Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-03-02

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no knowledge of the origin of the world
nor of future state of existence. | was
entirely ignorant of religion, was un-
conscious of the utility and Importance
of the various arts by which -he neces
saries and conveniences of ciYi6sed life
are produced. did not know that there
was something within me which thought
and wille,t. remembered and reasoned.
had no idea of the necessity Of govern
ling the passions to which | was subject
was UNCONSCIOUS of my deprivation Of
hearing, and my loss Of speech saw
that animals were silent like me, because
/ they did not speak as men did. but |
knew not why this was. did MOI know
why could not hear and speak-I was
Of an inquiring disposition. saw my
friends or companions speaking to each
other: was 50 anxious and curious to
! know what they Were talking al, ut, thai,
/ WAS compelled to ask them to tell me
What they were saying. ! could talk by
signs AMI gestures which my parents and
many OF my old acGuaintances now liv-
ing. remember very well. 1t was my ma
tural desire to hold intercourse with my
fellow creatures. wished to understand
every thiug-but it was beyond my reach
had but avery imperfect idea of what
was right Or wrong. | received this idea
from my mohsr | knew it was bad to
/ steal, as she oIten t9ld mc--a,d whene-
yer | WAS found stealing. she reproved
and whipped ms; this made me think
that'lt was wrong to steal; had no idea
of persons having right 10 property to
which others had not. / did not know
why my parents or friends were engaged
in religious worship, but thought it was
habit agreeable to :hen. / did not
know that it was addressed 10 an Infinite
! Spirit. used to go to church with my
parents, because it was a habit-bat had
no Idea OF It's necessity and importance.
| saw the word Coli in the Bible or 9th =.
er books, but knew not who or what
that 'God' was My parents and friends
often pointed to the SKY Sod. but |
was at loss to comprehend what they
! meant. Ely views of the earth were as
fo'iows:-l thought the world was male
BY chance. My reason for it (you will
/ lind that made use Of my reasoning ia
tculties during my boyhoodD was because
saw the vegetables grow themselves cut
ct the ground. knew that rain caused
=, thel: growth. 1t was my impression that
there was no other place on the earth
than Fttsburg and tie surrounding conn-
try. had no idea Of past ages and Of
distant countries.
Of tie Sly.
It-swas my opinion that the sky was
made by the sun, and that there was
greater quantity Of water in it than in
P.ttsburg, because saw from time TO
! tine, the rain coming to he ground. [
had an idea that clouds received their
biackness from the smoke which ascends
cut OF the chimneys Of Our own city, and
that the smoke went up into the sky and
soon became black cloud. The sky
appeared to be in such proximity to us.
1 that formed a notion OF eateringit, If |
were to 60 up. When my father order
ed me 10 his farm. several miles from
Plttsburg, to live for several weeks with
his old tenant, hoped to enter the sky,
because was extremel; DESTROYS Of see
! ing a-ereat many different ourosites
which it might contain; bur on my arii.
val at the farm, was severely disap-
pointed at not reaching the sky. was
snnrant OF the extent and distance of
| the ornament, and Of the structure and
magnitude of our globe. believed that
there were inhabitants like ourselves, and
soldiers IN the sky; and that there was
man who possessed much power and
authority over them. conceived Of
TINT man as being great man, who had
a long white beard and flowing robes,
and that he had the power to send the
water to fall from the sky to the ground
through innumerabe little holes. The
doors Of these little holes were open ard
shut by the soldiers who always received
orders from that man to do so. had no
idea of how the water was obtained in
the sky.
Oftte Stars.
thought tina, the stars were candles
TO give right to the inmates of the sky at
night, that they might do work or read
as well as we did, aGd that they were ex-
tiuguished every morning, and rekindIed
at night. Twas inflexib!e in assuring my
playmates that the stars were candles,
and their light was more white and beau
! tiful than ours, because found them to
be more numerous than candles in every
house in the city.
Of the Sun.
had many different ideas of that great
Iuminary. | tried to think how be was
formed, but it was beyond my under
standing. was, therefore, induced to
believe that he was alone before the sky
and the world were organised, because |
saw from infancy that he was the S me
body. The reason | could assign for it
was, because asked my companions by
signs how the sun was formed. and how
long he had existed, but could not we'll
know what they answered, yet ! under
stoyd them TO say BY making numbers with