manshouldnotonlyhavehisownwayasfaraspossible，butheshouldonlyconsortwiththingsthataregettingtheirownwaysofarthattheyareatanyratecomfortable。Unlessforshorttimesunderexceptionalcircumstances，heshouldnotevenseethingsthathavebeenstuntedorstarved，muchlessshouldheeatmeatthathasbeenvexedbyhavingbeenover-drivenorunderfed，orafflictedwithanydisease；norshouldhetouchvegetablesthathavenotbeenwellgrown。Forallthesethingscrossaman；whateveramancomesincontactwithinanywayformsacrosswithhimwhichwillleavehimbetterorworse，andthebetterthingsheiscrossedwiththemorelikelyheistolivelongandhappily。Allthingsmustbecrossedalittleortheywouldceasetolive——butholythings，suchforexampleasGiovanniBellini’ssaints，havebeencrossedwithnothingbutwhatisgoodofitskind，CHAPTERXXIV
ThestormwhichIhavedescribedinthepreviouschapterwasasampleofthosethatoccurreddailyformanyyears。Nomatterhowclearthesky，itwasalwaysliabletocloudovernowinonequarternowinanother，andthethunderandlightningwereupontheyoungpeoplebeforetheyknewwheretheywere。
“Andthen，youknow。”saidErnesttome，whenIaskedhimnotlongsincetogivememoreofhischildishreminiscencesforthebenefitofmystory，“weusedtolearnMrsBarbauld’shymns；theywereinprose，andtherewasoneaboutthelionwhichbegan，’Come，andI
willshowyouwhatisstrong。Thelionisstrong；whenheraisethhimselffromhislair，whenheshakethhismane，whenthevoiceofhisroaringisheardthecattleofthefieldfly，andthebeastsofthedeserthidethemselves，forheisveryterrible。’IusedtosaythistoJoeyandCharlotteaboutmyfatherhimselfwhenIgotalittleolder，buttheywerealwaysdidactic，andsaiditwasnaughtyofme。
“Onegreatreasonwhyclergymen’shouseholdsaregenerallyunhappyisbecausetheclergymanissomuchathomeorcloseaboutthehouse。Thedoctorisoutvisitingpatientshalfhistime：thelawyerandthemerchanthaveofficesawayfromhome，buttheclergymanhasnoofficialplaceofbusinesswhichshallensurehisbeingawayfromhomeformanyhourstogetheratstatedtimes。Ourgreatdayswerewhenmyfatherwentforaday’sshoppingtoGildenham。Weweresomemilesfromthisplace，andcommissionsusedtoaccumulateonmyfather’slisttillhewouldmakeadayofitandgoanddothelot。Assoonashisbackwasturnedtheairfeltlighter；assoonasthehalldooropenedtolethiminagain，thelawwithitsall-reaching’touchnot，tastenot，handlenot’wasuponusagain。TheworstofitwasthatIcouldnevertrustJoeyandCharlotte；theywouldgoagoodwaywithmeandthenturnback，oreventhewholewayandthentheirconscienceswouldcompelthemtotellpapaandmamma。Theylikedrunningwiththehareuptoacertainpoint，buttheirinstinctwastowardsthehounds。
“Itseemstome。”hecontinued，“thatthefamilyisasurvivaloftheprinciplewhichismorelogicallyembodiedinthecompoundanimal——andthecompoundanimalisaformoflifewhichhasbeenfoundincompatiblewithhighdevelopment。Iwoulddowiththefamilyamongmankindwhatnaturehasdonewiththecompoundanimal，andconfineittothelowerandlessprogressiveraces。Certainlythereisnoinherentloveforthefamilysystemonthepartofnatureherself。Polltheformsoflifeandyouwillfinditinaridiculouslysmallminority。Thefishesknowitnot，andtheygetalongquitenicely。Theantsandthebees，whofaroutnumberman，stingtheirfatherstodeathasamatterofcourse，andaregiventotheatrociousmutilationofnine-tenthsoftheoffspringcommittedtotheircharge，yetwhereshallwefindcommunitiesmoreuniversallyrespected？Takethecuckooagain——isthereanybirdwhichwelikebetter？”
Isawhewasrunningofffromhisownreminiscencesandtriedtobringhimbacktothem，butitwasnouse。
“Whatafool。”hesaid，“amanistorememberanythingthathappenedmorethanaweekagounlessitwaspleasant，orunlesshewantstomakesomeuseofit。
“Sensiblepeoplegetthegreaterpartoftheirowndyingdoneduringtheirownlifetime。Amanatfiveandthirtyshouldnomoreregretnothavinghadahappierchildhoodthanheshouldregretnothavingbeenbornaprinceoftheblood。Hemightbehappierifhehadbeenmorefortunateinchildhood，but，foraughtheknows，ifhehad，somethingelsemighthavehappenedwhichmighthavekilledhimlongago。IfIhadtobebornagainIwouldbebornatBattersbyofthesamefatherandmotherasbefore，andIwouldnotalteranythingthathaseverhappenedtome。”
ThemostamusingincidentthatIcanrememberabouthischildhoodwasthatwhenhewasaboutsevenyearsoldhetoldmehewasgoingtohaveanaturalchild。Iaskedhimhisreasonsforthinkingthis，andheexplainedthatpapaandmammahadalwaystoldhimthatnobodyhadchildrentilltheyweremarried，andaslongashehadbelievedthisofcoursehehadhadnoideaofhavingachild，tillhewasgrownup；butnotlongsincehehadbeenreadingMrsMarkham’shistoryofEnglandandhadcomeuponthewords“JohnofGaunthadseveralnaturalchildren“hehadthereforeaskedhisgovernesswhatanaturalchildwas——werenotallchildrennatural？
“Oh，mydear。”saidshe，“anaturalchildisachildapersonhasbeforeheismarried。”OnthisitseemedtofollowlogicallythatifJohnofGaunthadhadchildrenbeforehewasmarried，he，ErnestPontifex，mighthavethemalso，andhewouldbeobligedtomeifI
wouldtellhimwhathehadbetterdounderthecircumstances。
Ienquiredhowlongagohehadmadethisdiscovery。Hesaidaboutafortnight，andhedidnotknowwheretolookforthechild，foritmightcomeatanymoment。“Youknow。”hesaid，“babiescomesosuddenly；onegoestobedonenightandnextmorningthereisababy。Why，itmightdieofcoldifwearenotonthelook-outforit。Ihopeitwillbeaboy。”
“Andyouhavetoldyourgovernessaboutthis？”
“Yes，butsheputsmeoffanddoesnothelpme：shesaysitwillnotcomeformanyyears，andshehopesnotthen。”
“Areyouquitesurethatyouhavenotmadeanymistakeinallthis？”
“Oh，no；becauseMrsBurne，youknow，calledhereafewdaysago，andIwassentfortobelookedat。Andmammaheldmeoutatarm’slengthandsaid，’IsheMrPontifex’schild，MrsBurne，orishemine？’Ofcourse，shecouldn’thavesaidthisifpapahadnothadsomeofthechildrenhimself。Ididthinkthegentlemanhadalltheboysandtheladyallthegirls；butitcan’tbelikethis，orelsemammawouldnothaveaskedMrsBurnetoguess；butthenMrsBurnesaid，’Oh，he’sMrPontifex’schildOFCOURSE，’andIdidn’tquiteknowwhatshemeantbysaying’ofcourse’：itseemedasthoughI
wasrightinthinkingthatthehusbandhasalltheboysandthewifeallthegirls；Iwishyouwouldexplaintomeallaboutit。”
ThisIcouldhardlydo，soIchangedtheconversation，afterreassuringhimasbestIcould。
Threeorfouryearsafterthebirthofherdaughter，Christinahadhadonemorechild。Shehadneverbeenstrongsinceshemarried，andhadapresentimentthatsheshouldnotsurvivethislastconfinement。Sheaccordinglywrotethefollowingletter，whichwastobegiven，assheendorseduponit，tohersonswhenErnestwassixteenyearsold。Itreachedhimonhismother’sdeathmanyyearslater，foritwasthebabywhodiednow，andnotChristina。Itwasfoundamongpaperswhichshehadrepeatedlyandcarefullyarranged，withthesealalreadybroken。This，Iamafraid，showsthatChristinahadreaditandthoughtittoocreditabletobedestroyedwhentheoccasionthathadcalleditforthhadgoneby。Itisasfollows-
“BATTERSBY，March15th，1841。
“MyTwoDearBoys，——Whenthisisputintoyourhandswillyoutrytobringtomindthemotherwhomyoulostinyourchildhood，andwhom，Ifear，youwillalmosthaveforgotten？You，Ernest，willrememberherbest，foryouarepastfiveyearsold，andthemany，manytimesthatshehastaughtyouyourprayersandhymnsandsumsandtoldyoustories，andourhappySundayeveningswillnotquitehavepassedfromyourmind，andyou，Joey，thoughonlyfour，willperhapsrecollectsomeofthesethings。Mydear，dearboys，forthesakeofthatmotherwholovedyouverydearly——andforthesakeofyourownhappinessforeverandever——attendtoandtrytoremember，andfromtimetotimereadoveragainthelastwordsshecaneverspeaktoyou。WhenIthinkaboutleavingyouall，twothingspressheavilyuponme：one，yourfather’ssorrowforyou，mydarlings，aftermissingmealittlewhile，willsoonforgetyourloss，theother，theeverlastingwelfareofmychildren。Iknowhowlonganddeeptheformerwillbe，andIknowthathewilllooktohischildrentobealmosthisonlyearthlycomfort。YouknowforIamcertainthatitwillhavebeenso，howhehasdevotedhislifetoyouandtaughtyouandlabouredtoleadyoutoallthatisrightandgood。Oh，then，besurethatyouAREhiscomforts。Lethimfindyouobedient，affectionateandattentivetohiswishes，upright，self-denyinganddiligent；lethimneverblushfororgrieveoverthesinsandfolliesofthosewhoowehimsuchadebtofgratitude，andwhosefirstdutyitistostudyhishappiness。Youhavebothofyouanamewhichmustnotbedisgraced，afatherandagrandfatherofwhomtoshowyourselvesworthy；yourrespectabilityandwell-doinginliferestmainlywithyourselves，butfar，farbeyondearthlyrespectabilityandwell-doing，andcomparedwithwhichtheyareasnothing，youreternalhappinessrestswithyourselves。Youknowyourduty，butsnaresandtemptationsfromwithoutbesetyou，andtheneareryouapproachtomanhoodthemorestronglywillyoufeelthis。WithGod’shelp，withGod’sword，andwithhumbleheartsyouwillstandinspiteofeverything，butshouldyouleaveoffseekinginearnestforthefirst，andapplyingtothesecond，shouldyoulearntotrustinyourselves，ortotheadviceandexampleoftoomanyaroundyou，youwill，youmustfall。Oh，’letGodbetrueandeverymanaliar。’HesaysyoucannotserveHimandMammon。Hesaysthatstraitisthegatethatleadstoeternallife。Manytherearewhoseektowidenit；theywilltellyouthatsuchandsuchself-indulgencesarebutvenialoffences——thatthisandthatworldlycomplianceisexcusableandevennecessary。ThethingCANNOTBE；
forinahundredandahundredplacesHetellsyouso——looktoyourBiblesandseektherewhethersuchcounselistrue——andifnot，oh，’haltnotbetweentwoopinions，’ifGodistheLordfollowHim；onlybestrongandofagoodcourage，andHewillneverleaveyounorforsakeyou。Remember，thereisnotintheBibleonelawfortherich，andoneforthepoor——onefortheeducatedandonefortheignorant。ToALLthereisbutonethingneedful。ALLaretobelivingtoGodandtheirfellow-creatures，andnottothemselves。
ALLmustseekfirsttheKingdomofGodandHisrighteousness——mustDENYTHEMSELVES，bepureandchasteandcharitableinthefullestandwidestsense——all，’forgettingthosethingsthatarebehind，’
must’pressforwardtowardsthemark，fortheprizeofthehighcallingofGod。’
“AndnowIwilladdbuttwothingsmore。Betruethroughlifetoeachother，loveasonlybrothersshoulddo，strengthen，warn，encourageoneanother，andletwhowillbeagainstyou，leteachfeelthatinhisbrotherhehasafirmandfaithfulfriendwhowillbesototheend；and，oh！bekindandwatchfuloveryourdearsister；withoutmotherorsistersshewilldoublyneedherbrothers’
loveandtendernessandconfidence。Iamcertainshewillseekthem，andwillloveyouandtrytomakeyouhappy；besurethenthatyoudonotfailher，andremember，thatwereshetoloseherfatherandremainunmarried，shewoulddoublyneedprotectors。Toyou，then，Iespeciallycommendher。Oh！mythreedarlingchildren，betruetoeachother，yourFather，andyourGod。MayHeguideandblessyou，andgrantthatinabetterandhappierworldIandminemaymeetagain——Yourmostaffectionatemother，CHRISTINAPONTIFEX。”
FromenquiriesIhavemade，Ihavesatisfiedmyselfthatmostmotherswriteletterslikethisshortlybeforetheirconfinements，andthatfiftypercent。keepthemafterwards，asChristinadid。