Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-04
jean IngeIow's Infancy
Ionpman'S MAGAZINE

| began to understand good deal of
what people said-that is, of what they
said especially to me-and nearly the last
of the remembrances, which have called
visions belongs to the summer when I was
about two years and four months old. |
was in a honey-suckle arbor in the garden,
sitting on my mother knee. She had
white gown on and a pearl necklace. |
saw two stars-planets,. pTobabl y-and |
suppose pointed at them and asked her
to give one of them to ne. | think that
is what said, but do not In the least re-
member any words, and how the hnowl
edge was conveyed | have not the least
idea; but was led to know by my mother
that the stars were not hers-that there
was some one up there to whom they be-
longed, and who had made them, he was
very good, ne would be pleased with u.s. /
did not like this at all. Something like
awe, | suppose, made me hide my face in
her bosom lest he should see me; and for
some time after this, when we went out
walking, and there were great white clouds
in the sky, | used to look out, IN case he
might be seen sitting on one of them.
The total want of any knowledge of
right and wrong was not altogether wilfal
then. Certain things we only found to be
the dilinquencies when punishment fol-
lowed the doing of them. | remember
seeing the dear mamma and a young friend
of hers Ornamentlng some saucers and lit
tie vases with tiny flowers made of various
eolored rice paper. The flowers were cat
out leaf by leaf, fastened together by gum,
and then stuck on to the vases, which were
made of what is called biscuit china. [ used
to watch the making of these. They were
finished and put on table in the drawing
room. | saw them it was long sofa table
of rosewood. | managed to stand on a
little stool to admire more closely, and
then by slow degrees picked every one of
the flowers off with the greatest pains and
collected them in little cup. had
nearly finished this task, so happy was,
so industrious, when my mother and her
friend came in. Great were the exclama-
tions. Il was very, very naughty
mischievous child" | was scolded and
punished and then found out that | had
done wrong.
About this time and for some months
perhaps a year after-l had habit of
attributing intelligence to not only all
! living creatures-the same amount and
kind of intelligence that | had myself
but even to stones and manufactured
articles. used to feel how dull it must be
for the pebbles in the cause-way to be
obliged to lie still and only see what was
around about When | walked out with
a little basket for putting flowers In | used
sometimes to pick up g pebble or two to
carry them on to have change: then at
! the furthest point of my walk turn them
out, not doubling that they would be pleas
ed to have a new view.
This difficulty in attaining to a clear
distinction in the understanding between
dead matter-I will call it the world-and
the youthful spirit and Observing it is very
much increased by grown up people. They
suggest and foster it. They teach the
! children to kiss and fondle dolls, and to
! pat the pictures in book or to slap
naughty door when they tumble down
/ and it has struck them.