and didactic character, in which
the good boy attained to riches aud hon
or and consequent happiness, while tho
bud boy came to all sorts OF griet, the
former getting all the honey and the lat
ter all the whncks. But tn the unspeak-
able horror and distress of the careful
mother, when she came to discuss with
her children the stories which they had
read, she found that the books had
taught eNaetly the opposite lesson from
that which shN Ndesired, and that her hope
ful pupils were null of admiration OF the
Tom Idle of the drama, and eagerly de-
siruus of initiating MA achievements.
while on the other hand, they regarded
Frank Goodchild as an Nuninterestng
milksop, whose example they were de-
termlned TO eschew as much aspossible.
/ need hardly say that the poor lady was
sorey troubled ut this most unexpected
result, and anticipated dreadful tuture
for her children--a prediction which, l
nm happy to say, has proved to be en-
urely gtoundless, as they have all be-
come worthy citizens and excellent men,
bers of society.
Ii this be II fair sample of the general
effect of stories written with professedly
ddactic purpose upon those who read
them, it would surely be worth the while
of those authors whose business 1t Is to
write kor this particular purpose to devote
some serious thought to the matter, and
10 try whether they cannot make the
good boys n little less tedious, and tho
bad boys II little less attractive. Indeed,
| think the remark may be extended to
those who write for children of a larger
growth, who not untrequently commit
the same crime, aud make the excellent
young curate rather n warning than 9TH
erwise, while the beau sabreur is depicted
in the most fascinating colors.
The craving for forbidden fruit seems
to be Ms strong now as it was in Eden's
bowers aud was not n little amused Mt
lately observing professor Of the science
OF rat catching wrap up the poisoned food
which he was laying for his prey In a
piece of newspaper. The proceeding ex-
cited my astonishment 80 much that I
ventured To inquire the object of so COW
ering the food before burying it in their
runs" when nc grave,y informed mo
that il was 10 make the rats think they
were not TO touch it, which would have
the immediate effect of making them do
sire it exceedingly, so closely does rat ma
ture, in the opinion of those learned
therein, approximate to human nature in
longing Tor that which is iorbidden.-
"Stolen waters are sweet" says the
temptress in King Solomon's dreadful
picture.
But for my mothers prohibition,
ne'er had busn in this condition"
Rasps the unfortunate cock from the bot
tom of the well, in Dryden's fable
Don't put him under tho pump" says
the Irish landlord TO his tcnantry, ros-
pecting the poor proccss-server, well
knowing that ho had but to suggest tho
operation, though with negative prefix
ed, to insure its being effected.