Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/40

 "I will now take my dinner. I thank you for for [sic] what you have provided for me."

Never a night passed but he bade them sleep well, and took them to bed in his arms. This he did every day without change, until at last even his hard-hearted gaolers noticed that the dolls had something to do with the lad's constantly quiet and respectful demeanour, and took to treating his doll-playing (as they had at first deemed it to be) with sympathetic regard. 4. I am free to say that I was much struck when I first heard this story. Looked at from the point of view of ethics alone, the extreme reverence which this young lad had for his parents and the warmth of the affection which led him, even in prison, never to omit the proper expression of his regard for them, is for us of this generation, who are so constantly guilty of breaches of filial piety, a most excellent teaching and example. If we go a step further, and reflect on this incident from the point of view of religion, we shall find that it also contains doctrinal elements of the greatest value.