In the month of June, 1745, one of his sisters, who had been married
some time before, and who had a daughter, came with her infant to spend
a few days at her father's. When the child was asleep in the cradle,
Mrs. West invited her daughter to gather flowers in the garden, and
committed the infant to the care of Benjamin during their absence,
giving him a fan to flap away the flies from molesting his little
charge. After some time, the child happened to smile in its sleep, and
its beauty attracted his attention. He looked at it with a pleasure
which he had never before experienced, and observing some paper on a
table, together with pens and red and black ink, he seized them with
agitation, and endeavoured to delineate a portrait; although at this
period he had never seen an engraving or a picture, and was only in
the seventh year of his age. Hearing the approach of his mother and
sister, he endeavoured to conceal what he had been doing; but the old
lady observing his confusion, inquired what he was about, and requested
him to show her the paper. He obeyed, entreating her not to be angry.
Mrs. West, after looking some time at the drawing with evident
pleasure, said to her daughter, "I declare, he has made a likeness of
little Sally;" and kissed him with much fondness and satisfaction.
This encouraged him to say, that _if it would give her any pleasure,
he would make pictures of the flowers which she held in her hand;_
for the instinct of his genius was now awakened, and he felt that he
could imitate the forms of those things which pleased her sight. This
happened in America, near Springfield in Pennsylvania, where West was
born.----GALT'S _Life of West_.
* * * * *
However frequently you are injured, if real penitence and contrition
follow the offence, a Christian is always bound to forgive.----BISHOP
PORTEUS.
* * * * *
The nominal professions of religion with which many persons content
themselves, seem to fit them for little else than to disgrace
Christianity by their practice.----MILNER.
* * * * *
A kind refusal is sometimes as gratifying as a bestowal: he who can
alleviate the pain of an ungracious act is unpardonable unless he do
so.