Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-17
A GLIMPSE OF ChllD-LlFE,
The Picture Memory of Baby hood
Afraid of the Creeping Darkness.


Afraid of the Creeping Darkness.
Cor. chronological Journal
have an acute remembrance of scenes
and incidents in my early life which, even
in one instance, reaches to my infancy
Looking back into them seems like a
peep into another world-a quaint and
wonderful one too. One of the earliest
of mine. which is remembrance of A
remembers nce is as follows: / think |
was nearly three years old when it oc-
Cured, as we left the house which is the
subject of some of my "reminiscences
when l was about that age, and have not
been in it since, and know my memory to
be trustworthy, because even yet, when
mention one of these incidents and ask an
older member of the family if the loca-
ton of rooms, furniture, trees, ETC., is
correct, i find that it is.
Upon this occasion was sitting on the
floor playing at the feet of two grown
girls, one my cousin, the other my eldest
sister, with both of whom l was favor.
ite They were sewing Presently one
said to the other something to this effect:
IL wonder what the little thing is think.
ing about" Il wonder if they don't at
that age remember their babyhood; v
Lets see" The cousin, who was very
deft in making things clear to children,
questioned me in way that made me un
derstand their drift In obedience,
made the effort but could only look up
and smile. l could not describe the pic
ture memory brought me, and they thought
did not remember anything. But both
scenes, the questioning and the picture,
return vaguely to me at times, but is one
Of those iieeting things we rarely put into
language except when with our sinceresl
friends.
This cousin is still one of my dearest
intimates, to whom | can talk freely or
odd subiccts-or, as we say, "we think
aloud to each other" One day | de
scribed the incident to her, and she sale
she seemed almost to remember something
of the kind. But she replied, You die
not remember. l answered did. bu
had not language with which to explain
To confirm it | said, Il want to ask yol
one question: Didn't I, when an infant
scream and cry long time every even
ing, just as it was getting dark
and would not be comforted?
She replied, YES but otherwise yol
were very good babe. " well, whel
you asked me that question | remembered
lying in your arms like baby, and yo,
were in "A large rocking-chair rocking mt
vigorously, singing, doing everything tt
soothe me, but nothing can remove thu
terrible fear that as the darkness crcpt on
the world, with mya mother and all
loved, was going out presently like thu
snuff of a candle; that is, felt that every
thing would turn to nothing"
suppose l had seen darkness some
times before the lamp was lit, and &C
cepted the appearance for the literal fac
that darkness was state of nothing
ness. 1t was natural enough impression
as | saw c, everything fading in the twi
light. My cousin says, perhaps it i
this little notion that makes collie such
general complaint among infants towar
evening; and perhaps lighting the lam
would reassure them that the world is goin
to last little while longer, and be the bes
, cure for it suppose ceased my weeT
ing and cries when the lamp was lit, fo
that would not only dispel my fears, bu
from having them dispelled a number c
times, could at length learn that theI
was no danger and that the earth was
permanent institution.