If you attempt to explain to your boy the folly of boasting in immediate connection with some act of boasting of his own, he feels that you are really finding fault with him; his mind instinctively puts itself into a position of defense, and the truth which you wish to impart to it finds a much less easy admission.
If, for example, in this case Johnny's mother attempts on the spot to explain to him the folly of boasting, and to show how much wiser it is for us to let our good qualities, if we have any, speak for themselves, without any direct agency of ours in claiming the merit of them, he listens reluctantly and nervously as to a scolding in disguise.

If he is a boy well managed, he waits, perhaps, to hear what his mother has to say, but it makes no impression.

If he is badly trained, he will probably interrupt his mother in the midst of what she is saying, or break away from her to go on with his play.
_A right Mode of Treatment._ If now, instead of this, the mother waits until the dispute and the transaction of measuring have passed by and been forgotten, and then takes some favorable opportunity to give the required _instruction_, the result will be far more favorable.

At some time, when tired of his play, he comes to stand by her to observe her at her work, or perhaps to ask her for a story; or, after she has put him to bed and is about to leave him for the night, she says to him as follows: "I'll tell you a story about two boys, Jack and Henry, and you shall tell me which of them came off best.

They both went to the same school and were in the same class, and there was nobody else in the class but those two.
Henry, who was the most diligent scholar, was at the head of the class, and Jack was below him, and, of course, as there were only two, he was at the foot.
"One day there was company at the house, and one of the ladies asked the boys how they got along at school.