Theeducationofboysatdistantgreatschools，ofyoungmenatdistantcolleges，ofyoungladiesindistantnunneriesandboarding-schools，seems，inthehigherranksoflife，tohavehurtmostessentiallythedomesticmorals，andconsequentlythedomestichappiness，bothofFranceandEngland。Doyouwishtoeducateyourchildrentobedutifultotheirparents，tobekindandaffectionatetotheirbrothersandsisters？putthemunderthenecessityofbeingdutifulchildren，ofbeingkindandaffectionatebrothersandsisters:educatetheminyourownhouse。Fromtheirparent’shousetheymay，withproprietyandadvantage，goouteverydaytoattendpublicschools:butlettheirdwellingbealwaysathome。Respectforyoumustalwaysimposeaveryusefulrestraintupontheirconduct；andrespectforthemmayfrequentlyimposenouselessrestraintuponyourown。Surelynoacquirement，whichcanpossiblybederivedfromwhatiscalledapubliceducation，canmakeanysortofcompensationforwhatisalmostcertainlyandnecessarilylostbyit。Domesticeducationistheinstitutionofnature；publiceducation，thecontrivanceofman。Itissurelyunnecessarytosay，whichislikelytobethewisest。
Insometragediesandromances，wemeetwithmanybeautifulandinterestingscenes，foundedupon，whatiscalled，theforceofblood，oruponthewonderfulaffectionwhichnearrelationsaresupposedtoconceiveforoneanother，evenbeforetheyknowthattheyhaveanysuchconnection。Thisforceofblood，however，Iamafraid，existsno-wherebutintragediesandromances。Evenintragediesandromances，itisneversupposedtotakeplacebetweenanyrelations，butthosewhoarenaturallybredupinthesamehouse；betweenparentsandchildren，betweenbrothersandsisters。Toimagineanysuchmysteriousaffectionbetweencousins，orevenbetweenauntsoruncles，andnephewsornieces，wouldbetooridiculous。
Inpastoralcountries，andinallcountrieswheretheauthorityoflawisnotalonesufficienttogiveperfectsecuritytoeverymemberofthestate，allthedifferentbranchesofthesamefamilycommonlychusetoliveintheneighbourhoodofoneanother。Theirassociationisfrequentlynecessaryfortheircommondefence。Theyareall，fromthehighesttothelowest，ofmoreorlessimportancetooneanother。Theirconcordstrengthenstheirnecessaryassociation；theirdiscordalwaysweakens，andmightdestroyit。Theyhavemoreintercoursewithoneanother，thanwiththemembersofanyothertribe。Theremotestmembersofthesametribeclaimsomeconnectionwithoneanother；and，whereallothercircumstancesareequal，expecttobetreatedwithmoredistinguishedattentionthanisduetothosewhohavenosuchpretensions。Itisnotmanyyearsagothat，intheHighlandsofScotland，theChieftainusedtoconsiderthepoorestmanofhisclan，ashiscousinandrelation。ThesameextensiveregardtokindredissaidtotakeplaceamongtheTartars，theArabs，theTurkomans，and，Ibelieve，amongallothernationswhoarenearlyinthesamestateofsocietyinwhichtheScotsHighlanderswereaboutthebeginningofthepresentcentury。
Incommercialcountries，wheretheauthorityoflawisalwaysperfectlysufficienttoprotectthemeanestmaninthestate，thedescendantsofthesamefamily，havingnosuchmotiveforkeepingtogether，naturallyseparateanddisperse，asinterestorinclinationmaydirect。Theysoonceasetobeofimportancetooneanother；and，inafewgenerations，notonlyloseallcareaboutoneanother，butallremembranceoftheircommonorigin，andoftheconnectionwhichtookplaceamongtheirancestors。
Regardforremoterelationsbecomes，ineverycountry，lessandless，accordingasthisstateofcivilizationhasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablished。IthasbeenlongerandmorecompletelyestablishedinEnglandthaninScotland；andremoterelationsare，accordingly，moreconsideredinthelattercountrythanintheformer，though，inthisrespect，thedifferencebetweenthetwocountriesisgrowinglessandlesseveryday。