THE MANSE GARDEN. 249 



him in the fear of God. Appear thus in the char- 

 acter of a guardian, not of a taskmaster : he has no 

 way of avoiding the impression that your admonitions 

 are solely for his good, and when spoken kindly and 

 earnestly, they fail not to reach his heart; whereas 

 his ill taught selfish spirit always suspects a selfish 

 end in the issue of every precept that concerns only 

 the quality or the amount of his working. Angry 

 threats provoke hatred and tempt to lying ; but 

 gentleness, urging the necessity of truth, will lead 

 to the owning of a fault. It is a capital rule never 

 to charge your boy with any crime without making 

 sure of conviction. If you have begun the charge, 

 spare no pains to make the conviction complete ; for 

 if you fail in this, and the accused be really guilty, 

 you have, designing good, done incalculable harm : 

 you have strengthened, all the time of examination, 

 his hardihood of denial ; you have allowed his lies to 

 pass off triumphant; and have increased at once his 

 sulkiness, self-esteem, and hatred of your person. 

 But the moment that proof comes home and convic- 

 tion is wrought, shame and perhaps tears show the 

 good that has been gained, and give hope of future 

 amendment. 



Make your boy to understand that you want dili- 

 gence, not hard work ; and indeed compassion ought 

 always to be had for a frame that is but little ma- 

 tured. It is of great use to know what it is reason- 

 able to expect of such an age. A boy at fourteen is 

 not equal to more than one fourth of a man's work 

 at any thing heavy; but in lighter tasks, such as 

 picking up stones and weeds, he may be equal to 

 a half. Give him all the benefit of the common 



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