lity and good actions surely," said Lady Belfield.

"It is true," replied Mr. Stanley, "but they often inculcate them on a
worldly principle, and rather teach the pride of virtue, and the profit
of virtue, than point out the motive of virtue, and the principle of
sin. They reprobate bad actions as evil and injurious to others, but not
as an offense against the Almighty. Whereas the Bible comes with a
plain, straightforward, simple, but powerful principle--'How shall I do
this great wickedness against GOD?' 'Against THEE, THEE only have I
sinned, and done this evil in THY sight.'

"Even children should be taught that when a man has committed the
greatest possible crime against his fellow creature, still the offense
against God is what will strike a true penitent with the most deep
remorse. All morality which is not drawn from this scriptural source is
weak, defective, and hollow. These entertaining authors seldom ground
their stories on any intimation that human nature is corrupt; that the
young reader is helpless, and wants assistance; that he is guilty, and
wants pardon."

"Surely, my dear Mr. Stanley," said Lady Belfield, "though I do not
object to the truth and reasonableness of any thing you have said, I can
not think that these things can possibly be made intelligible to
children."

"The framers of our catechism, madam, thought otherwise," replied Mr.
Stanley. "The catechism was written for children, and contains all the
seeds and principles of Christianity for men. It evidently requires much
explanation, much development; still it furnishes a wide and important
field for colloquial instruction, without which young persons can by no
means understand a composition so admirable, but so condensed. The
catechism speaks expressly of 'a death unto sin'--of 'a new birth unto
righteousness'--of 'being born in sin'--of being the 'children of
wrath'--of becoming the 'children of grace'--of 'forsaking sin by
repentance'--of 'believing the promises of God by faith.' Now while
children are studying these great truths in the catechism, they are
probably, at the same time, almost constantly reading some of those
entertaining stories which are grounded and built on a quite opposite
principle, and do not even imply the existence of any such fundamental
truths."

"Surely," interrupted Lady Belfield, "you would not have these serious
doctrines brought forward in story books?"

"By no means, madam," replied Mr. Stanley; "but I