l luxury to be
able to pay for them, or you, who are being fitted by them to take a good
place in after-life? It seems to me that the gratitude and the sweatmeats
ought to flow from you to her; I quite see the force of it, if any girl
feels what I have just described,--I flatter myself I generally do see the
force of my victim's complaints; but it does not do my victim much good,
because I generally also see the force of something else, which is of
superior importance, but which the victim, very likely, will not see till
she is older.

If you have read that pearl of stories, "Cranford," you will remember how
Mrs. Jenkyns, to avoid explaining things to the small Deborah, "took to
stirring the fire or sending the 'forrard' child on an errand." Now,
unlike Mrs. Jenkyns, I believe in explaining my views to the "forrard"
children, as I think the superiority of girls over boys consists in the
remarkably early age at which girls begin to be reasonable! After
expressing such a high opinion of you, I hope you will all prove me right,
by seeing the truth that underlies the theory I am putting before you,
which I am sure you will all be inclined to reckon as a fallacy!

There is no need for me to dwell on the desirability of holidays being
made pleasant for _you_--fathers and mothers are only too ready to do it;
but there is a need for somebody to dwell on the desirability of holidays
being made pleasant for fathers and mothers. They are too unselfish
generally to speak for themselves, especially in holiday time. I hear them
saying, in deprecation of my hard-heartedness, "Oh, let the poor children
have a good time! they can only be young once; they work hard at school,
let them have a little fun in the holidays." I quite agree: I believe in
as much fun as you can get: I should like to be able to insist as sternly
on your all enjoying yourselves in the holidays, as I should on your
working in term-time. There was a great deal of sound wisdom in that
Eastern potentate, who proclaimed a general holiday, adding, "Make merry,
my children, make merry; he who does not make merry will be flogged!"

At the same time, much as I care for your having fun, I do not see why
"fun" should mean upsetting all the household arrangements, and doubling
the servants' work, by your late hours in the morning; at all events,
after the first few mornings, when perhaps it is only natural you should
wish to feel your liberty. But sooner or later you will ha