character-第10章

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their　children；　and　apparently　in　vain。　　It　seems　like　bread　cast

upon　the　waters　and　lost。　　And　yet　sometimes　it　happens　that　long

after　the　parents　have　gone　to　their　Restit　may　be　twenty　years

or　morethe　good　precept；　the　good　example　set　before　their　sons

and　daughters　in　childhood；　at　length　springs　up　and　bears　fruit。



One　of　the　most　remarkable　of　such　instances　was　that　of　the

Reverend　John　Newton　of　Olney；　the　friend　of　Cowper　the　poet。　　It

was　long　subsequent　to　the　death　of　both　his　parents；　and　after

leading　a　vicious　life　as　a　youth　and　as　a　seaman；　that　he　became

suddenly　awakened　to　a　sense　of　his　depravity；　and　then　it　was

that　the　lessons　which　his　mother　had　given　him　when　a　child

sprang　up　vividly　in　his　memory。　　Her　voice　came　to　him　as　it　were

from　the　dead；　and　led　him　gently　back　to　virtue　and　goodness。



Another　instance　is　that　of　John　Randolph；　the　American　statesman；

who　once　said：　〃I　should　have　been　an　atheist　if　it　had　not　been

for　one　recollectionand　that　was　the　memory　of　the　time　when　my

departed　mother　used　to　take　my　little　hand　in　hers；　and　cause　me

on　my　knees　to　say；　'Our　Father　who　art　in　heaven！'〃



But　such　instance　must；　on　the　whole；　be　regarded　as　exceptional。

As　the　character　is　biassed　in　early　life；　so　it　generally

remains；　gradually　assuming　its　permanent　form　as　manhood　is

reached。　　〃Live　as　long　as　you　may；〃　said　Southey；　〃the　first

twenty　years　are　the　longest　half　of　your　life；〃　and　they　are　by

far　the　most　pregnant　in　consequences。　　When　the　worn…out

slanderer　and　voluptuary；　Dr。　Wolcot；　lay　on　his　deathbed；　one　of

his　friends　asked　if　he　could　do　anything　to　gratify　him。　　〃Yes；〃

said　the　dying　man；　eagerly；　〃give　me　back　my　youth。〃　　Give　him　but

that；　and　he　would　repenthe　would　reform。　　But　it　was　all

too　late！　　His　life　had　become　bound　and　enthralled　by　the

chains　of　habit。'　（3）



Gretry；　the　musical　composer；　thought　so　highly　of　the　importance

of　woman　as　an　educator　of　character；　that　he　described　a　good

mother　as　〃Nature's　CHEF…D'OEUVRE。〃　　And　he　was　right：　for　good

mothers；　far　more　than　fathers；　tend　to　the　perpetual　renovation

of　mankind；　creating；　as　they　do；　the　moral　atmosphere　of　the

home；　which　is　the　nutriment　of　man's　moral　being；　as　the　physical

atmosphere　is　of　his　corporeal　frame。　　By　good　temper；　suavity；

and　kindness；　directed　by　intelligence；　woman　surrounds　the

indwellers　with　a　pervading　atmosphere　of　cheerfulness；

contentment；　and　peace；　suitable　for　the　growth　of　the　purest　as

of　the　manliest　natures。



The　poorest　dwelling；　presided　over　by　a　virtuous；　thrifty；

cheerful；　and　cleanly　woman；　may　thus　be　the　abode　of　comfort；

virtue；　and　happiness；　it　may　be　the　scene　of　every　ennobling

relation　in　family　life；　it　may　be　endeared　to　a　man　by　many

delightful　associations；　furnishing　a　sanctuary　for　the　heart；　a

refuge　from　the　storms　of　life；　a　sweet　resting…place　after

labour；　a　consolation　in　misfortune；　a　pride　in　prosperity；　and　a

joy　at　all　times。



The　good　home　is　thus　the　best　of　schools；　not　only　in　youth　but

in　age。　　There　young　and　old　best　learn　cheerfulness；　patience；

self…control；　and　the　spirit　of　service　and　of　duty。　　Izaak

Walton；　speaking　of　George　Herbert's　mother；　says　she　governed　her

family　with　judicious　care；　not　rigidly　nor　sourly；　〃but　with　such

a　sweetness　and　compliance　with　the　recreations　and　pleasures　of

youth；　as　did　incline　them　to　spend　much　of　their　time　in　her

company；　which　was　to　her　great　content。〃



The　home　is　the　true　school　of　courtesy；　of　which　woman　is　always

the　best　practical　instructor。　　〃Without　woman；〃　says　the

Provencal　proverb；　〃men　were　but　ill…licked　cubs。〃　　Philanthropy

radiates　from　the　home　as　from　a　centre。　　〃To　love　the　little

platoon　we　belong　to　in　society；〃　said　Burke；　〃is　the　germ　of　all

public　affections。〃　　The　wisest　and　the　best　have　not　been　ashamed

to　own　it　to　be　their　greatest　joy　and　happiness　to　sit　〃behind

the　heads　of　children〃　in　the　inviolable　circle　of　home。　　A　life

of　purity　and　duty　there　is　not　the　least　effectual　preparative

for　a　life　of　public　work　and　duty；　and　the　man　who　loves　his　home

will　not　the　less　fondly　love　and　serve　his　country。　　But　while

homes；　which　are　the　nurseries　of　character；　may　be　the　best　of

schools；　they　may　also　be　the　worst。　　Between　childhood　and

manhood　how　incalculable　is　the　mischief　which　ignorance　in　the

home　has　the　power　to　cause！　　Between　the　drawing　of　the　first

breath　and　the　last；　how　vast　is　the　moral　suffering　and　disease

occasioned　by　incompetent　mothers　and　nurses！　Commit　a　child　to

the　care　of　a　worthless　ignorant　woman；　and　no　culture　in　after…

life　will　remedy　the　evil　you　have　done。　　Let　the　mother　be　idle；

vicious；　and　a　slattern；　let　her　home　be　pervaded　by　cavilling；

petulance；　and　discontent；　and　it　will　become　a　dwelling　of　misery

a　place　to　fly　from；　rather　than　to　fly　to；　and　the　children

whose　misfortune　it　is　to　be　brought　up　there；　will　be　morally

dwarfed　and　deformedthe　cause　of　misery　to　themselves　as　well

as　to　others。



Napoleon　Buonaparte　was　accustomed　to　say　that　〃the　future　good　or

bad　conduct　of　a　child　depended　entirely　on　the　mother。〃　　He

himself　attributed　his　rise　in　life　in　a　great　measure　to　the

training　of　his　will；　his　energy；　and　his　self…control；　by　his

mother　at　home。　　〃Nobody　had　any　command　over　him；〃　says　one　of

his　biographers；　〃except　his　mother；　who　found　means；　by　a　mixture

of　tenderness；　severity；　and　justice；　to　make　him　love；　respect；

and　obey　her：　from　her　he　learnt　the　virtue　of　obedience。〃



A　curious　illustration　of　the　dependence　of　the　character　of

children　on　that　of　the　mother　incidentally　occurs　in　one　of　Mr。

Tufnell's　school　reports。　　The　truth；　he　observes；　is　so　well

established　that　it　has　even　been　made　subservient　to　mercantile

calculation。　　〃I　was　informed；〃　he　says；　〃in　a　large　factory；

where　many　children　were　employed；　that　the　managers　before　they

engaged　a　boy　always　inquired　into　the　mother's　character；　and　if

that　was　satisfactory　they　were　tolerably　certain　that　her

children　would　conduct　themselves　creditably。　　NO　ATTENTION　WAS

PAID　TO　THE　CHARACTER　OF　THE　FATHER。〃　（4）



It　has　also　been　observed　that　in　cases　where　the　father　has

turned　out　badlybecome　a　drunkard；　and　〃gone　to　the　dogs〃

provided　the　mother　is　prudent　and　sensible；　the　family　will　be

kept　together；　and　the　children　probably　make　their　way　honourably

in　life；　whereas　in　cases　of　the　opposite　sort；　where　the　mother

turns　out　badly；　no　matter　how　well…conducted　the　father　may　be；

the　instances　of　after…success　in　life　on　the　part　of　the　children

are　comparatively　rare。



The　greater　part　of　the　influence　exercised　by　women　on　the

formation　of　character　necessarily　remains　unknown。　　They

accomplish　their　best　work　in　the　quiet　seclusion　of　the　home　and

the　family；　by　sustained　effort　and　patient　perseverance　in　the

path　of　duty。　　Their　greatest　triumphs；　because　private　and

domestic；　are　rarely　recorded；　and　it　is　not　often；　even　in　the

biographies　of　distinguished　men；　that　we　hear　of　the　share　which

their　mothers　have　had　in　the　formation　of　their　character；　and　in

giving　them　a　bias　towards　goodness。　　Yet　are　they　not　on　that

account　without　their　reward。　　The　influence　they　have　exercised；

though　unrecorded；　lives　after　them；　and　goes　on　propagating

itself　in　consequences　for　ever。



We　do　not　often　hear　of　great　women；　as　we　do　of　great　men。　　It　is

of　good　women　that　we　mostly　hear；　and　it　is　probable　that　by

determining　the　character　of　men　and　women　for　good；　they　are

doing　even　greater　work　than　if　they　were　to　paint　great　pictures；

write　great　books；　or　compose　great　operas。　　〃It　is　quite　true；〃

said　Joseph　de　Maistre；　〃that　women　have　produced　no　CHEFS…

DOEUVRE。　They　have　written　no　'Iliad；'　nor　'Jerusalem　Delivered；'

nor　'Hamlet；'　nor　'Phaedre；'　nor　'Paradise　Lost；'　nor　'Tartuffe；'

they　have