Now I do not say that if any body had a strong antipathy to a spider,
seeing one perform such a work as this would entirely remove it, but it
would certainly soften it. It would _tend_ to remove it. It would
connect an interesting and pleasant association with the object. So if
she should watch a spider in the fields making his web. You have all
seen those beautiful regular webs in the morning dew ("Yes, sir;" "Yes,
sir"), composed of concentric circles, and radii diverging in every
direction. ("Yes, sir.") Well, watch a spider when making one of these,
or observe his artful ingenuity and vigilance when he is lying in wait
for a fly. By thus connecting pleasant ideas with the sight of the
animal, you will destroy the unpleasant association which constitutes
the prejudice. In the same manner, if I wished to create an antipathy to
a spider in a child, it would be very easily done. I would tie her hands
behind her, and put three or four upon her to crawl over her face.
[Illustration]
"Thus you must destroy prejudices in all cases by connecting pleasant
thoughts and associations with the objects of them."
"I am very often prejudiced against new scholars without knowing why."
"We sometimes hear a person talk in this way: 'I do not like such or
such a person at all.'
"'Why?'
"'Oh, I don't know; I do not like her at all. I can't bear her.'
"'But why not? What is your objection to her?'
"'Oh, I don't know; I have not any particular reason, but I never did
like her.
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