Year: 1869

Early Impressions.


"As the twig is bent so the tree in
clines," is an old, but true adage. The
mind in infancy is thought to be great
blank upon which no scrawl or blot can
be seen, except those inherent passions
and principles properly called Gods plan
tings. If this be true, the fact that early
impressions are the most lasting becomes
self evident. This We know, that those
things that transpired so soon as memory
showed symptoms of activity, are so in
delibly fixed upon our minds, that the
thousand and other things passing around
US daily are almost forgotten, whilst they
as fresh as but yesterday. In moment
our thoughts fly back to the time when
We played under the spreading form of
the old oak tree, or in boyish glee SKINNED
the smooth waters of the pond close by
with pebbles, watching the troubled sur
face, noting the myriads of little waves,
following one another, widening and
spreading until lost upon the shore.


The countenances of our early play
mates are mirrored upon our hearts, al
most to the exclusion of those with whom
we are in daily intercourse. The merry
laugh of childhood still rings in our ears
with freshness, and we live over and over
again those bright and sunny days of inno-
cency. Those majestic air castles tow
ering high, our youthful aspirations, our
longings to be men, our desires to be use
full, our likes and dislkes, all rise before
us as transactions of but yesterday.


The mother who ought and does un-
derstand human nature, especially in in
fantile development, knows the full force
of the application of that early training
of nef child for future usefulness, that
awaits it but a short distances down the
road of time. Whilst the father is en-
gagged in his daily occupation for the sus-
tenance of those fondly united to him by
the ties of consanguinity, the mother is
pouring into her child's ears life lessons.
lining that blank with pure sentences to
stand foremost in its thoughts How of
ten do our memories bring in sweet re-
view the moments spent at our mothers
knees, as we lisped that beautiful and fa-
miliar prayer uttered by our Savior, and
heard her voice in smothering accents of
Amen to our petitions, to a throne of



ating between hope and fear; fear lest
some rude hand might erase those bright
lines and stamp their places with rude char
acters, hope that the feeble prayer of
- lead us not into temptation" may be
answered, and the lessons taught in sin
cerity may have the great and crowning
success for which they were intended
Yet at the close of each day of care, be-
fore we lie upon our couches, as in DAYS
of early years, we kneel before God in
humble supplication as taught US by our
mothers. How often do we 90 back to the
time when around the hearth we sat


q We are all here


Father, Mother, Sister Brother,


ALI who hold each other dear


Each chair is illed-we're all at home 81


And sang that beautiful song of " Hea.
ven sweet Heaven" until in imagination
we we're within those pearly gates, listen
ing to the melodious strains of angels re.
echoning the same sweet music, and vet
we often find ourselves humming that
song of long ago with all the youthful fer
vor once repeated.


If we are tempted to forsake the truth
our mothers early instructions of my
child resist temptation and cleave to the
right, sounds in our ears with Irresistible
force. If the spirit of revenge arises, oul
fathers solemn teachings of "my chile
forgive as you expect to be forgiven,
brushes that spirit of revenge and save
us from sin. Thus from day to day, yea
to year, as the cares of life increase, th
burdens of troubles, the heart-aches, an,
pains grow irksome and heavy, thos,
early impressions keep our waveriug fee
in the paths of rectitude, and eventual,
stamp our destinies.


Then despair not father, though YOU
son may seem to be wayward and inclin
towards those things that bring sorrow
for the instruction impaired to him il
youth is silently at work, and your labor
will be crowned with blessed fruit here
after. Weep not fond mother over tn
worldliness of your daughter, the time i
mot far distant when dispassionate though
and meditation will bring those sweet les
sons of tender girlhood into restraining
power 10 cause her to stop. think and act
Take courage teachers. the struggles an
labors put forth for the moral, religion
and Intellectual training of the youthful
mind will develop in the mature and use
ful man lasting results. L.


ODESSA, May IL, 1869,


A L. L