1836-37] CHILDHOOD 51
and to take away the naughty spirit. All the time he was struggling within himself, half-sobbing, half-smiling with effort — fc I can't say it.' — and then, after a time, ' Mama thanks God for Baby's good dinner.' " No,' I said, ' Baby must do it for himself.' Still he resisted. At length on getting down from the chair he said, fc Kneel down under table'—and there at last he said, 'Thank God for Baby's good dinner,' and in a minute all the clouds were gone and sunshine returned to his face. The whole struggle lasted I suppose half-an-hour. In a few minutes after he was calling me c Mama dear,' and as merry as ever."
"Stoke Rectory, Nov. .26. Baby asks c Who made the dirt ? Jesus Christ ?' It is evident that he has not the slightest notion of any difference between the nature of God and any man, or between Heaven and London or any name of a place. Perhaps in this simplicity and literality of belief he comes nearer the truth than we in the sophistications and subtilties of our reasonings on such things: but the great difficulty is to impress awe and reverence for a holy and powerful Being, and to give the dread and serious sense of being under His eye, without a slavish fear and distance.
" He always asks when he sees my Bible —' Mama reading about Adam and Eve and Jesus Christ ? ' — a union of the two grand subjects, very unconsciously coming to the truth."
"Jan. 16, 1837. Time is as yet a very indistinct impression on Baby's mind. Going round the field, he gathered some buttercups. I said, fc Leave the' rest till to-morrow.' When we returned the same way, he asked, c Is it to-morrow now ?' . . . After a violent passion the other day he looked up —' Will Jesus Christ be shocked?' He comes often and says — 'Will 'ou pray God to make little Augustus good ? ' and asks to ' pray with Mama.?bout his dinner, did imt lie |« (Jod for )Ljiviii(L( him so maiiv ,^'ood things, and I knell him and prayed (J<><1 to forgive him for !*'in^ so nau^Imhr- and the most attractive in Florence. thru