Can you understand this quote?  

“Box your own lad’s ears the first time you see him shy a stone at a sparrow; and heartily, too; but put up, you and mother—(thank God for the blessed persecution),—with every conceivable form of vermin the boy likes to bring into the house,—and go hungry yourselves rather than not feed his rat or rabbit." 

This is a quote by George Elliot (1861) urging parents to discipline their children severely every time you see any form of cruelty to animals. 

"Shy a stone" means targeting a small, harmless bird. In rural 19th-century England, killing songbirds was seen as wasteful and morally wrong (sparrows were protected by custom and later by law).

But, recognize that having pets, of any kind, is a crucial part of childhood because it teaches them to love, to care and to nurture. So allow the child to explore nature, even if it means dirt, smells, and pests in your home including all kinds of creepy-crawly or dirty creatures (rats, mice, snakes, beetles, toads, etc.) And go hungry yourselves rather than not feed his rat or rabbit."