 was left to the care
of my mamma, who was the best woman in the world, and to whose memory
I shall ever pay the most grateful honour. From the time she had any
children, she made it the whole study of her life to promote their
welfare, and form their minds in the manner she thought would best
answer her purpose of making them both good and happy; for it was her
constant maxim, that goodness and happiness dwelt in the same bosoms,
and were generally found to life so much together, that they could not
easily be separated.

'My mother had six children born alive; but could preserve none beyond
the first year, except my brother, Harry Peace, and myself. She made it
one of her chief cares to cultivate and preserve the most perfect love
and harmony between us. My brother is but a twelvemonth older than I;
so that, till I was six years old (for seven was the age in which he was
sent to school) he remained at home with me; in which time we often had
little childish quarrels; but my mother always took care to convince us
of our error in wrangling and fighting about nothing, and to teach
us how much more pleasure we enjoyed whilst we agreed. She showed no
partiality to either, but endeavoured to make us equal in all things,
any otherwise than that she taught me I owed a respect to my brother as
the eldest.

'Before my brother went to school, we had set hours appointed us, in
which we regularly attended to learn whatever was thought necessary
for our improvement; my mamma herself daily watching the opening of our
minds, and taking great care to instruct us in what manner to make the
best use of the knowledge we attained. Whatever we read she explained to
us, and made us understand, that we might be the better for our lessons.
When we were capable of thinking, we made it so much a rule to obey our
parent, the moment she signified her pleasure, that by that means we
avoided many accidents and misfortunes; for example: my brother was
running one day giddily round the brink of a well; and if he had made
the least false step, he must have fallen to the bottom, and been
drowned; my mamma, by a sign with her finger that called him to her,
preserved him from the imminent danger he was in of losing his life;
and then she took care that we should both be the better for this little
incident, by laying before us how much our safety and happiness, as well
as our duty
