Part 2 (1/2)

And then, my dear child, remember that a day will come, when the revered hands that now take care of your childhood--those hands which to-day are yours, as it were--will beco, then, probably, and the assistance which you receive now, you must then render to her, render it to her as you have received it--that is to say, with your hands It is theabout her little girl now It is the daughter's hand which should coo around the old ain,without the hand The mouth says, ”I love,” the hand proves it

LETTER III

THE TONGUE

Now, about this doorkeeper, or porter, as ill call hiuessed who he is; so I a to tell you

The porter who keeps the door of the mouth is _the sense of taste_

It is he who does the honors of the house so agreeably to proper visitors, and gives such an unscrupulous dismissal to unpleasant intruders In other words, it is by his directions that elcoood to eat, and spit out unhesitatingly whatever is unpleasant

I could speak very ill of this porter if I chose; which would not be very pleasant for certain little gourood deal toohim

I canto give you, ht of, even when I do not allude to it; and that is, that everything we shall exaood and acco in this world; just as a cradle is arranged by a mother for the cos, therefore, as so hty hi ill of them, were it only out of respect for the hand which has bestowed them

Moreover, there is a very easy plan by which we may satisfy ourselves of the usefulness and propriety of these gifts--na ould become of us if ere deprived of any one of them

Suppose, for instance, that you were totally deficient in the sense of taste, and that when you put a piece of cake into your mouth, it should create no more sensation in you than when you held it in your hand?

You would not have thought of i such a case yourself, I am aware; for it never cos can be otherwise than as God has made them And in that respect children are sometimes wiser than philosophers Nevertheless, ill suppose this for once, and consider ould happen in consequence

Well, in the first place, you would eat old mouldy cake with just the same relish as if it were fresh; and this mouldy cake, which now you carefully avoid because it is mouldy, is very unwholesoreat deal of it

I give this merely as an instance, but it is one of a thousand And although, with regard to eatables, you only know such as have been prepared either in shops or in your ht to avoid, because they would do no good in our stouish these from others, if the sense of taste did not warn us about thes are not without their value

In short, it is a marvellous fact that what is unfit for food, is _alnized as it enters the reeable taste; a further proof that God has thought of everything

Medicines, it is true, are unpleasant to the taste, and yet have to be sed in certain cases But we may compare them to chimney-sweepers, who are neither pretty to look at, nor invited into the drawing-roorandest houses by the porters--though possibly with a grimace--because their services are wanted And in the same way medicines have to be admitted sometimes--despite their unpleasantness--because they, too, have to work in the chimney Taste does not deceive you about them, however; they are not intended to serve as food If any one should try to breakfast, dine, and sup upon physic he would soon find this out

Besides, I only said _al itself known to us by its nasty taste; for it is an unfortunate truth thattheir natural guardian, and for bringing thieves secretly into the company of honest people They soar--as is too often done in the case of those horrible green and blue sugar plue, for they poisoned a friend whos as these pass i of their real character--Mr Sugar concealing the rogues behind him

Moreover, we are sometimes so foolish as not to leave the porter ti after another greedily, without tasting; and such a crowd of arrivals, co in with a rush, ”forces the sentry,” as they say; and whose fault is it, if, after this, we find thieves established in the house?

But animals have ive her soently she puts out her nose, so as to give herself time for consideration Then how delicately she touches the unknown object with the tip of her tongue, once, twice, and perhaps three tione forward several tireat post of observation for the cat's porter as well as for ours), she ventures to decide upon sing, but not before If she has the least suspicion, no a makes any difference to her; you may call ”puss, puss,” for ever; all your tender invitations are useless, and she turns away

Very good; here then is one little animal, at least, who understands for what end she has received the sense of taste, and who makes a reasonable use of it Very different from some children of my acquaintance, who heedlessly stuff into theirthe trouble to taste it, and ould escape a goodelse, if they were as sensible as pussy

This is the really useful side of _the sense of taste_; but its agreeable side, which is sufficiently well known to you, is not to be despised either, even on the grounds of utility

Youwould be a very tireso; and I can well i their children to co their little jaws, and nothing further What struggles--what tears! And setting aside children, who are by no ood God, ho o and grind their teeth one against another for half-an-hour, if there were not so in itself? Ay, ay, my dear child, were it not for the reward in pleasure which is given to men when they eat, the human race, who as a whole do not live too well already, would live still worse And it is necessary that we should be fed, and well fed too, if ould perform properly here below the mission which we have received from above

Yes, ”reward” was the word I used Now it seems absurd to you, perhaps, that it should be necessary to reward a ood dinner?

Well, well, God has been more kind to him, then, than you would be