CHAPTER XVI.

MRS. CAMPBELL'S MANAGEMENT.

MRS. MORELLE and Florence sat down upon a seat placed for the accommodation of visitors, where there was a good view of the sea, and while they were resting there Grimkie and John rambled about over the sands picking up shells and pebbles. There were one or two sail-boats drawn up upon the beach, and at one place there were two small row-boats.

sail."

Grimkie," said John, "let us go and take a

"There is not any wind," said Grimkie.

"Then let us take one of these row-boats and go out and have a row."

"And leave auntie and Florence on the shore ?" asked Grimkie.

"They might go with us," said John, "if they take a notion to."

"Do you think they would take such a notion ?" asked Grimkie.

"Florence would," said John, "I am sure." "And auntie ?" said Grimkie.

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"Well, about mother," replied John, "I don't know. She does not like little boats very well. We might ask her.”

I would recommend to all mothers who may read this book, and to all elder brothers and sisters who may ever have the charge of younger ones, to adopt Mrs. Morelle's principle and practice in respect to requests made to them, and that is never to give but one answer to such requests; and in order that they may do this, or, in other words, in order that the first answer given may be the right one, and one that can be adhered to, proper time must be taken-more or less according to the nature and importance of the request to consider what the answer ought to be.

The reverse of this mode of management was well illustrated on this very spot the day before, when a lady from Scotland, with her two boys, who had come to the Isle of Wight on a visit, had come down through the Chine, and then had sat down to rest themselves on the same seat where Mrs. Morelle and Florence were now sitting. The lady's name was Mrs. Campbell, and after they had been seated there a few minutes, the two boys, whose names were Arthur and Donald, went down to the beach, and there they found the boat, and also the boatmen, just

as Grimkie and John had done. They asked the boatman about his boat, and he told them the price of it for an hour was one shilling. The boys immediately came back to their mother, and begged her to go out with them in it on the

water.

"Oh no, boys," said Mrs. Campbell. "You don't want to go out on the water. It is a great deal pleasanter here on the land.”

"Ah yes, mother," said Donald. We want to go very much. It is a very nice boat."

"But I don't like to go out in small boats," said Mrs. Campbell. "Besides, it is dangerous. Such little boats tip over very easily, and then we should all be drowned."

"No, mother," replied Donald, "this is a very steady boat, and with only three of us in, it would not be heavily loaded at all."

"Besides," said Arthur, "if we should tip over it would only wet us a little. The water is so shallow that it would not be over our heads any where within half a mile of the shore. And we need not go out more than a quarter of a mile."

"But then even if we were not drowned," said Mrs. Campbell, "what a very disagreeable thing it would be to fall into the water and get wet all over, besides being half frightened to death. No,

I can't let you go out in the boat. But I'll tell you what I will do instead. To-morrow or next day I will get a carriage and take you to ride.

"No, mother," said Authur, beginning now to speak in a whimpering tone, such as children often fall into when they are attempting to overcome their mother's objections to any of their plans by dint of importunity," we want to go out in the boat. We want to see how the shore looks, and the cliffs seen from the water."

"But they don't look any differently from what they do here," replied Mrs. Campbell. "Indeed, they will be farther off there and won't look so high.

The boys now began to pout and look sullen, and to mutter that they though their mother might let them go just as well as not-there was no danger at all—and then she never would let them do any thing that they really wanted to do and other such things, all which made Mrs. Campbell feel very uncomfortable. produce this effect was, in fact, exactly what the boys wanted, and they knew from past experience that by persevering they should gain their end.

To

"Come, boys," said their mother, after a mcment's pause. "Run around on the beach and pick up pebbles and shells, or else we will go

back home. Be good boys and see how well you can bear disappointment. Besides I will give you a ride some day, and you will like that a great deal better than sailing in a boat."

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"No,' " said Arthur, sullenly, "we want to go in the boat."

"But I tell you positively," replied Mrs. Campbell," that I can't let you go in the boat, and it is of no use asking me any more. That is my final answer, and I don't want to hear any more about it. It is very dangerous. We might even be blown out to sea."

When a mother gives a reason for a command or refusal, it usually operates not to convince the child, but only to invite him to reply. Especially when the reasons-as they usually are in such cases-are false ones.

"Mother," said Donald, in reply to his mother's argument from the danger of being driven out to sea, "there is not the least breath of wind."

"I know," said his mother, looking a little confused. "There is not much wind now, but a breeze might spring up suddenly. Besides we might be carried off by the tide."

"The tide is coming in," said Authur. "The boatman told me so. So the tide could not carry us out. If we were out there already it would bring us back."