STUDY XIV. 355 



riod; but the firft age of human life is the feafon 

 of refentments, and of grateful feelings, which are 

 never to be effaced. 



I recoiled: periods of time ftill more remote. 

 When I went to fchool in frocks, I fometimes loft 

 my books through heedlefTnefs. I had a nurfe 

 named Mary Talbot, who bought me others with 

 her own money, for fear of my being whipped at 

 fchool. And, of a truth, the recoUeftion of thofe 

 petty fervices has remained fo long, and fo deeply 

 imprinted on my heart, that I can truly affirm, no 

 perfon in the World, my mother excepted, poffef- 

 fed my affedtion fo uniformly, and fo conftantly. 

 That good and poor creature frequently took a 

 cordial intereft in my ufelefs projedts for acquiring 

 a fortune. I reckoned on repaying her with ufury, 

 in her old age, when (he was in a manner defticute, 

 the tender care which (he took of my infancy ; 

 but fcarcely has it been in my power to give her 

 fome trifling and inadequate tokens of my good- 

 will. I relate thefe recollediions, traces of which 

 every one of my Readers probably pofTefTes, 

 fomewhat fimilar, and ftill more interefting, re- 

 lating to himfelf, and to his own childhood, to 

 prove to what a degree the early feafon of life 

 would be naturally the era of virtue and of grati- 

 tude, were it not frequently depraved among us, 

 through the faultinefs of our inftitution^. 



A a 2 But^ 



