It is natural to suppose that lasting impressions would be made upon the
heart of a child thus early taught to pray.
No wonder if this little child, ever after, should find a sacred
pleasure in visiting the place where prayer is wont to be made, which at
first was hallowed and sweetened by tender and endearing associations.
And we would here remark, that it is chiefly by the power of association
that young children can be supposed to be benefited by such teachings
and examples.
A striking incident occurred in my mother's nursery, not only
illustrative of the power of association, but showing how very tenacious
is the memory of young children.
My mother had a fit of sickness when my little brother was but seven
months old, and she was obliged to wean him at that early age.
He was always a feeble child and clung to our mother with almost a
death-grasp. The weaning of that child will never fade from my
recollection. In fact our mother used to say that that boy was never
weaned.
When he was about a year old, he was found fast asleep one day behind
the bed-room door, leaning his little head upon a chest. Over the chest
was a line, and across the line had been thrown a chintz shawl,
memorable as having always been worn by our mother when nursing her
children. In one hand he had hold of the end of the shawl, which he
could just reach, and he was sucking the thumb of the other.
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