Eventheunderstandingofthebestwomanseemstoworkmainlythroughheraffections。Andthus，thoughmanmaydirecttheintellect，womancultivatesthefeelings，whichmainlydeterminethecharacter。Whilehefillsthememory，sheoccupiestheheart。
Shemakesuslovewhathecanonlymakeusbelieve，anditischieflythroughherthatweareenabledtoarriveatvirtue。
Therespectiveinfluencesofthefatherandthemotheronthetraininganddevelopmentofcharacter，areremarkablyillustratedinthelifeofSt。Augustine。WhileAugustine’sfather，apoorfreemanofThagaste，proudofhisson’sabilities，endeavouredtofurnishhismindwiththehighestlearningoftheschools，andwasextolledbyhisneighboursforthesacrificeshemadewiththatobject”beyondtheabilityofhismeans”——hismotherMonica，ontheotherhand，soughttoleadherson’smindinthedirectionofthehighestgood，andwithpiouscarecounselledhim，entreatedhim，advisedhimtochastity，and，amidstmuchanguishandtribulation，becauseofhiswickedlife，neverceasedtoprayforhimuntilherprayerswereheardandanswered。Thusherloveatlasttriumphed，andthepatienceandgoodnessofthemotherwererewarded，notonlybytheconversionofhergiftedson，butalsoofherhusband。Laterinlife，andafterherhusband’sdeath，Monica，drawnbyheraffection，followedhersontoMilan，towatchoverhim；andthereshedied，whenhewasinhisthirty-
thirdyear。Butitwasintheearlierperiodofhislifethatherexampleandinstructionmadethedeepestimpressionuponhismind，anddeterminedhisfuturecharacter。
Therearemanysimilarinstancesofearlyimpressionsmadeuponachild’smind，springingupintogoodactslateinlife，afteraninterveningperiodofselfishnessandvice。Parentsmaydoallthattheycantodevelopeanuprightandvirtuouscharacterintheirchildren，andapparentlyinvain。Itseemslikebreadcastuponthewatersandlost。AndyetsometimesithappensthatlongaftertheparentshavegonetotheirRest——itmaybetwentyyearsormore——thegoodprecept，thegoodexamplesetbeforetheirsonsanddaughtersinchildhood，atlengthspringsupandbearsfruit。