Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

in old age, his enfeebled frame

vice commenced in the usual manner, and then the venerable had borne him into the church preacher gave his address. There to give his testimony in favor of was Lothing learned and deep, his Master. His grey hair and no arts of oratory no flowery venerable appearance inspired relanguage- no splendid image- spect, the tremulousness of his ry; it was simply the earnest en- voice produced a thrill of the treaty of an old man at the gate deepest feeling. We felt that he of death to those who had still was soon to enter the presence of their choice of paths before them. his God, and all listened with His language was as simple profound attention. After his and affectionate as the blessed address closed, the children of St. John's in his farewell epistle. the asylum arose and sang a He never forgot that he was hymn. It seemed like the outspeaking to children, or that breaking of thankful hearts, those children had immortal at being taken from sin and sorsouls. In early life he had en- row to enjoy a rich communion tered the Lord's service, and now, with their God.

FIRST LESSONS FOR INFANCY.

[ocr errors]

FOR MOTHERS.

When an infant first awakes to existence in this world, there is a rush of new and peculiar sensations, demanding its attention. The agitated motion of its lungs must appear strange, and almost terrifying; the cold air upon its face, and the pressure of dress upon its limbs, the unusual and perplexing sounds of voices and motion, which strike its ear, and the burst of dazzling light, which pours in upon its sight, when it raises accidentally the veil heretofore constantly drawn before its eyes; - all these feelings burst upon its attention, in bewildering and inextricable confusion.

-

The little being does not understand what are the avenues of these various sensations. It has no conception that light comes in through the eye or hearing through the ear. It grasps whatever is placed in its hand, by a sort of involuntary closing of the fingers, but it has no idea, from what part of the body the sensation of that peculiar feeling comes in. In a moment it relaxes its hold, and the object is lost; it misses, then, perhaps, the peculiar feeling it excited, but it does not know why. It is pleased with the bright light of the window, coming in through its opened eye, and when it accidentally drops the lid

it does not know why the beautiful spectacle has disappeared. Sounds will very early attract its notice; it will lie still to hear them, but it is long before it learns, that the ear is the instrument by which it obtains the pleasure.

The first great lesson of existence, then, is upon the senses. The few moments each day, which the demands of food and slumber leave unoccupied, are busily employed by the infant, in endeavors to understand these mysterious feelings;-to separate the mass of sensations, which crowd upon it, into their several kinds; to learn that sight comes in through the eye, and hearing through the ear, and touch through the hand.

If this is correct, we should suppose that the mother might do much to assist the infant in these first steps. For a day or two after birth the only progress, which can probably be made, is, for the infant to become a little familiarized to its new condition. Its attention is occupied, probably, with the sense of feeling, from pressure of clothes and the contact of air, or other similar causes, as to pay little attention to the other senses. It is, perhaps, best to leave the others at rest, and not to endeavor to make it open its eyes, or to listen to sounds, but to leave it to accustom itself to its new condition. In a few days, however, the mother will probably observe, that at some happy moment, when it is free from uneasiness and pain, it will lie and gaze steadily at some object of vision,- a lamp, a window or a white curtain. When this is the case, let the room be kept perfectly still. Do nothing to divert its attention. It is certain that at such a time, it is making rapid progress in the elements of the art of vision. It is forming ideas of shape, extension, color. It is making vigorous mental effort, perhaps its embryo faculties of judgment, reasoning, comparison, are tottering under the load of their first efforts. If now, as is frequently the case, two or three individuals crowd around, filling its ears with exclamations, standing in the way of the object which it was desiring to see, in order to catch its eye themselves, or move the object itself, if indeed it is movable, must not the child be bewildered and confounded, and its progress prevented?

If the child is allowed quietly to pursue its observations, in its own way, it will, in the course of a few weeks or a month, learn to look steadily at large bright objects, and then a new step may be taken, making, we believe, the third in our series This is to follow with its eye, some bright object slowly moved before it. Let the mother, at some time when the child seems disposed to look at a lamp, for example, after its eye is steadily

fixed upon it, take up the lamp and move it very slowly to one side. If it is moved very rapidly, the child will not be able to follow it. After two or two or three trials, the mother will find a motion so slow, that the child will follow it from side to side, and if the experiment is repeated from day to day, rapid improvement will be observed.

It is evident, that while engaged in this, every effort should be made to present no other objects of interest, which would distract the attention. It will be better that the mother should be alone or nearly so, the room still, and no other bright or alluring objects near.

Efforts to assist children to acquire the full use of the eye, may be carried to any extent, by employing smaller and smaller objects, and more and more rapid motion, and after a time, the sense of hearing may receive attention, upon the same principles, and in substantially the same manner.

LETTER FROM A MISSIONARY.

The following letter we insert for the friends of Missions. The writer sailed for Ceylon on the 1st of July last, a member of the detachment that embarked at that time. Our readers will bear in mind, that there are five stations established in the northern district of the island, on the ruins of as many ancient, ecclesiastical establishments; - that these "waste places were given by the English governinent, for the use of the mission; and that they have now become the stations, Batticotta, Tillipally, Oodoville, Panditeripo and Manepy. Two hundred thousand people dwell in the district. A distinguishing feature of the mission, is the education of youth. They have one hundred free schools-boarding-schools-a seminary resembling a college, and a Thelogical class. In this class, native preachers are prepared for missionary work. The writer of the following letter is to be engaged in the schools. The Ceylon mission is sheltered by the protection of Government, and is gradually, yet surely meeting with success; and Heber's poetic pen has thrown a charm around it, which is calculated to call forth the sympathies of every lover of nature, and true friend of man.

DEAR BROTHER,

Manepy, Ceylon, Nov. 21, 1833.

I sent you a letter by the Israel, but this may probably arrive first, although that letter may possibly be forwarded by the Star. We arrived at Madras, 12th Oct. after a pleasant

passage of 103 days. We stayed there fourteen days, which we spent pleasantly, and though in an unsettled state, not unprofitably. We became acquainted with several English missionaries there, and were pleased with them; we also found some valuable private Christians in Madras, from whom we received much kindness. They bid us a hearty God speed, and were rejoiced, both that so many new laborers had come into the field, and that they had the opportunity of seeing so many American missionaries. Our Captain thought proper to land us at Madras, rather than at Point Pedro (Ceylon,) which occasioned us some additional expense; were it not for this, I should be glad we were landed there, and on the whole do not regret it. On our arrival there, our friends would gladly have taken us to their houses, but we thought it desirable to be together, and therefore hired a house for a month, (the usual period,) which our friends helped us to furnish; so that we had next to nothing to buy, except our daily bread, which we ate with gladness, and I hope singleness of heart.

Just before the change of the Monsoon, we found a Dhoney, (native vessel,) belonging to Jaffna, and engaged her to take us thither. With the first northerly breeze we embarked, (23d Oct.) and on the 26th were safely moored in Ceylon's Isle. As it was the Sabbath, and ten miles below Jaffna, we remained on board till morning. Our Dhoney was rather large, say one hundred and four tons. It had one mast, to which a large ragged sail was attached, each breadth of which was sewed to a small cord, on which indeed the strength of the sail mainly depends. She was navigated by eighteen men. Instead of a deck, she had a roof beginning on each side of the deck, and having an opening about two or three feet wide, running through the middle, the whole length of the vessel. Over this, in time of rain, is placed a covering of cocoa-nut leaves. Α platform was made for us, behind the mainmast, and the space over it, divided by masts into rooms, thus,

We found ourselves cramped for room for exercise, and, had our passage been long, we should have suffered. As it was, we

found it pleasant, and another instance of that unwearied goodness which has followed us ever since I saw you.

Early Monday morning we sent a note to Brother Poor at Batticotta, which was only about six miles from our anchorage, but across the country, where there were no roads. As soon as the Custom house rules allowed, we engaged a small Dhoney to take us up to Jaffna, (about ten miles,) the water being too shallow for our vessel. Over the hind part of this, a temporary awning of mats was spread, to shield us from the sun and rain. The sun it excluded, but when the rain poured in torrents, as it frequently did, we had great trouble to shelter ourselves from it. After we had been on the way about three hours, we heard some of the crew call out, Padres, Padres, and creeping from our covert, we saw a boat along side with two white men in it, who soon introduced themselves as Brethren Poor and Woodward, who, in consequence of our note, had come down to meet us. It was indeed a joyful, as well as to us an unexpected meeting. Some were affected even to tears. Arriving about sunset at Jaffna, we were met by Brother Spaulding and Brother George of the Wesleyan mission. He took us to his house, and after tea, at which some other missionaries were present, most of us went out to Oodoville, the residence of Brother Poor; and the rest remained with Brother George till next day.

We are now all distributed for the present at the old stations. and have or rather shall have favorable opportunites for studying the language. We hardly feel settled, as yet. We have, however, all engaged teachers, and commenced our studies, though we have of course made very little progress. We all seem determined to take hold of the language in good earnest, a thing which has been neglected by too many missionaries. As soon as we have made some progress in the language, one or more new stations will be opened.

We found the mission in a more prosperous state than we expected. The gospel has evidently taken deep root, and though there are but about two hundred native church members, it is an important fact, that so very many in the district have heard the word of life, and we find that the attachment to Heathenism, is very much shaken. Indeed I have been surprised to see how little of this was discernible either at Madras or here; though, perhaps, the most rigid have not come in contact with us, so much as some others, and those whom we have seen, may have framed their speech to please us. Still

« PreviousContinue »