despised, for assisting you in impressing the heart of a Child:

"Ye shall not afflict any widows or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless."

"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord."

"If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him; but the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself."

"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him."

"Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in anywise bring them again to thy brother. And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again. In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment, and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself."

"Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed."

Forget not to show them that humanity was to be cultivated, because God has so enjoined men; and you can also show them, that, for their own sakes, it was to be cultivated, as a disposition in which God delights. Hence no man was to curse the deaf, though such a one could neither hear the offender, nor feel the offence; nor was any one to lay a stumbling-block before the blind, of whatever character, who could never see who was the guilty party! The sick, too, you may remark, the infirm, and the absent, were alike protected by that universal hu

manity, which, as it is enjoined, so it also cometh down from above.

Many such precepts will you find in the Sacred Volume; and if you desire a commentary, point your Children to such passages as that of the good Samaritan, mentioned by our blessed Lord, and those precepts of his, which prove so powerfully that his "heart was made of tenderness."

Much has been said, in our day, respecting cruelty to animals, and no reprobation can be too severe; but amidst all this just and merited reprobation, looking over the whole fabric of society, who will teach, or rather who can infuse humanity? However nicely balanced, and, at first sight, finely adapted, any act of human legislation should seem, though it were to pass both Houses unanimously, and with the concurrent voice of the entire nation, how inoperative and ineffectual must it prove in the result! And still would the question return, though with redoubled emphasis-Who shall teach, or who can infuse humanity? The truth is, that humanity lies within the sphere of sacred legislation; and this consideration renders its violation much more serious than many imagine;

"For many a crime, deem'd innocent on earth,

Is register'd in heaven; and these no doubt
Have each their record, with a curse annex'd."

Here, then, is one subject which purchased tuition cannot reach, and which is also above the sphere and power of legislation. One should have imagined, that the vexation which such cruelty has given to the benevolent and thoughtful mind, and the impotence of all human enactments, to produce the desired effect, might have led many to look round and inquire-Whether there was any such thing in existence, as a fountain of tenderness?

or

whether the provision which the Almighty has supplied, had not been overlooked. Meanwhile, I may be permitted to avail myself, of this strong and pointed argument, in favor of the Domestic Constitution. As the gracious and Almighty Founder of the human family intended thereby to produce and prolong natural affection, so it will ever be found, that Parents must prove the fountain of tenderness and humanity in a nation, if tenderness is there. To them, as such, after every expedient has proved abortive, must the wise, and the humane, and the men of active goodness, at last turn the voice of warning, and the supplicating eye.

Having found out the parties, who, by the institution and appointment of God, alone possess the ability, one point is gained. Let them only consider, how much it is their own personal interest, as well as their duty, that their will, in this matter, should correspond with their incumbent obligations. Addressing myself, therefore, to Parents, I would entreat them to observe, that the animal creation, whatever the jovial and the gay may think, actually possess rights; and, as the creatures of God, these rights cannot be invaded with impunity. Hence cruelty to animals, directly and powerfully tends to render those who are guilty of it, cruel to their own species. Hogarth's four stages of cruelty, shrewdly commence here, and end with murder-the gallows-and public dissection. So that carelessness in this one matter may, before long, in some way or another, rebound even upon yourselves, and may pierce you to the heart, or bring your grey hairs with sorrow to the grave! But you profess to believe in the corruption of human nature? Well, then, as the rebel is generally himself possessed of a tyrannical disposition, so man, generally, possessing this character, even from infancy, is naturally inclined to tyranny, and thirsts for the enjoyment of power. Now, to such a being, it must be of immense importance, in the dawn of reason, that he should have explained to

him, the limits of that dominion, which he is permitted to hold over the animal creation. And who is to do this, if you do not? You have already explained to your Child the rights of God. Explain to him also, as the Scriptures have so minutely and beautifully done, the rights of inferior animals; for be assured, that, however some may have overlooked the fact, it is within these two limits that you will find, as accurately delineated, the rights of man. Should he trample upon either of these rights, or overstep the limits here assigned him, he is not only out of his appropriate sphere in the government of God, but, for his presumption in so doing, he must suffer correspondingly.

On this subject, therefore, I cannot help again adverting to the Sacred Scriptures themselves, in proof of their singular adaptation for infusing humanity; if Parents will only use them for this important purpose:

"If a bird's nest chance to be before thee, in the way, in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; but thou shalt in anywise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days."-Deut. xxii. 6, 7.

From such expressions you can direct your Children to a twofold exercise of humanity here enjoined by God-the sparing of animal life, when actually in their possession, and special compassion for the mother-bird. You can also explain, that, so far from such a passage giving any countenance to the barbarous practice of taking the eggs, or the young of birds, for the purposes of sport or mere gratification, it is in effect saying, that they can only be taken for a lawful or necessary purpose; and even intimates, that if they are thus resolved to take the eggs, or the young, still in anywise they must let the dam go free. Remind them, that the young had never yet known the sweets of liberty; but the mother-bird had; and that though, for any lawful

purpose, they might be taken and used, she must, on no account whatever, be brought into a state of captivity. The value or the beauty of the bird was nothing; such Children were to be told, that, however trifling the crime might seem, and whatever arguments they might accumulate for detaining the captive, they could not reasonably expect to be the objects of God's peculiar care and attention afterwards, and that, another day, it might go ill with themselves.

I cannot, however, omit remarking, that a hint is here given, not only that it is the appropriate duty of a Parent to teach, but that childhood is the proper period for infusing humanity; for "it must not be denied, that the propensity to go in search of the nests of birds, is very natural to Children, and the temptation to rob them very strong. I am convinced, however, that, by proper management, they might be brought to take more pleasure in knowing of a number of nests, and in observing the progress, from their first foundation to the flight of their inhabitants, than in getting into their possession either the eggs or the young ones. I have known an instance of a family of Children standing single in this respect among a whole village, owing to the fortunate circumstance of their Father being a man of more humanity than his neighbors. He did not attempt to restrain his Children from going to search after nests, but he took frequent occasion to inculcate such lessons of humanity as effectually prevented the barbarous custom of robbing them. Let other Fathers follow his example; and let Mothers represent to their Children the cruelty of robbing a poor bird of her young;' for Mothers alone can feel what it is for a Mother to be deprived of her offspring."* "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox when he treadeth out the corn."-Deut. xx. 4.

From this passage you can easily explain, that the ani* Young on Humanity to Animals.