es
home and says that you have been kind, and gentle and yielding all day.'
But then, on reflection, I thought that _that_ motive would not be
powerful enough. I knew you had at least some desire to please me, but I
had some doubt whether it would be enough to carry you through all the
temptations of the whole day. Do you recollect what I did say to you,
Dwight?"

"Yes, mother," replied Dwight, "you told me just before I went away,
that if I was a good, pleasant boy, Mary Anna would want to take me
again some day."

"Yes, and what principle in your heart was that appealing to?"

Dwight did not answer. David said, "Selfishness."

"Yes," said his mother; "or rather not selfishness, but self-love.
Selfishness means not only a desire for our own happiness, but injustice
towards others. It would have been wrong for me to have appealed to
Dwight's selfishness, as that would have been encouraging a bad passion;
but it was right for me to appeal to his self-love, that is, to shew him
how his own future enjoyment would depend upon his being a good boy that
day.

"Now, Dwight, do you think that what I said had any influence over you
that day?"

"Yes, mother," said Dwight, "I think it did. I thought of it a good many
times."

"Would it have had as much influence if I had asked you to be a good
boy only to please me?"

Dwight acknowledged that he did not think it would.

"Do you think it would have had as much influence if I had asked you to
do right to please God?"

"No, mother," said Dwight.

"Do you think that would have had any influence at all?"

Dwight seemed at a loss, and said he didn't know.

"Do _you_ think it would?" said Caleb.

"Why, yes," said Madam Rachel, though she spoke in rather a doubtful
tone. "I rather think it would have had some influence--not much, but
_some_. He would not have thought of it very often, but still, I rather
think, at least I hope, that Dwight has _some_ desire to please God, and
that it now and then influences him a little. But in boys generally, I
don't think that such a motive would have any influence at all."

"Not any at all?" said David.

"Why, you can judge for yourself. Do you suppose that the boys at
school, and those that you meet in the street, are influenced in their
conduct every day, by any desire to please God?"

"Why, nobody tells them," said Dwight.

"O, yes, they have been told over and over again, at church, and in the
Sabbath school, till they are