Pleasure，afterall，isasaferguidethaneitherrightorduty。
Forhardasitistoknowwhatgivesuspleasure，rightanddutyareoftenstillhardertodistinguishand，ifwegowrongwiththem，willleadusintojustassorryaplightasamistakenopinionconcerningpleasure。Whenmenburntheirfingersthroughfollowingafterpleasuretheyfindouttheirmistakeandgettoseewheretheyhavegonewrongmoreeasilythanwhentheyhaveburntthemthroughfollowingafterafanciedduty，orafanciedideaconcerningrightvirtue。Thedevil，infact，whenhedresseshimselfinangel’sclothes，canonlybedetectedbyexpertsofexceptionalskill，andsooftendoesheadoptthisdisguisethatitishardlysafetobeseentalkingtoanangelatall，andprudentpeoplewillfollowafterpleasureasamorehomelybutmorerespectableandonthewholemuchmoretrustworthyguide。
ReturningtoMrPontifex，overandabovehishavinglivedlongandprosperously，heleftnumerousoffspring，toallofwhomhecommunicatednotonlyhisphysicalandmentalcharacteristics，withnomorethantheusualamountofmodification，butalsonosmallshareofcharacteristicswhicharelesseasilytransmitted——Imeanhispecuniarycharacteristics。Itmaybesaidthatheacquiredthesebysittingstillandlettingmoneyrun，asitwere，rightupagainsthim，butagainsthowmanydoesnotmoneyrunwhodonottakeitwhenitdoes，orwho，eveniftheyholditforalittlewhile，cannotsoincorporateitwiththemselvesthatitshalldescendthroughthemtotheiroffspring？MrPontifexdidthis。Hekeptwhathemaybesaidtohavemade，andmoneyislikeareputationforability——moreeasilymadethankept。
Takehim，then，forallinall，Iamnotinclinedtobesosevereuponhimasmyfatherwas。Judgehimaccordingtoanyveryloftystandard，andheisnowhere。Judgehimaccordingtoafairaveragestandard，andthereisnotmuchfaulttobefoundwithhim。IhavesaidwhatIhavesaidintheforegoingchapteronceforall，andshallnotbreakmythreadtorepeatit。Itshouldgowithoutsayinginmodificationoftheverdictwhichthereadermaybeinclinedtopasstoohastily，notonlyuponMrGeorgePontifex，butalsouponTheobaldandChristina。AndnowIwillcontinuemystory。
ThebirthofhissonopenedTheobald’seyestoagooddealwhichhehadbutfaintlyrealisedhitherto。Hehadhadnoideahowgreatanuisanceababywas。Babiescomeintotheworldsosuddenlyattheend，andupseteverythingsoterriblywhentheydocome：whycannottheystealinuponuswithlessofashocktothedomesticsystem？
Hiswife，too，didnotrecoverrapidlyfromherconfinement；sheremainedaninvalidformonths；herewasanothernuisanceandanexpensiveone，whichinterferedwiththeamountwhichTheobaldlikedtoputbyoutofhisincomeagainst，ashesaid，arainyday，ortomakeprovisionforhisfamilyifheshouldhaveone。Nowhewasgettingafamily，sothatitbecameallthemorenecessarytoputmoneyby，andherewasthebabyhinderinghim。Theoristsmaysaywhattheylikeaboutaman’schildrenbeingacontinuationofhisownidentity，butitwillgenerallybefoundthatthosewhotalkinthiswayhavenochildrenoftheirown。Practicalfamilymenknowbetter。
AbouttwelvemonthsafterthebirthofErnesttherecameasecond，alsoaboy，whowaschristenedJoseph，andinlessthantwelvemonthsafterwards，agirl，towhomwasgiventhenameofCharlotte。
AfewmonthsbeforethisgirlwasbornChristinapaidavisittotheJohnPontifexesinLondon，and，knowinghercondition，passedagooddealoftimeattheRoyalAcademyexhibitionlookingatthetypesoffemalebeautyportrayedbytheAcademicians，forshehadmadeuphermindthatthechildthistimewastobeagirl。Aletheawarnedhernottodothis，butshepersisted，andcertainlythechildturnedoutplain，butwhetherthepicturescausedthisornoIcannotsay。
Theobaldhadneverlikedchildren。Hehadalwaysgotawayfromthemassoonashecould，andsohadtheyfromhim；oh，why，hewasinclinedtoaskhimself，couldnotchildrenbebornintotheworldgrownup？IfChristinacouldhavegivenbirthtoafewfull-grownclergymeninpriest’sorders——ofmoderateviews，butincliningrathertoEvangelicalism，withcomfortablelivingsandinallrespectsfacsimilesofTheobaldhimself——why，theremighthavebeenmoresenseinit；orifpeoplecouldbuyready-madechildrenatashopofwhateverageandsextheyliked，insteadofalwayshavingtomakethemathomeandtobeginatthebeginningwiththem——thatmightdobetter，butasitwashedidnotlikeit。HefeltashehadfeltwhenhehadbeenrequiredtocomeandbemarriedtoChristina——thathehadbeengoingonforalongtimequitenicely，andwouldmuchrathercontinuethingsontheirpresentfooting。Inthematterofgettingmarriedhehadbeenobligedtopretendhelikedit；buttimeswerechanged，andifhedidnotlikeathingnow，hecouldfindahundredunexceptionablewaysofmakinghisdislikeapparent。
ItmighthavebeenbetterifTheobaldinhisyoungerdayshadkickedmoreagainsthisfather：thefactthathehadnotdonesoencouragedhimtoexpectthemostimplicitobediencefromhisownchildren。Hecouldtrusthimself，hesaidandsodidChristina，tobemorelenientthanperhapshisfatherhadbeentohimself；hisdanger，hesaidandsoagaindidChristina，wouldberatherinthedirectionofbeingtooindulgent；hemustbeonhisguardagainstthis，fornodutycouldbemoreimportantthanthatofteachingachildtoobeyitsparentsinallthings。
HehadreadnotlongsinceofanEasterntraveller，who，whileexploringsomewhereinthemoreremotepartsofArabiaandAsiaMinor，hadcomeuponaremarkablyhardy，sober，industriouslittleChristiancommunity——alloftheminthebestofhealth——whohadturnedouttobetheactuallivingdescendantsofJonadab，thesonofRechab；andtwomeninEuropeancostume，indeed，butspeakingEnglishwithabrokenaccent，andbytheircolourevidentlyOriental，hadcomebeggingtoBattersbysoonafterwards，andrepresentedthemselvesasbelongingtothispeople；theyhadsaidtheywerecollectingfundstopromotetheconversionoftheirfellowtribesmentotheEnglishbranchoftheChristianreligion。True，theyturnedouttobeimpostors，forwhenhegavethemapoundandChristinafiveshillingsfromherprivatepurse，theywentandgotdrunkwithitinthenextvillagebutonetoBattersby；still，thisdidnotinvalidatethestoryoftheEasterntraveller。ThenthereweretheRomans——whosegreatnesswasprobablyduetothewholesomeauthorityexercisedbytheheadofafamilyoverallitsmembers。
SomeRomanshadevenkilledtheirchildren；thiswasgoingtoofar，butthentheRomanswerenotChristians，andknewnobetter。
ThepracticaloutcomeoftheforegoingwasaconvictioninTheobald’smind，andifinhis，theninChristina’s，thatitwastheirdutytobegintraininguptheirchildreninthewaytheyshouldgo，evenfromtheirearliestinfancy。Thefirstsignsofself-willmustbecarefullylookedfor，andpluckedupbytherootsatoncebeforetheyhadtimetogrow。Theobaldpickedupthisnumbserpentofametaphorandcherisheditinhisbosom。
BeforeErnestcouldwellcrawlhewastaughttokneel；beforehecouldwellspeakhewastaughttolisptheLord’sprayer，andthegeneralconfession。Howwasitpossiblethatthesethingscouldbetaughttooearly？Ifhisattentionflaggedorhismemoryfailedhim，herewasanillweedwhichwouldgrowapace，unlessitwerepluckedoutimmediately，andtheonlywaytopluckitoutwastowhiphim，orshuthimupinacupboard，ordockhimofsomeofthesmallpleasuresofchildhood。Beforehewasthreeyearsoldhecouldreadand，afterafashion，write。BeforehewasfourhewaslearningLatin，andcoulddoruleofthreesums。
Asforthechildhimself，hewasnaturallyofaneventemper，hedoteduponhisnurse，onkittensandpuppies，andonallthingsthatwoulddohimthekindnessofallowinghimtobefondofthem。Hewasfondofhismother，too，butasregardshisfather，hehastoldmeinlaterlifehecouldremembernofeelingbutfearandshrinking。ChristinadidnotremonstratewithTheobaldconcerningtheseverityofthetasksimposedupontheirboy，noryetastothecontinualwhippingsthatwerefoundnecessaryatlessontimes。
Indeed，whenduringanyabsenceofTheobald’sthelessonswereentrustedtoher，shefoundtohersorrowthatitwastheonlythingtodo，andshediditnolesseffectuallythanTheobaldhimself，neverthelessshewasfondofherboy，whichTheobaldneverwas，anditwaslongbeforeshecoulddestroyallaffectionforherselfinthemindofherfirst-born。Butshepersevered。
Strange！forshebelievedshedoteduponhim，andcertainlyshelovedhimbetterthaneitherofherotherchildren。Herversionofthematterwasthattherehadneveryetbeentwoparentssoself-
denyinganddevotedtothehighestwelfareoftheirchildrenasTheobaldandherself。ForErnest，averygreatfuture——shewascertainofit——wasinstore。Thismadeseverityallthemorenecessary，sothatfromthefirsthemighthavebeenkeptpurefromeverytaintofevil。Shecouldnotallowherselfthescopeforcastlebuildingwhich，weread，wasindulgedinbyeveryJewishmatronbeforetheappearanceoftheMessiah，fortheMessiahhadnowcome，buttherewastobeamillenniumshortly，certainlynotlaterthan1866，whenErnestwouldbejustabouttherightageforit，andamodernEliaswouldbewantedtoheralditsapproach。HeavenwouldbearherwitnessthatshehadnevershrunkfromtheideaofmartyrdomforherselfandTheobald，norwouldsheavoiditforherboy，ifhislifewasrequiredofherinherRedeemer’sservice。Oh，no！IfGodtoldhertoofferupherfirst-born，asHehadtoldAbraham，shewouldtakehimuptoPigburyBeaconandplungethe——no，thatshecouldnotdo，butitwouldbeunnecessary——someoneelsemightdothat。ItwasnotfornothingthatErnesthadbeenbaptisedinwaterfromtheJordan。Ithadnotbeenherdoing，noryetTheobald’s。Theyhadnotsoughtit。Whenwaterfromthesacredstreamwaswantedforasacredinfant，thechannelhadbeenfoundthroughwhichitwastoflowfromfarPalestineoverlandandseatothedoorofthehousewherethechildwaslying。Why，itwasamiracle！Itwas！Itwas！Shesawitallnow。TheJordanhadleftitsbedandflowedintoherownhouse。Itwasidletosaythatthiswasnotamiracle。Nomiraclewaseffectedwithoutmeansofsomekind；thedifferencebetweenthefaithfulandtheunbelieverconsistedintheveryfactthattheformercouldseeamiraclewherethelattercouldnot。TheJewscouldseenomiracleevenintheraisingofLazarusandthefeedingofthefivethousand。TheJohnPontifexeswouldseenomiracleinthismatterofthewaterfromtheJordan。Theessenceofamiraclelaynotinthefactthatmeanshadbeendispensedwith，butintheadoptionofmeanstoagreatendthathadnotbeenavailablewithoutinterference；andnoonewouldsupposethatDrJoneswouldhavebroughtthewaterunlesshehadbeendirected。ShewouldtellthistoTheobald，andgethimtoseeitinthe……andyetperhapsitwouldbebetternot。Theinsightofwomenuponmattersofthissortwasdeeperandmoreunerringthanthatofmen。ItwasawomanandnotamanwhohadbeenfilledmostcompletelywiththewholefulnessoftheDeity。Butwhyhadtheynottreasuredupthewaterafteritwasused？Itoughtnever，nevertohavebeenthrownaway，butithadbeen。Perhaps，however，thiswasforthebesttoo——theymighthavebeentemptedtosettoomuchstorebyit，anditmighthavebecomeasourceofspiritualdangertothem——perhapsevenofspiritualpride，theverysinofallotherswhichshemostabhorred。AsforthechannelthroughwhichtheJordanhadflowedtoBattersby，thatmatterednotmorethantheearththroughwhichtheriverraninPalestineitself。DrJoneswascertainlyworldly——veryworldly；so，sheregrettedtofeel，hadbeenherfather-in-law，thoughinalessdegree；spiritual，atheart，doubtless，andbecomingmoreandmorespiritualcontinuallyashegrewolder，stillhewastaintedwiththeworld，tillaveryfewhours，probably，beforehisdeath，whereassheandTheobaldhadgivenupallforChrist’ssake。THEYwerenotworldly。AtleastTheobaldwasnot。Shehadbeen，butshewassureshehadgrowningracesinceshehadleftoffeatingthingsstrangledandblood——thiswasasthewashinginJordanasagainstAbanaandPharpar，riversofDamascus。Herboyshouldnevertouchastrangledfowlnorablackpudding——that，atanyrate，shecouldseeto。HeshouldhaveacoralfromtheneighbourhoodofJoppa——therewerecoralinsectsonthosecoasts，sothatthethingcouldeasilybedonewithalittleenergy；shewouldwritetoDrJonesaboutit，etc。Andsoonforhourstogetherdayafterdayforyears。Truly，MrsTheobaldlovedherchildaccordingtoherlightswithanexceedinggreatfondness，butthedreamsshehaddreamedinsleepweresoberrealitiesincomparisonwiththosesheindulgedinwhileawake。