NOTES.

Note 1, Page 7.

Keep me from every thought of sin,

From harms without and snares within.

There are some parents whose habitual feeling on religious subjects may make them consider these two lines as unintelligible, or misplaced, when applied to children; the innocence of infancy, and its freedom from vice, are topics widely credited and poetically expatiated upon; but not the most enthusiastic lover of childhood, after steadily and calmly reading its feelings and its passions, its little tricks to circumvent, and to conceal, and to deceive, can dispute the point, that the thoughts of man's heart are only evil continually, even when their spring season

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of life sets out every natural impulse in its mildest and pleasantest character. If a child feel a difficulty in learning that it has "snares within" to guard against, let the parent or guardian of its infancy remember that it is a duty incumbent upon her, to make this truth known : as soon even as a child can comprehend the answers given to its questions on natural subjects and usual occurrences, then is the time to lead and encourage its attention to subjects of deeper interest. That we have all become, in our own nature, unacceptable to God, and only able to approach Him by the grace we are told to pray for; that the first human beings forfeited his paternal care by disobedience, and could alone be saved from instant destruction by faith in the atonement of his blessed Son; these are no difficult truths to impress on an infant mind, if due attention be only paid to the manner in which we urge and explain them. In reading or writing books for children, we must forget that we have long ceased to be children, and must adapt both our communications and our style to the simplicity of their capacities. The mother, or aunt, or sister, is not bound to read a lecture on divinity, which would be as

unbecoming in her as distasteful to her pupil; but she is under a solemn and affecting obligation to bring her little scholar acquainted with the only knowledge which can survive all earthly attainments. If any should maintain, "This child is too young for such knowledge," where is the authority for such an axiom? Let the mother bethink her that reason and will awake almost before we can trace their operation; and then, at any period of her child's life, she will feel, now is the accepted time" wherein to consecrate its dawning mind to its almighty Giver. The very habit of making serious subjects familiar to a child, would benefit both parties. We must learn a science before we can lecture upon it: we find "what is truth," whilst we are engaged in the search for another.

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Note 2, Page 17.

Great God! whose spirit moved above

The dark unfathomed deep.

As the whole purpose of this little book is to be useful, a few of the longer words are explained, lest the inquiries

of little ones should be checked by their nurse or preceptress, who may think the explanation tiresome. Now, to fathom, means to measure the depth of the sea, by throwing out a line with lead at the end of it, to make it sink to the bottom: sailors use this contrivance when they want to know how far their ship is from the rocks or sand. Unfathomed means, therefore, deeper than any rope can measure: the sea is in most places deeper than any rope can stretch; when it is shallower, weeds and shells come up upon the lead, and so often tell sailors, by their kinds, what sort of land they are near.

Note 3, Page 17.

And rolled the gloomy darkness back
From off the earthly sphere.

Sphere means a round globe. The earth on which we live does not lie flat, as the country before us seems to do: it is round, but so very large, that we do not see its shape. But when you are by the sea-side, you may see it a little; for when a ship is coming, you only see the masts, and then, after some time, the hulk or body

of the ship; because the slope of the world hid that part till the ship comes sailing on nearer to you.

Note 4, Page 18.

When that which gilds the firmament

At once shall cease to roll.

The firmament is all that space of air above our heads, which looks like a dome of blue sky, and in which the sun by day, and the moon and stars by night, seem to pass along.

Note 5, Page 20.

And rolled the sea-green waves beneath,
Crisped with each low wind's gentle breath.

To crisp, means to curl, as you see the waves do when a wind passes over the sea; not strong enough to blow it into large ridges, called billows, but enough to make it play about in little points. The idea is taken from the waving and curling of hair.