The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-29

the method OF using them, all were united and
followed In her lessons In the designs Of God,
II dare to use the expression; and from the
tenderest infancy she taught us already not to
guide ourselves by fancy, but To enjoy, in the
discharge Of our duties, and even In the games
OF our age. the pleasure OF being In the order
and under the eye OF God"
1t will be readily seen that this early eduoa-
ton was mainly religious, aud wns designed 10
produce that piety which Ia so peculiar In the
most cultivated classes Of the Roman Catholic
Church, and Of which II Is very dfncut TO give
Just idea to Protestant readers. The mothers
teachings were followed, as usual by those Of a
Roverness and masters. But here we cannot
do so well as to use again Madame de Lafay-
cites own words:
After my mother had given us a Roverness.
she left to her the care OF the greater part of
our education, such as teaching us geography.
the globes, the grammar, reviewing the nistori-
cal extracts which We had made, repeating what
We had learnt by heart and the cateChism OF
Montpelier, &c, WHOM was then taught 10 assist
us In the lessons OF the different masters whom
che gave us. But IL was my mother who presided
over all who was the soul OF everything, and
who regulated everything IN the greatest detail.
She reserved To herself To read with us the hest
and modon elOquonce. and the formation Of
our tastes oy the beauties whicn these con-
T% our dsS SS s sna T neSeetous
upon every new object lief mind aud her
heart being equally upright and thrsting
Tor truth. u was perpetuallv In order to dissi
pate clouds that she employed her cares. that
she directed the development OF our mental
faculties, as she had directed the FIRST use Of
th0m. "a fact, many ptcpos sessions, those OF
vanity. Tor example, were Tor a long time, may
say, entirely unknown; the idea OF regula Ing
every kind Of interest. became SO habituai to us,
not only 10y my mothers lessons but by her ex-
ample at all times, and by that OF my father, on
the unfortunately too very rare occasions when
We could observe II, that the first instances OF an
opposite conduct Ia those who are celled peo-
pie uf respcctability caused US a surprise which
II required many years OF life passed IN the
world to weaken. II Is true that my mother al
lOwed US to READ to the bottom OF her heart,
aud that, with an extreme vigilance to put
way IRON us whatever she SUSPECTED might do
us harm-as incapable Of dissimula ion as the
force OF her character made her capable Of dis
erection and prudence. her confidence in us
was well adapted to elevate our minds,
was not only that we learned to imi
tate whatever was admirable 10 her, It
was aso In what she found TO reform, that she
wished to toiob us to reform ourselves. IL was
even, l venture to say, the faults which sne
| could not dotect with sufficient clearness which
she desired us 70 learn 70 correct IN ourselves
by q comparison OF these faults with principles.
she related To US circumstances ~ which sue
was mistaken about what she ought to do, tue
causes aud consequences OF SUCH little errors (;
aud IN those we may see the errors Into which
! one may fall with a Just mind and correct
heart. We dined every day with her, and we
passsd with her MANY hours Of the DAY; and
| when we ID reached the age OF or 10 40 fol-
| lowed her from time TO time for some days into
the country-at 81. German, at the house OF the
Marechal do Noailles. at Fresnes with u.
| D'Aguesseau, her father. aud at Saron with M.
| DC SarVn. her brotber-in-liw. These journeNs
we're Tor Us very great pleasures, but they we're
self from those Of her children whom she could
not take with her; aud II was to these children
that she sacrificed tue most vivid OF her pleas
urss, that Of the country, wh ere we had, besides
! other enJoyments. that Of seeing her more gay
and contented than IN town.
| " Her tenderness. necessarily watchful 10 turn
everything u advantage, aid not fail to elicit
our remarks upon things aud persons tn I We
saw there. and to observe therein the progress
| OF our judgments aud to seek to render them
more lust when they were incorrect.
" Aud this IA the place to observe that the reach
and fertility OF her mind furnished her with
many more reflections To make Ia restricted
| circle than The great world would have fur
n,sned to many others. Free from maiey.
olence, her criticism was sometimes Sc
we're, she Was rarely satisfied on ali
| she had To converse the more especially
as she ALWAYS persuaded herself that she was
which her own heart offered her the model. u
/ was often painful 10 her to be disabused
put heT ehagssssr Ss , ns5ary wras eS
her indignant. bus never emoitered her
| he sight OF good transported her with JOY
| she delighted to hear and to repeat good &c
| ton, to distinguish yiituous purpose, aud al
| her natural qualities being sealed with the Cnra-
| tian virtues, one may say that the KIND Of cnaT-
ny which rejoices not in iniquity, but re1oices In
| the truth, Was eminently hers.
| Perhaps this character Ia drawn with hatter
ing, certainly It is with nlial, hand. But tn,
value OF tho portrait to US Is In the light wbicl
II sheds on the formation OF the character 0
Madame de Lafayette herself. Such as she con
ceived her mother to be she knew that he
mother aimed to make her children; and W
shall see IN the course OF Madame de Lafayette
history what manner Of woman she became an,
what she owed to the mother whom she com
memorated, ana what influence her mother
teachings had IN lttiug her to encounter tn
yicssitudes 81 her life.
We now come 10 a part OF this domestic naI
rative which admits us to an Interior view OF
state Of manners Of which We in this countr
have no pracdcil experience. In the HE G
young girls in such families IN France the perio
when 1t Is deemed ut that they receive thei
first communion In the church Is that also a
which they are likely TO receive proposals q
marriage. But those proposals, be IL Observed
are not made IN the FIRST Instance to themselye
They are guarded in this matter, as in their r,
csptiou into the bosom Of the church. by tn
parental vigilance. Madame de Ltfayett
describes with charming simplicity aud exact
ness how her mother proceeded In relation I
both OF these great Interests Of her daugh, err
She says, with all the faith OF true child OF III
Roman Catholic Church. that her mother re
garded the dispositions with which they were I
approach the sacraments AZ capable Of bein
made decisive Of their eternal happiness. Sh
tells " that the difficulty ia judging e child
temperament, the natural uncertainty Of
childs mind, and the extreme delicac
Of the young conscience, might have le
her mother to postpone this formidabl
moment,and that perhaps person Of her moth
trs religious char. cter would have quleto
all her doubts and overcome her irrest
lutions by following the advice of other respeci
able persons. But she adds tina; her mothe
was too deeply sensible Of her duties to sue
for such means of escaping them. She surror
dered her liberty Of thought aud action to II
one. She could take good advice; but It va
for her to weigh it and TO decide on eyetythIn
that concerned her children. The moment q
approaching the slcraments was formidable
but the mother did not deem II right TO defer
If she could justly feel that they could be take
with the right dispositions. THIS Il was for he
to ascertain The "CateChism ~ the Council G
Trent" Mesengin's "EXposItion OF Chrlstia
Doctrine" and the Caicchism Of Montpelier
are given as the books which the two girl
learned by heart between thu ages OF eleven an
thirteen. In III they received tho sacrameu
OF confirmation. The eldest, Louise, made he
first communion during the same year; that d