Year: 1874

most satisfactorily, and feel sure it vii


prove of value to all mothers similarl


befogged


+ During the minister's call on the lad


above mentioned, frankie, one of he


little boys (she had severaI), came scream


ing into the area, in most heart-rendin;


manner. The lady rushed to her of


spring to find him, as. she expected, in .


most pitiable plight. His clothes wer,


soiled and torn, and the blood, running


from deep but in his lip, had stained


his hands and face so thoroughly, tha


between that and the dirt no trace of the


boys original complexion remained


Frank had been fighting, and, worst o.


all, had been whipped. This humilia


tion the mother found to be the princi


pal cause of the shriells that had 81


alarmed her; and now, after the blood
| had ceased to flow, and clean clothes


were brought out the mothers chie1
| trouble was what she should say to heI
minister To tell him that her boy had
been fighting was humiliation she
could not think of inflicting upon her
self


What was the matter?'' asked the
visitor as the lady returned to the parlor.
frankie got hurt little, that is all, u
and tried to lead the conversation into
duOlneI cudLn6I- II was no use.
How 2? was the next short and
pointed query.


"In quarrel with some children"


81 should like to see Frank, if you
have no objections.


She had serious objections, but was
altogether too straightforward a woman
to resort to subterfuge, as many would
have done; and Master Frank was called
The minister took the eight-year old on
his knee and commenced to chatechise
him.


Were you seriously hurt Frank, when
you came screaming into the house
few moments ago p


"No, sir, replied the youngster with
alarming calmness, his mother thought.


II did't care for the hurt bit; l was
crying because was SO angry L couldn't
keep still.


"What made you angry p


"Wouldn't you be mad, think, if you
was little boy, and YOU was playing
with nice little girl that had got a new
doll, and you was having a real good
time, and two roughs should steal round
the vacant lot, and one of 'em should
pull your hair while the other one stole
the little girls doll p Here Frank stop
ped to take breath. "And don't you
think you d be mad if, after you had put
the little girl in her own yard, you should
run after the boy and get the doll, and
then, just as you was agoing to give it to
the little girls mamma, the other rough
should come along and snatch it away,
and push you down! and then, just as
you'd punched him good, the other fell
Ter should come along and punch you
harder p Franks voice was pitched to
a very high key when he arrived at this
last interrogation.


81 think should have been slightly
indignant" was the minister's reply.
"And am very glad, Frank, to see that
you have courage enough to try and de-
fend little girls property; but l hope
you are careful never to begin a quarrelr


ooh no, sir; l never do that ! hate
to see boys fight, it looks so mean; but
a feller can't help it. If he
gets cornered he's got to fight it out or
else be called coward; and | can't stand
that name any way.


at seems to me" said my friend, after
Frank had been dismissed, "that your
way of dealing with this trouble of my
little boys is entirely contrary to your
teaching in the pulpit What about
when you are struck on one cheek to
turn the other also, and if a man steal
your coat give him your cloak, etc.Y


do goa act upon these principles,
madam, in any of the affairs of your daily
life p


Not in the literal manner suggested
in the Bible; and | am necessarily goad-
ing myself because do not and cannot"


"Then you sin necessarily against the
best part of yourself. Suppose burglar
should enter your house, and steal your
silver spoons, would you feel called upon
by God to hand over your diamond ring?"


"Of course not.


"You would pass him over to the law
as quickly as possible, presuming that
the law was exactly what the sin-sick
soul stood most in need of. The passages
you speak of, like many others between
the lids of both Testaments, were not
intended to be literally interpreted
First, the defense of the weak; next,
selfpreservation is Gods programme so
far as | am able to see. Educate your
boys with this order in view; make them
earnest, peace-loving and selfreliant;
frown down and punish severely any
thing that looks like quarrelsomeness or
with the business of others
Make it your duty to find out in case of
a riot, all the circumstances, and govern
your actions accordingly. If necessary
to the defense of another, or in self
preservation. your boy and my boy
should strike back, and if we teach them
anything else, we are laying founda-
ton for meanness and cowardice."