School-Days in 1800 by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

I THINK young children begin to notice and remember at a very much earlier age than people generally suppose. I am sure I recollect perfectly well my first going to meeting, though I was not more than three years old, from this circumstance: I was standing up during prayer, as the custom was then, on a little cricket, or foot-stool; and not being well balanced, the stool slipped from under me, and I fell, bumping my chin with considerable force on the edge of the book-board, which caused me to bite my tongue; yet I was so impressed with the necessity of not crying in meeting that I never made a sound. My mother lifted me up and pressed my head against her, and a lady in the next pew, Miss Temperance-or, as she was usually called, Miss Tempy-Hutchinson smiled approvingly, and handed me her fan, I suppose to divert me from my pain and grief. At any rate, it had that effect. It was a very splendid fan, large and wide, with gilt sticks and a painted picture of a gentleman in full court costume bowing to a lady very gayly dressed, and with real gold spangles sewed on her gown. I was so much impressed with this work of art, and with Miss Tempy's kindness in entrusting to my hands anything so valuable, that I quite forgot my grief, though I had a lump on my chin which lasted for several days. After that I went to meeting regularly; and though I often got very tired and sometimes went to sleep, I should have considered it a great punishment to be left at home.

Our house was very pleasant and comfortable. There were two rooms in front, with a hall and stairs between. In one my father and mother slept, and usually the two younger children had a trundle-bed-an article of furniture much in use in those times, but seldom seen nowadays. The room on the other side was the parlour, or keeping-room, as it was called in some places, because, I suppose, it was "kept" and seldom used except for grand occasions-weddings, funerals, and solemn tea-drinkings. It had a large fire-place, with bright brass and irons to hold the wood, a handsome striped carpet, and other suitable furniture, among which I remember specially a very tall mahogany secretary or bureau, with a book-case on the top, a desk at a convenient height for writing, and a great many drawers, both large and small, which seemed to my youthful imagination to contain untold treasures, though I believe its contents were chiefly table- and house-linen, of which my mother had great store. The book-case was well filled with valuable books, among which was that set of the "Rambler" which is still in your father's possession, and which was given to my mother for a wedding-present by that same uncle Landon who went away to Canada. Both my father and mother were reading people, and came from families who were very fond of reading and study.