have done, had you been suspended by your leg, either over water,
which would drown you, or over stones, where if you fell you must
certainly be dashed to pieces. And yet you could take delight in
thus torturing and distressing a poor inoffensive animal. Fie
upon it, Charles! fie upon it! I thought you had been a better
boy, and not such a cruel, naughty, wicked fellow.' 'Wicked!'
repeated the boy, 'I do not think that I have been at all wicked.'
'But I think you have been extremely so,' replied his father;
'every action that is cruel, and gives pain to any living
creature, is wicked, and is a sure sign of a bad heart. I never
knew a man, who was cruel to animals, kind and compassionate
towards his fellow-creatures: he might not perhaps treat them in
the same shocking manner, because the laws of the land would
severely punish him if he did; but if he is restrained from bad
actions by no higher motive than fear of present punishment, his
goodness cannot be very great. A good man, Charles, always takes
delight in conferring happiness on all around him; nor would he
offer the smallest injury to the meanest insect that was capable
of feeling. 'I am sure,' said the boy, 'I have often seen you
kill wasps, and spiders too; and it was but last week that you
bought a mouse-trap yourself to catch mice in, although you are so
angry now with me.' 'And pray,' resumed his father, 'did you ever
see me torment as well as kill them? Or did I ever keep them in
pain one moment longer than necessary? I am not condemning people
for killing vermin and animals, provided they do it expeditiously,
and put them to death with as little pain as possible; but it is
putting them to needless torment and misery that I say is wicked.
Had you destroyed the mouse with one blow, or rather given it to
somebody else to destroy it (for I should not think a
tender-hearted boy would delight in such operations himself), I