trainedingoodhabits，intellectual，moral，andphysical:anditiscommonlybelievedthatthebestoreventheonlyknownmeansofattainingtheseendsinevenatolerabledegreeisaffordedbytheexistinginstitutionoftheFamily，restingasitdoesonabasisoflegalandmoralrulescombined。ForLawfixesaminimumofmutualservicesanddrawsthebroadoutlinesofbehaviourforthedifferentmembersofthefamily，imposingontheparentslifelongunionandcompletemutualfidelityandthedutyofprovidingfortheirchildrenthenecessariesoflifeuptoacertainage；inreturnforwhichitgivesthemthecontroloftheirchildrenforthesameperiod，andsometimeslaysonthelattertheburdenofsupportingtheirparentswhenagedanddestitute:sothatMorality，ininculcatingacompleterharmonyofinterestsandanamplerinterchangeofkindnesses，ismerelyfillingintheoutlinesdrawnbyLaw。
Wefound，however，inattemptingtoformulatethedifferentdomesticdutiesasrecognisedbyCommonSense，thatthereseemedtobeinmostcasesalargevaguemarginwithrespecttowhichgeneralagreementcouldnotbeaffirmed，andwhich，infact，formsanarenaforcontinualdisputes。ButwehavenowtoobservethatitisjustthismarginwhichrevealsmostclearlythelatentUtilitarianismofcommonmoralopinion:forwhenthequestionisonceraisedastotheprecisemutualdutiese。g。ofhusbandsandwives，orofparentsandchildren，eachdisputantcommonlysupportshisviewbyaforecastoftheeffectsonhumanhappinesstobeexpectedfromthegeneralestablishmentofanyproposedrule；thisseemstobethestandardtowhichthematteris，bycommonconsent，referred。
Similarlytheclaimtoservicesthatarisesoutofspecialneedwhichnaturalsympathymovesustorecognisemayobviouslyberestedonanutilitarianbasis:indeedtheproperfulfilmentofthisdutyseemssoimportanttothewell-beingofsociety，thatithasinmoderncivilisedcommunitiesgenerallybeenbroughttosomeextentwithinthesphereofGovernmentalaction。Wenoticedthatthemainutilitarianreasonwhyitisnotrightforeveryrichmantodistributehissuperfluouswealthamongthepoor，isthatthehappinessofallisonthewholemostpromotedbymaintaininginadultsgenerallyexceptmarriedwomen，theexpectationthateachwillbethrownonhisownresourcesforthesupplyofhisownwants。ButifIammadeawarethat，owingtoasuddencalamitythatcouldnothavebeenforeseen，another’sresourcesaremanifestlyinadequatetoprotecthimfrompainorseriousdiscomfort，thecaseisaltered；mytheoreticalobligationtoconsiderhishappinessasmuchasmyownbecomesatoncepractical；andIamboundtomakeasmuchefforttorelievehimaswillnotentailagreaterlossofhappinesstomyselforothers。If，however，thecalamityisonewhichmighthavebeenforeseenandavertedbypropercare，mydutybecomesmoredoubtful:forthenbyrelievinghimIseemtobeindangerofencouragingimprovidenceinothers。InsuchacaseaUtilitarianhastoweighthisindirectevilagainstthedirectgoodofremovingpainanddistress:anditisnowmoreandmoregenerallyrecognisedthatthequestionofprovidingforthedestitutehastobetreatedasautilitarianproblemofwhichthesearetheelements，——whetherweareconsideringtheminimumthatshouldbesecuredtothembylaw，orthepropersupplementaryactionofprivatecharity。
Poverty，however，isnottheonlycaseinwhichitisconducivetothegeneralhappinessthatonemanshouldrenderunboughtservicestoanother。Inanyconditionorcallingamanmayfindhimselfunabletowardoffsomeevil，ortorealisesomelegitimateorworthyend，withoutassistanceofsuchkindashecannotpurchaseontheordinarycommercialterms；——assistancewhich，ontheonehand，willhavenobadeffectonthereceiver，fromtheexceptionalnatureoftheemergency，whileatthesametimeitmaynotbeburdensometothegiver。Here，again，somejuristshavethoughtthatwheretheservicetoberenderedisgreat，andtheburdenofrenderingitveryslight，itmightproperlybemadematteroflegalobligation:sothate。g。ifIcouldsaveamanfromdrowningbymerelyholdingoutahand，IshouldbelegallypunishableifIomittedtheact。But，howeverthismaybe，themoralrulecondemningtherefusalofaidinsuchemergenciesisobviouslyconducivetothegeneralhappiness。
Further，besidesthese——sotosay——accidentallyunboughtservices，therearesomeforwhichthereisnormallynomarket-price；