Domestic Pleasures, or, the Happy Fire-side Part 14

"Not papa or mamma," said all the children at once: "we cannot spare them, indeed, Sir."

Mr. Dormer a.s.sured them he had no intention of depriving them of either of their valuable parents, even for a single day. "But," added he, "unexpected business calls me to Plymouth. I shall be absent about a fortnight or three weeks, and shall be very dull without a companion.

Ned, my boy, what say you to accompanying me?"

Edward was delighted with the proposal, and anxiously looked at his parents for their permission to accept Mr. Dormer's invitation. It was willingly granted, and Edward received the affectionate congratulations of his brother and sisters upon the occasion; who, far from envying him the pleasure that awaited him, sincerely rejoiced in his good fortune, and only requested to be made partakers of his pleasure, by letter.

"I shall set off the day after to-morrow," said Mr. Dormer, "so you have no time to lose, Edward."

_Edward._ Oh sir, I shall be ready; you need not fear my procrastination, on this occasion.

"Nor on any other occasion, I hope, my dear boy," said Mr. Dormer, "for it is a most ruinous habit for a youth to indulge in."

Edward looked a little conscious of his deficiency in this particular, but again promised strict punctuality.

The clock at this moment struck nine, a signal for the children to retire. They instantly arose, and, taking an affectionate leave of the party, withdrew.

CONVERSATION X.

This being the last evening before Edward's departure, the family could not be a.s.sembled so regularly as usual. Mrs. Bernard was engaged with Edward up stairs, arranging his clothes, and other matters that were necessary, preparatory to his journey. Mr. Bernard, in the mean time, devoted himself exclusively to the other children below. Little Sophy was allowed to make one of the party, and amused them with her cheerful vivacity, till Jane came with the unwelcome news that it was bed-time.

After she had taken her leave, Louisa sat down to complete a baby's cap, which she had begun the preceding evening; and Ferdinand was going to attempt to copy a house, that Edward had, in the morning, sketched for him, when Mr. Bernard, who generally took an opportunity, when not alone, of speaking to the children upon any little impropriety of conduct, called Ferdinand to him, and, with the most endearing gentleness, told him, that he had remarked in him that day, as well as on several former occasions, an unwillingness to acquiesce in the commands of his mother, unless he were informed what were her reasons for urging them. "Every child, my dear boy," continued he, "who wishes to learn, must bring with him that teachable disposition, which is willing to receive rules implicitly, and rust to the future for a knowledge of the reasons on which they are grounded. A child who is resolved to take the judgment of no one but himself, concerning the impropriety of what is proposed to him, will absolutely prevent the possibility of improvement; at least, he will lose a great deal of time, and, what is still worse, will contract bad habits in the beginning, and, in all probability, find himself unfit to be taught, when he would gladly learn. One of the first duties of children, is obedience: indeed, instruction can, in no instance, be built on any other foundation. If examples in proof of this were wanting, I could give you many. The recruit learns his exercise on the authority of his officer, because he is himself ignorant of the art of war. The reasons for the different manoeuvres, he will discover when he comes into action. General Wolfe told his soldiers, that if the French should land in Kent, as they were at that time expected to do, actual service in that enclosed country, would show them the reason of several evolutions, which they had never hitherto been able to comprehend."

Ferdinand confessed the truth of all his father had said, but, at the same time, thought it far better to know the motive of actions and commands, when it was possible.

"But it is so often impossible, my dear boy," continued Mr. Bernard, "that it is far better to make implicit obedience the groundwork of your conduct, particularly when the commands are from your excellent mother; to whom you all owe so much, and whose wishes are ever dictated by reason, though it may not be always either necessary or proper to disclose those reasons to you. The Lacedeaeonians carried the doctrine of submission so far, that they obliged their Ephori to submit to the ridiculous ceremony of being shaved, when they entered upon their office; signifying, by this act, that they knew how to practise submission to the laws of their country. In short, my dear boy, it is a universal rule, that he who will gain any thing, must give up something; he that wishes to improve his understanding, his manners, or his health, must contradict his will. This may not be an easy task; but you will find it much harder to suffer that contempt, which is always the portion of those who neglect the acquirement of wisdom and of virtue. The wisest of men are often obliged to adopt the principle I have been recommending to you. I will tell you an anecdote, in confirmation of this a.s.sertion: 'A gentleman appointed to a government abroad, consulted an eminent person, who was at that time the oracle of the law, as to the rule of his future conduct in his office, and begged his instructions. 'I take you,' said he, 'for a man of integrity, and therefore the advice I must give you in general is--to act in all cases according to the best of your judgment. However, I have this rule to recommend: never give your reasons. You will gain no ground that way, and may, perhaps, bring yourself into great difficulties by attempting it. Let your motives be those of an honest man, and such as your conscience will support you in; but never expose them to your inferiors, who will be sure to have their reasons against yours; and while these matters are discussed, authority is lost, and the public interest suffers.' Thus, my dear Ferdinand, you see, that when children submit to the direction of their parents and teachers, who are bound, by affection and interest, to promote their happiness, and who will certainly take pleasure in explaining to them, at proper times, the motives by which they are actuated, they do but follow the example of all communities of men in the world: who are pa.s.sive for their own good; who are governed by laws, which not one in five hundred of them understand; and who submit to actions, of which they cannot see either the propriety or justice. Now, if children are only required to submit to the same necessary restraints that are imposed upon men, no indignity is offered to them, nor can they have any just cause of complaint. Your own sense, my love, if you consult it, will convince you, that society could not subsist, nor could any instruction go forward, without obedience. Consider the wisdom and happiness which are found amongst a swarm of bees. They are a pattern to all human societies. There is perfect obedience, perfect subordination: no time is lost in disputing or questioning, but business goes forward with cheerfulness at every opportunity, and the great object is the common interest. All are armed for defence, and ready for work.

Recollect, too, what is the fruit of their wise economy:--they have a store of honey to feed upon, when the summer is past. Follow their example, my dear boy; and such, I hope, will be the fruit of your studies."

Having said these words, Mr. Bernard kissed Ferdinand with the fondest affection. He owned himself convinced, most fully, by his father's arguments, of the impropriety of his past conduct, and promised, in future, to yield implicit obedience to the wishes of both his dear parents.

"And now, my dear girl," continued Mr. Bernard, turning to Louisa, "I have also something to say to you, respecting your noisy, boisterous manner of entering a room. It is extremely unbecoming in any well- educated person, but in a little girl, from whom we expect the greatest delicacy and gentleness, such rough, unpolished manners, are particularly disagreeable. A very intimate friend of mine, the other day, was speaking of your conduct in terms of general approbation, but she ended by regretting extremely, that awkwardness of manner which prevents your appearing in so agreeable a light as other children, who are not possessed of half so many real excellencies. I should be very sorry to have you neglect the _jewel_, in order to polish the _casket_; but having secured the _one_, can see no objection to your attending, in some degree, to the improvement of the _other_. A diamond is, when first dug from the mine, a valuable acquisition, but its beauties are not discovered till the hand of the polisher has brought to light its hidden l.u.s.tre. A pleasing, gentle deportment, places female virtue in the fairest point of view; and I hope, my dear love, you will not neglect its a.s.sistance, in the formation of your character."

Louisa thanked her father for his advice, and promised, in future, to pay greater attention to her manners, in which respect she had certainly been hitherto very deficient. Having completed her cap, she enquired whether there would be time for her to have a lesson in natural history: adding, I have, by means of "Bingley's Animal Biography," taught myself a good deal, without your a.s.sistance, papa. I have learnt that the animals in the first cla.s.s, Mammalia, have warm and red blood, that they breathe by means of lungs, that they are viviparous, which means bringing forth their young alive, and that they suckle them with their milk. The jaws are placed one over the other, and are covered with lips.

The seven orders into which this cla.s.s is divided, are, as mamma taught me last week, Primates, Bruta, Ferae, Glires, Pecora, Belluae, and Cete.

All this, you see, papa, I have remembered pretty well. Will you now be so kind as to tell me what animals belong to the first order, Primates, and how they may be distinguished?

_Mr. B._ The princ.i.p.al animals of this order are, man, the ape, the various tribes of monkeys, and the bat. They have, in each jaw, four front, or cutting teeth; except in some species of bats, which have, occasionally, only two, and at others none. They have one canine tooth on each side, in both jaws. Mr. Bernard then desired Louisa and Ferdinand to open their mouths, and he would show them which were the canine teeth; and, pointing to the sharp, single tooth, situated next to the double ones, he told them that all animals preying upon flesh, were provided with those sharp instruments, for the purpose of tearing their food to pieces.

_Louisa_. The more I study nature, my dear papa, the more clearly do I see the goodness and mercy of G.o.d, who has so wisely provided for the various wants of his creatures.

_Ferdinand_. I am not surprised that men and monkeys should be ranged in the same cla.s.s, because they are, in many respects, very similar in their appearance; but bats, papa, seem so extremely different. They are a great deal more like birds than man. They have wings, you know, and flit about exactly like birds.

_Mr. B._ If you regard their wings alone, they might be cla.s.sed as you propose, Ferdinand; but if you attend to their formation, with the eye of a naturalist, you will find that they have all the characteristics which determine the cla.s.s Mammalia. They are viviparous, and they suckle their young.

_Ferdinand_. And so do cows, horses, pigs, and many other animals: do they, then, belong to the same cla.s.s?

_Mr. B._ Yes, my dear: cows belong to the cla.s.s Mammalia, but to the fifth order, Pecora, which is known by their having several blunt, wedge-like front teeth in the lower jaw, and none in the upper. Their feet are defended by cloven hoofs. They live entirely upon vegetable food, and all ruminate, or chew the cud.

_Ferdinand_. Pray, what does that mean, papa?

_Mr. B._ All the genera in this order, my dear, are provided with four stomachs. They swallow their food without chewing, which is received into the first stomach; here it remains some time to macerate, and afterwards, when the animal is at rest, by a peculiar action of the muscles, it is returned to the mouth in small quant.i.ties, then chewed, and swallowed a second time for digestion.

_Ferdinand_. Do horses and pigs belong to the order Pecora, likewise?

_Mr. B._ No: they are both ranked in the order Bellua. They have obtuse front teeth. Their feet are armed with hoofs; in many whole, in others divided.

_Louisa_. I take notice, papa, you always mention the teeth: I suppose they are of consequence, in determining the order.

_Mr. B._ Yes, my dear, they are one of the most striking characteristics.

_Ferdinand_. You were surprised, Louisa, to find that bats were considered of the cla.s.s Mammalia; but I think it is much more extraordinary that whales should be ranked under the same head with men.

I always thought they were great, large fishes.

_Mr. B._ They differ from fishes as much as bats differ from birds.

Like them, they bring forth their young alive, and suckle them with their milk. They breathe by means of lungs, like land animals, being totally dest.i.tute of gills. But here come your mother and Edward: let us move our table, and make room for them by the fire. They will find it very comfortable, after their employment in the cold.

Louisa jumped up, and, in her usual bustling manner, was preparing to obey her father, but suddenly recollecting the advice which he had just given her, she corrected herself, and, with the greatest gentleness, removed every obstacle; set two chairs for her mother and brother, in the place she thought most comfortable; and, to her great surprise, found the business effected as soon, or sooner, than it would have been with the greatest noise and bustle.

Her father perceived her caution, and gave her a smile of approbation, which filled her with delight.

Whilst Mrs. Bernard and Edward warmed themselves, the children continued their conversation.

"Pray, papa," said Ferdinand, "to what order do mice belong?"

_Mr. B._ To the fourth, Glires: but, unless you know the peculiar characteristics by which each order is distinguished, you will never be able to recollect the answers I have given to your desultory questions this evening. I have, in my pocket-book, a short account of each order, which I yesterday wrote out for Louisa, and which I should wish you to copy neatly, into a book devoted to the purpose of observation on natural history. Mr. Bernard then gave to Louisa a paper, containing the following account:

The _Primates_, which is the first order of the cla.s.s MAMMALIA, have four parallel front, or cutting teeth, in each jaw; except in some species of bats, which have either two only, or none. They have one canine tooth on each side, in both jaws. The females have two pectoral mammae, or b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The two fore feet resemble hands, having fingers, generally furnished with flattened, oval nails. Their food is both animal and vegetable. The princ.i.p.al animals in this order are, man, the ape and lemur tribes, and the bats.

2nd. The _Bruta_ have no front teeth in either jaw: their feet are armed with strong, blunt, and hoof-like nails. Their form is, to appearance, clumsy, and their pace usually slow. Their food is princ.i.p.ally vegetable. None of the animals of this order are found in Europe: they consist of the sloths, the ant-eaters, the rhinoceros, elephant, and manati.

3rd. The _Ferae_ have generally six front teeth, of a somewhat conical shape, both in the upper and under jaw: next to these, are strong and sharp canine teeth; and the grinders are formed into conical, or pointed processes. Their feet are divided into toes, which are armed with sharp, hooked claws. This tribe is predacious, living almost entirely upon animal food; and consists of the seal, dog, cat, weasel, otter, bear, opossum, kangaroo, mole, shrew, and hedgehog genera.

4th. _Glires_ are furnished with two remarkably large and long front teeth, both above and below, and are dest.i.tute of canine teeth. Their feet have claws, and are formed both for bounding and running. They feed on vegetables. The genera are, the porcupine, cavy, beaver, bat, marmot, squirrel, dormouse, jerboa, and hare.

5th. The _Pecora_ have several blunt, wedge-like front teeth, in the lower jaw, and none in the upper. Their feet are armed with cloven hoofs. They live on vegetable food, and all ruminate, or chew the cud.

The genera are, the camel, musk, deer, giraffe, antelope, goat, sheep, and cow.

6th. _Belluae_ have obtuse front teeth. The feet are armed with hoofs; in some whole or rounded, in others obscurely lobed or sub-divided. They live on vegetable food. The genera are, the horse, hippopotamus, tapir, and hog.

7th. The _Cete_, or Whales, although they resemble fishes in external appearance, are ranged very properly amongst the Mammalia, having warm blood, similar lungs, teats, &c. Instead of feet, they are provided with pectoral fins, and a horizontally flattened tail, fitted for swimming. They have no hair. The teeth are in some species cartilaginous, and in others bony. Instead of nostrils, they have a tubular opening on the top of the head, through which they occasionally spout water. They live entirely in the sea; feeding on the soft marine animals and vegetables.

The children carefully read over this paper, exclaiming: "It is almost exactly what you have told us before, papa, only here we have it all at one view."

_Mr. B._ Do you understand the signification of all the words, my dears?

The children looked over it again.

_Louisa. Predacious_ papa; I do not know the meaning of that word.