The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-05-11
The Picture Memory of BabyhOOd-
Afraid of the Creeping Darkness.

The Picture Memory of BabyhOOd-
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 a remembrance OF q
remembrance. is as follows: l think [
was nearly three years cid when it oc
CURED, as we left the house which is the
subject of some of my "reminiscences
when was about that age, and l have not
been in it since, and know my memory to
be trustworthy, because even yet, when l
mention one of these incidents and ask an
older member of the family if the loca-
ton of rooms, furniture, trees, ETC., is
correct, find that it is
Upon this occasion l 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:
q wonder what the little thing is think
ing about" II wonder if they don't at
that age remember their babyhood;
Let's see a" The cousin, who was very
deft In making things clear to children,
questioned me in way that made me I'M
derstand their drift In obedience, l
made the effort, but could only look up
and smile. | 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 f1eeting things we rarely put into
language except when with our sincerest
friends. ,-,,,-y--,,,-,,-,,,,,
s..,4ma aS to whom / can talk freely OF
al 5uDjects-or, as we say, we MINK
aloud to each other. One day L de
scribed the incident to her, and she sald
she seemed almost to remember something
of the kind But she replied, GU dld
not remember" l answered | did, but
had not language with which to explain.
To confirm it said, Il want to ask you
one question: Didn't /, 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 you
were very good babe. Well, when
YOU asked me that question L remembered
living in your arms like baby, and you
were in large rocking-chair rocking me
vigorously, singing. doing everything to
soothe me, but nothing can remove the
terrible fear that as the darkness crept on.
the world, with my mother and all L
loved. was going out presently like the
snuff of candle; that is, felt that every
thing would turn to nothing
suppose l had seen darkness some
times before the lamp was lit, and ac-
cepted the appearance for the literal fact
that darkness was state of nothing
ness. 1t was natural enough impression,
es l saw everything fading in the tWl
light My cousin, says, perhaps 1t is
this little notion that makes collie such q
general complaint among infants toward
evening: and perhaps lighting the lamp
would reassure them that the world IS going
to last little while longer, and be the best
cure for it l suppose | ceased my weep
inc and cries when the lamp was lit, fol-
that would not only dispel my fears, but
from having them dispelled number OF
times, 1 could at length learn that there
was no danger and that the earth was
permanent institution.