EFFECT. 139

their motive is, not any real kind feeling, but a
hope of getting a present.”

Lucy did not say any thing in reply to this.
She was silent a moment. She was thinking
whether she had not been influenced by mer-
cenary motives, sometimes, in wishing people a
happy new year.

‘ Now, it is very evident;” continued her moth-
er, “ that when a person takes pay for doing any
little act of kindness, that it may tend to make
them expect pay in future cases. Now, you hap-
pened, in this case, to do George a favor. The
consequence was, that, after a time, the benefit of
what you did came back to yourselves. This is
very apt to be the case with acts of kindness;
and perhaps it is right to tell children so, and
let it influence them in some degree ; but still, the
real reason, after all, which ought to influence us
in doing kindness to others, is simply the good it
will do them, and not the hope of having good
come out of it, somehow or other, or some time or
other, to us.”

“Well, mother,” said Lucy, “I’m sure that,
when we were getting the slab, to help George off,
we didn’t think of ever getting helped ‘off by it
ourselves.”

“No, I presume not,” said her mother. “ But