Page:The Poor Rich Man, and the Rich Poor Man.djvu/104

96 their responsibility to Him for the use and improvement of this best of his gifts. They were sufficiently acquainted with, the condition, laws, institutions, and capabilities of their country, to know how to train their children to profit by them, and, when they became men and women, to reflect honour on them. They sent them to school; but they well knew that schools could do but a small part towards their education. Home was the school in which they were to be taught, from the first year of their existence, by day and by night, in sickness and in health, and their parents were to set them the copies which they were to follow. Besides instruction in virtues and manners, which, if not learned at home, are learned nowhere, they improved every opportunity of adding to their knowledge. Henry Aikin often devoted a leisure moment to looking over a book-stall, where valuable second-hand books are frequently to be obtained at low prices. He had lately purchased a work on natural history, with good plates, and he now proposed that Mr. Barlow, who was well acquainted with the subject, should give the children some instruction upon it; which, with the aid of the books, might be made very attractive to them. Susan suggested, that it was a pity such an opportunity should be confined to their children, and mentioned two or three worthy families whose children might be included. This led to an extension of the plan; and it was finally concluded to propose a social meeting, to be held successively at the different families included. Mr. Barlow was to give a sort of lecture, and, after that was over, the evening was to be passed socially. "If we