24 PRÆTERITA-I

19. My mother had, as she afterwards told me, solemnly “devoted me to God” before I was born; in imitation of Hannah.¹

Very good women are remarkably apt to make away with their children prematurely, in this manner: the real meaning of the pious act being, that, as the sons of Zebedee are not (or at least they hope not), to sit on the right and left of Christ, in His kingdom, their own

sons may perhaps, they think, in time be advanced to that respectable position in eternal life; especially if they ask Christ very humbly for it every day: and they always forget in the most naïve way that the position is not His to give!²

20. “Devoting me to God,” meant, as far as my mother knew herself what she meant, that she would try to send me to college, and make a clergyman of me: and I was accordingly bred for “the Church.” My father, who-rest be to his soul-had the exceedingly bad habit of yielding to my mother in large things and taking his own way

¹ [1 Samuel i. 11.]

² [Matthew xx. 20-23.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]