LETTERS. 257 



jous a distrust of it myself to offer it as a rule or maxira 

 'of unquestionable authority ; but I have found, and think, 

 that the best remedy against luhewarmness is an obsti- 

 nate persisting in prayer until our affections be moved, 

 and a regular habit of going to religious duties with a 

 prepared and meek heart, thinking more of obtaining 

 communion with God than of spending so many minutes 

 in seeking it. Thus, when we pray, we must not kneel 

 , down with the idea that we are to spend so many minutes in 

 supplication, and after the usual time has elapsed, go 

 about our regular business ; we must remind ourselves 

 that we have an object in prayer, and that uiitil that ob- 

 ject be attained, that is, until we are satisfied that our 

 Father hears us, we are not to conceive that our duty is 

 performed, although we may be in the posture of prayer 

 for an hour. 



TO HIS MOTHER. 



Wiuteringham, 12th April ISOo. 

 My dear Mother, 



* * * ■» 



I have constructed a planetarium, or orrery, of a very 

 simple kind, which cannot fail to give even children an 

 idea of the order and course of the heavenly bodies. I 

 shall write a few plain and simple lectures upon it, with 

 lessons to be got off by heart by the children, so that 

 you will be able, without any difficulty, to teach them 

 the rudiments of astronomy. The machine, simple as 

 it may seem, is such, that you cannot fail to understand 

 the planetary system by it ; and were it not that I cannot 

 afford the additional expense, I could make it much more 

 complete and interesting. You must not expect anything 

 striking in the instrument itself, as it only consists of 

 an index plate, with rods and balls. It will explain the 

 situation of the planets, their courses, the motion of the 

 earth and moon, the causes of the seasons, the different 



