These are the things I hold divine; A trusting child's hand laid in mine, Rich brown earth and wind-tossed trees, The taste of grapes and the drone of bees, A rhythmic gallop, long June days, A rose-hedged lane and lover's lays, The welcome smile on neighbors' faces, Cool, wide hills and open places, Breeze-blown fields of silver rye, The wild, sweet notes of the plover's cry, Fresh spring showers and scent of box, The soft pale tint of the garden flox, Lilacs blooming, a drowsy noon, A flight of geese and an autumn moon, Rolling meadows and storm-washed heights, A fountain murmur on summer nights, A dappled fawn in the forest hush, Simple words and the song of a thrush, Rose-red dawns and a mate to share With comrade soul my gypsy fare, A waiting fire when the twilight ends, A gallant heart and the voice of friends. To link the second line with the first, think of the natural association of thought between the words "Divine" and "trusting." Form the definite visual picture of the "trusting child's hand laid in mine." Your thought will quickly pass to the duplex meaning of the word "mine." It means possession, my own, and also a mine in the earth. When we start a mine the first thing to come out is "rich brown earth" and that is the next thought. Let the word "mine" of the second line suggest the picture of the opening to the mine and the pile of "rich brown earth" beside it. Behind a pile of rich brown earth, see the "wind-tossed trees", the next thought. Hanging on the "trees" see huge bunches of grapes, you pick and taste one, this is the next thought, "the taste of grapes." Around the grapes flies a swarm of bees, hear their "drone," the next thought, "the drone of bees." Let the drone of the bees suggest to you a rhythm and this will bridge your mind over to the thought of a "rhythmic gallop"; the answer to the question, "When do you like to gallop?" suggests "Long June days" the next thought. June is the time of roses, suggesting "A rose-hedged lane"--the natural place for "lovers' lays." You can easily construct a "bridge" which will bind all the independent thoughts together. Visualize each thought, and watch for alliteration and alphabetical repetition. Remembering What You Hear It is also important that the child be trained to remember what he hears. Ear impressions are comparatively light and easily lost. If these ear impressions are quickly transferred into mind's eye pictures they will be far more lasting. Instructions, lectures, sermons, talks, can all be pictures in the mind, just as you picture what you read. The act of visualization will concentrate the attention and prolong it, so that the memory of what is said will be greatly increased. The visual impressions will also be much stronger than the auditory ones. =The attempt to visualize the thought of the speaker is the best method of directing your attention to his subject.= Use the Hitching Post