The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

l would wholly disregard the common observances of civilized life,-in which opinion she was supported by the Wilsons, who testified that neither their call

ve either taken him with me, or relinquished the visit altogether; for I never leave him alone; and I think, Mrs. Markham, I must beg you to make my excuses to

' said Rose; 'could you

sides, she is too old to run after a child, and h

t him to com

y other purpose; and I think, in future, I must

s?' asked my mother,

her son, who was seated on a low stool at her feet; 'but he is my only

rent. 'You should try to suppress such foolish fondness, as

Mrs. Ma

he ought not to be always tied to his mother's ap

at least. I trust my son will never be ashamed to love his mother!

on; but she seemed to think enough had been said o

the mildest, notwithstanding her sweet, pale face and lofty brow, whe

volume of the Farmer's Magazine, which I happened to have been reading at the moment of our visitor's arrival

o the spot, not by fear of the animal, but by a timid disinclination to approach its master. A little encouragement, however, induced him to come forward. The child, though shy, was not sullen. In a minute he was kneeling on the carpet, with his arms round Sancho's neck, and, in a minute or two more, the little fellow was seated on m

come here. You are troublesome t

as much amused as he is,' pleaded I. But still, wit

ook at these pictures first; and then

refuse to make one, Mrs. Graham. You can bring your little boy with you, you know-I daresay we shall be able to

I never go

ourselves, and just the Millwards and Wilsons, most of whom you already know

d damp, and Arthur, I fear, is too delicate to risk exposure to their influence with impunity. W

the refreshment was duly presented to the guests. They both partook of the cake, but obstinately refused the wine, in spite of their hostess's hospitabl

daresay you will do very well without. He detests the very sight of wine,' she added, 'and the smell of it almost makes him sick. I have been accustomed to

except the young

l, you surprise me! I really gave you credit for having more sense.-The poor child will be the ve

gravity. 'By that means I hope to save him from one degrading vice at least. I w

ercomes great obstacles and performs surprising achievements, though by dint of great muscular exertion, and at the risk of some subsequent fatigue, or he that sits in his chair all day, with nothing to do more laborious than stirring the fire, and carryin

rance, there will still be plenty left to exercise all the agility, steadiness, and circumspection he will ever have.-It is all very well to talk about noble resistance, and trials of virtue; but for fifty-or five hundred men that have yielded to tempta

plimentary to us

) stumbling and blundering along the path of life, sinking into every pitfall, and breaking their shins over every impedi

endeavour to fortify him against tempt

ure-I myself have had, indeed, but few incentives to what the world calls vice, but yet I have experienced temptations and trials of another kind, that have required, on many occasions, more watchfulness and firmnes

gainst the error-the fatal error, I may call it-of taking that boy's education upon yourself. Because you are clever in some things and well informed, you may

n to despise his mother's authority and affecti

r, let her keep him at home, and spend her life in pettin

nothing can be further from my principles and

hatever you may think. But I'll get Mr. Millward to talk to you about it:-he'll tell you the consequences;-he'll set it before you as

l to Mr. Millward's. If I hear not him, neither should I be convinced though one rose from the dead, he would tell you. Well, Mr. Markham, you that maintain that a boy should not be shielded from evil, but sent out to

coming it;-I only say that it is better to arm and strengthen your hero, than to disarm and enfeeble the foe;-and if you were to rear an oak sapling in a hothouse, tending it carefully night and day, and shielding it fr

use the same argument

ainly

others for direction and support, and guarded, as much as possible, from the very knowledge of evil. But w

redly

cious, or so feeble-minded, that she cannot withstand temptation,-and though she may be pure and innocent as long as she is kept in ignorance and restraint, yet, being destitute of real virtue, to teach her how to sin is at once to make her a sinner, and the grea

should think so!' I in

eir own experience, while our daughters must not even profit by the experience of others. Now I would have both so to benefit by the experience of others, and the precepts of a higher authority, that they should know beforehand to refuse the evil and choose the good, and require no experimental proofs to teach them the evil of transgression. I would not send a poor girl into the world, unarmed against her foes, and ignorant of the snares that beset her path; nor would I watch and guard her, till, deprived of self-respect and self-reliance, she lost the power or the will to watch and guard herself;-and as

t word, I suppose,' said I, observing her

ds as you please,-only I

much of an argument as you please; an

n, as patiently as you could wish, to whatever you please to say. I would rather be lectured by you than the vicar, because I should have less remorse in telling you, a

listen to an argument against her own opinions, she is always predetermined to withstand it-to listen

urther rejoinder, she slightly bowed, and was about to withdraw; but her son, with childish i

sition and principles, she was evidently prejudiced against me, and seemed bent upon showing me that her opinions respecting me, on every particular, fell far below those I entertained of myself. I was naturally touchy, or it