The Advocate and news., 1899-04-12
SKETCH OF LOUISA M. ALcOTTS
CHILDHOOD.
BY HERSELF.

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ing with books in my fathers study-build
ing houses and big bridges of the big die
tiOnary and diaries looking at pictures,
pretending to read, and scribbling on blank
pages whenever pen or pencil could be
found. Many of these first attempts at
authorship still remain in "Bacon's Es-
says" "Plutarch's Lives" and other works
of a serious nature, my infant nature being
for solid literature, apparently.
On one occasion we built high tower
round baby Lizzie as she sat playing with
her toys on the floor, and, being attracted
by something out of doors, forgot our little
prisoner. A search was made, and patient
baby at last discovered curled up and fast
asleep in her dungeon cell, out of which
she emerged so rosy and smiling after her
nap that we were forgiven for our careless
ness.
Another memory is of my fourth birth
day, which was celebrated at my fathers
school room in Masonic Temple. All the
children were there. / wore crown of
flowers and stood upon a table to dispense
cakes to each child as the procession
marched past. BY some oversight the cakes
fell short, and saw that if gave away the
last one | should have none. AS | was
queen of the reve, felt that / ought to
have it, and held on to it tightly until my
mother said:
ut is always better to give away than to
keep the nice things; so l know my Louie
will not let the little friend go without"
The little friend received the dear
plummy cake, and / kiss and my first
lesson in the sweetness of self denial--a
lesson which my dear mother beautifully
illustrated all her long and noble life.
Running away was one of the delights of
my early days; and l still enjoy sudden
flights out of the nest to look about this
very interesting world, and then go back
to report
On one of these occasions l passed a
varied day with some Irish children, who
Hospitality shared their cold potatoes, salt
fish, and crusts with me as we Teyeled in
the ash heaps which then adorned the waste
lands where the Albany depot now stands.
A trip to the Common cheered the after
noon, but as dusk set in and my friends de-
serted me felt that home was nice place
after all, and tried to find it. | dimly re.
member watching a lamp-lighter as sat
to rest on some dOorsteps in Bedford street,
where a big dog welcomed me so kindly
that fell asleep with my head pillowed on
his curly back, and was found there by the
town crier, whom my distracted parents
had sent in search of me. His bell and
proclamation of the loss of "a little girl
years old, in a pink frock, white hat and
green shoes" woke me up, and small
voice answered out of the darkness, "Why,
dat's me!'
Being with difficulty torn from my four
footed friend, was carried to the crier's
house, and there feasted sumptuously on
bread and molOsses in tin plate with the
alphabet around it, But my fun ended
next day, when / was tied to the arm OF
the sofa, to repent at leisure.
became an abOlitionist at very early
age, but / have never been able to decide
whether was made so by seing the por-
trait Of George Thompson hidden under
bed in our house during the Garrison riot,
and going to comfort the ''poor man who
had been good to the slaves" or because /
was saved from drowning in the frog pond
some years later by colored boy. How
ever That may be, the conversion was gen.
uine; and my greatest pride is in the fact
that / lived to know the brave men and
women who did so much for the cause, and
that had very small share in the war
which put an end to great wrong.
| never went to school except to my
father or such governesses as from time to
time came into the family Schools then
were not what thew arc now. so yva bod
lessons each morning in the study. And
very happy hours they were to us, for my
father taught in the wise way which un-
folds what lies in the childs nature-as
flower blooms-rather than crammed it,
like a Strasburg goose, with more than it
could digest. never liked arithmetic nor
grammar, and lodged these branches on all
occasions; but reading, writing, compost
tions, history and geography l enjoyed, as
well as the stories read to us with skill
peculiarly his own.
'Pilgrim's Progress" Krummacher's