TheforegoinglettershowshowmuchgreaterwasChristina’sanxietyfortheeternalthanforthetemporalwelfareofhersons。Onewouldhavethoughtshehadsowedenoughofsuchreligiouswildoatsbythistime，butshehadplentystilltosow。Tomeitseemsthatthosewhoarehappyinthisworldarebetterandmorelovablepeoplethanthosewhoarenot，andthatthusintheeventofaResurrectionandDayofJudgement，theywillbethemostlikelytobedeemedworthyofaheavenlymansion。PerhapsadimunconsciousperceptionofthiswasthereasonwhyChristinawassoanxiousforTheobald’searthlyhappiness，orwasitmerelyduetoaconvictionthathiseternalwelfarewassomuchamatterofcourse，thatitonlyremainedtosecurehisearthlyhappiness？Hewasto“findhissonsobedient，affectionate，attentivetohiswishes，self-denyinganddiligent。”agoodlystringforsoothofallthevirtuesmostconvenienttoparents；hewasnevertohavetoblushforthefolliesofthose“whoowedhimsuchadebtofgratitude。”and“whosefirstdutyitwastostudyhishappiness。”Howlikematernalsolicitudeisthis！Solicitudeforthemostpartlesttheoffspringshouldcometohavewishesandfeelingsofitsown，whichmayoccasionmanydifficulties，fanciedorreal。Itisthisthatisatthebottomofthewholemischief；butwhetherthislastpropositionisgrantedorno，atanyrateweobservethatChristinahadasufficientlykeenappreciationofthedutiesofchildrentowardstheirparents，andfeltthetaskoffulfillingthemadequatelytobesodifficultthatshewasverydoubtfulhowfarErnestandJoeywouldsucceedinmasteringit。Itisplaininfactthathersupposedpartingglanceuponthemwasoneofsuspicion。ButtherewasnosuspicionofTheobald；thatheshouldhavedevotedhislifetohischildren——whythiswassuchamereplatitude，asalmosttogowithoutsaying。
How，letmeask，wasitpossiblethatachildonlyalittlepastfiveyearsold，trainedinsuchanatmosphereofprayersandhymnsandsumsandhappySundayevenings——tosaynothingofdailyrepeatedbeatingsoverthesaidprayersandhymns，etc。，aboutwhichourauthoressissilent——howwasitpossiblethataladsotrainedshouldgrowupinanyhealthyorvigorousdevelopment，eventhoughinherownwayhismotherwasundoubtedlyveryfondofhim，andsometimestoldhimstories？CantheeyeofanyreaderfailtodetectthecomingwrathofGodasabouttodescendupontheheadofhimwhoshouldbenurturedundertheshadowofsuchaletterastheforegoing？
IhaveoftenthoughtthattheChurchofRomedoeswiselyinnotallowingherprieststomarry。CertainlyitisamatterofcommonobservationinEnglandthatthesonsofclergymenarefrequentlyunsatisfactory。Theexplanationisverysimple，butissooftenlostsightofthatImayperhapsbepardonedforgivingithere。
TheclergymanisexpectedtobeakindofhumanSunday。Thingsmustnotbedoneinhimwhicharevenialintheweek-dayclasses。Heispaidforthisbusinessofleadingastricterlifethanotherpeople。
Itishisraisond’etre。Ifhisparishionersfeelthathedoesthis，theyapproveofhim，fortheylookuponhimastheirowncontributiontowardswhattheydeemaholylife。Thisiswhytheclergymanissooftencalledavicar——hebeingthepersonwhosevicariousgoodnessistostandforthatofthoseentrustedtohischarge。ButhishomeishiscastleasmuchasthatofanyotherEnglishman，andwithhim，aswithothers，unnaturaltensioninpublicisfollowedbyexhaustionwhentensionisnolongernecessary。Hischildrenarethemostdefencelessthingshecanreach，anditisontheminninecasesoutoftenthathewillrelievehismind。