1890 COEEESPONDENCE WITH THE EEV. F. PAGET 167 



Geanies, Koss-shire, N.B. : June 24, 1886. 



My dear Paget, I should indeed require to be 

 made of unduly sensitive material, if either the 

 extreme kindness of your thought or the most con- 

 siderate delicacy of your expression could give me pain. 

 Pain I have, but it is of a kind that is beyond the 

 power of friends either to mitigate or to increase. 



The advice which you give accords precisely with 

 my own view of the matter, and it is needless to say 

 that in such an agreement I find no small degree of 

 satisfaction. Moreover, the principles which it thus 

 appears to be my duty to adopt are made easy for me. 

 ... So that on the whole it does not now appear to me 

 that in its practical aspects the problem is likely to 

 prove difficult of solution ; although theoretically, 

 or as a matter of ethics; I do think it is a complex 

 question whether (or how far) parents should teach 

 dogmas as facts, or matters of faith as matters of 

 knowledge. Happily, however, ethics are to morals 

 very much what shadow is to sunshine ; and in seek- 

 ing to follow the right or the good, instinct is often a 

 better guide than syllogism. 



And now, in conclusion, let me endeavour inade- 

 quately as it must be to express my deep sense of 

 gratitude to you for having so earnestly taken my 

 troubles into your consideration. I assure you that 

 your letter has touched me truly, and that on its 

 account I am more than ever happy to subscribe my- 

 self 



Your affectionate friend, 



GEO. J. BOMANES, 



