In the same way will it hold good of every requirement. It will be
vain to teach a child that lying is a great crime in God's sight,
when a mother in her own words shows no regard to truth; and equally
so of all other passions and feelings. It is idle to teach a child
that pride--hatred--revenge--anger, are unholy passions, if a
mother's own conduct displays either of them. How useless is it to
teach that vanity should never be indulged in, when a mother
delights in display! Such instruction as this is like the web of
Penelope--unpicked as fast as done. The greatest reverence is due to
a child; and previously to becoming a teacher, a mother should learn
this hardest of all lessons--'Know thyself.' Without this, the
instruction she gives her children will at best prove very
imperfect. It is quite useless to teach children to reverence any
thing, when a mother's conduct shows that, practically at least, she
has no belief in the truths she inculcates. And a very hard
requirement this is: but it is a requirement absolutely necessary,
if education is meant to be any thing more than nominal. The finest
lesson on the beauty of truth is enforced by a mother never herself
saying what is false; for children pay great regard to consistency,
and very soon detect any discrepancies between that which is taught
and that which is practised.