“Father,” he said, “there is one thing I don’t exactly understand. You didn’t like our first dialogue because the characters behaved so bad. Now, I don’t see why you didn’t object to this other piece, for the same reason. Tom and Sam didn’t come to blows, to be sure, but they quarrelled bad enough.”
“I wonder that you did not think of that, sooner,” said Mr. Davenport.
“I did; I told Willie, before you read it, that you would object to it on that account; but, as you didn’t find any fault with it, I thought I wouldn’t,” replied Clinton.
“Until you were sure you should not have to write another dialogue?” suggested his father, with a smile.
“O, we couldn’t have done that, any way,” said Clinton.
“Well,” continued his father, “I think I can clear myself of all suspicions of inconsistency. And, in the first place, you must remember that I did not say it was best to exclude all exhibitions of bad temper or character from a book or a dialogue. There are some faults that may be very properly exhibited in this way. But there are certain gross forms of evil which it is not wise to portray too minutely. For instance, it would be painful to see the sins of murder, or drunkenness, or lewdness, or profaneness, or fighting, acted out in a dialogue; and, besides, the effect would be immoral. But, if you want to show off the folly of vanity, pertness, ill manners, jealousy, ignorance, or any similar fault, by giving an example, I have no objection to it, if it is only done judiciously. Now, in regard to your dialogue, Tom behaved as well as almost any boy would under the same circumstances. Sam was the rogue; and he, I take it, was only a harmless personification of a pert, self-conceited, but witty young blockhead, who, in the sequel, gets abundantly punished for his impudence. Isn’t that the character you intended to portray?”
“Yes, sir, I suppose it is,” replied Clinton.
“And do you see, now, why I didn’t object to the dialogue?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Clinton.
They had now reached their home, and Mr. Davenport took care of the horse, while the boys went after the cows and oxen.