One
evening while her mother was engaged with company in the parlor, she
felt something gently pulling her gown. On looking behind her chair, she
found little Mary Jane, who had crept in unobserved, and was whispering
to her that the nurse had put her little brother and sister to bed
without having said their prayers.
It was often instructive to me to see what a value this dear child set
upon prayer. I have since thought that the recovery of her infant
sister, and her own prayer for the same, were so associated in her mind,
as to produce a conviction of the efficacy of prayer, such as few
possess.
Being confined so much to the nursery, the mother improved the favored
season, in teaching her little girl to read, to sew and spell; keeping
up at the same time her regular routine of instruction in catechism,
hymns, &c. She had an exercise for the Sabbath which was admirably
adapted to make the day pass, not only pleasantly but profitably. In the
morning, unless prevented by illness, she was invariably found in her
seat in the sanctuary, with such of her children as were old enough to
be taken to church. In the afternoon she gave her nurse the same
privilege, but retained her children at home with herself. The moment
the house was clear, Mary Jane might be seen collecting the little group
for the nursery; alluring them along with the assurance that "now mother
was going to make them happy.
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