Indeed, his earliest mental problem
arose from the opening words, 'Our Father, which art in Heaven.'
'I took the "which art in" to be all one word, and puzzled over its
possible meaning. The circumstance was a light to the obstacles that
beset a child's mind, and a lamp to parents in training that mind. Never
was there a mother more fitted than mine, for the glorious
responsibilities of motherhood. Very highly educated, she added Latin to
her other accomplishments, in order that she might teach the language to
me. She had married a second time, and my step-father, a wise and large-
hearted man, one of the best men I have ever known, also bestowed much
care on my upbringing.'
As a little fellow he had lived a good deal in London with relations, a
family of whom had a house near Hyde Park. He could call up, from the
farthest caverns of his memory, a Sunday forenoon on which he was carried
off to church, because there was nobody at home, except the servants, to
look after him.
'What West End church it may have been I cannot tell,' Sir George said,
'but I imagine the one the household usually attended. The other detail
that a fire burned in our pew, did impress itself definitely upon my
mind. I was at least big enough to lift a poker, and what must I do but
seize that instrument, and set to scraping the fire, to the confusion of
those with me.
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