the children-第1章
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The Children
by Alice Meynell
Contents
Fellow Travellers with a Bird； I。
Fellow Travellers with a Bird； II。
Children in Midwinter
That Pretty Person
Out of Town
Expression
Under the Early Stars
The Man with Two Heads
Children in Burlesque
Authorship
Letters
The Fields
The Barren Shore
The Boy
Illness
The Young Children
Fair and Brown
Real Childhood
FELLOW TRAVELLERS WITH A BIRD； I。
To attend to a living child is to be baffled in your humour；
disappointed of your pathos； and set freshly free from all the pre…
occupations。 You cannot anticipate him。 Blackbirds； overheard year
by year； do not compose the same phrases； never two leitmotifs
alike。 Not the tone； but the note alters。 So with the uncovenated
ways of a child you keep no tryst。 They meet you at another place；
after failing you where you tarried； your former experiences； your
documents are at fault。 You are the fellow traveller of a bird。
The bird alights and escapes out of time to your footing。
No man's fancy could be beforehand； for instance； with a girl of
four years old who dictated a letter to a distant cousin； with the
sweet and unimaginable message： 〃I hope you enjoy yourself with
your loving dolls。〃 A boy； still younger； persuading his mother to
come down from the heights and play with him on the floor； but
sensible； perhaps； that there was a dignity to be observed none the
less； entreated her； 〃Mother； do be a lady frog。〃 None ever said
their good things before these indeliberate authors。 Even their own
kindchildrenhave not preceded them。 No child in the past ever
found the same replies as the girl of five whose father made that
appeal to feeling which is doomed to a different； perverse； and
unforeseen success。 He was rather tired with writing； and had a
mind to snare some of the yet uncaptured flock of her sympathies。
〃Do you know； I have been working hard； darling？ I work to buy
things for you。〃 〃Do you work；〃 she asked； 〃to buy the lovely
puddin's？〃 Yes； even for these。 The subject must have seemed to
her to be worth pursuing。 〃And do you work to buy the fat？ I don't
like fat。〃
The sympathies； nevertheless； are there。 The same child was to be
soothed at night after a weeping dream that a skater had been
drowned in the Kensington Round Pond。 It was suggested to her that
she should forget it by thinking about the one unfailing and gay
subjecther wishes。 〃Do you know；〃 she said； without loss of time；
〃what I should like best in all the world？ A thundred dolls and a
whistle！〃 Her mother was so overcome by this tremendous numeral；
that she could make no offer as to the dolls。 But the whistle
seemed practicable。 〃It is for me to whistle for cabs；〃 said the
child； with a sudden moderation； 〃when I go to parties。〃 Another
morning she came down radiant； 〃Did you hear a great noise in the
miggle of the night？ That was me crying。 I cried because I dreamt
that Cuckoo ＇a brother＇ had swallowed a bead into his nose。〃
The mere errors of children are unforeseen as nothing isno；
nothing femininein this adult world。 〃I've got a lotter than
you；〃 is the word of a very young egotist。 An older child says；
〃I'd better go； bettern't I； mother？〃 He calls a little space at
the back of a London house； 〃the backy…garden。〃 A little creature
proffers almost daily the reminder at luncheonat tart…time：
〃Father； I hope you will remember that I am the favourite of the
crust。〃 Moreover； if an author set himself to invent the naif
things that children might do in their Christmas plays at home； he
would hardly light upon the device of the little troupe who； having
no footlights； arranged upon the floor a long row ofcandle…shades！
〃It's JOLLY dull without you； mother；〃 says a little girl who
gentlest of the gentlehas a dramatic sense of slang； of which she
makes no secret。 But she drops her voice somewhat to disguise her
feats of metathesis； about which she has doubts and which are
involuntary： the 〃stand…wash；〃 the 〃sweeping…crosser；〃 the 〃sewing
chamine。〃 Genoese peasants have the same prank when they try to
speak Italian。
Children forget last year so well that if they are Londoners they
should by any means have an impression of the country or the sea
annually。 A London little girl watches a fly upon the wing； follows
it with her pointing finger； and names it 〃bird。〃 Her brother； who
wants to play with a bronze Japanese lobster； ask 〃Will you please
let me have that tiger？〃
At times children give to a word that slight variety which is the
most touching kind of newness。 Thus； a child of three asks you to
save him。 How moving a word； and how freshly said！ He had heard of
the 〃saving〃 of other things of interestespecially chocolate
creams taken for safe…keepingand he asks； 〃Who is going to save me
to…day？ Nurse is going out； will you save me； mother？〃 The same
little variant upon common use is in another child's courteous reply
to a summons to help in the arrangement of some flowers； 〃I am quite
at your ease。〃
A child； unconscious little author of things told in this record；
was taken lately to see a fellow author of somewhat different
standing from her own； inasmuch as he is； among other things； a
Saturday Reviewer。 As he dwelt in a part of the South…west of the
town unknown to her； she noted with interest the shops of the
neighbourhood as she went； for they might be those of the
fournisseurs of her friend。 〃That is his bread shop； and that is
his book shop。 And that； mother；〃 she said finally； with even
heightened sympathy； pausing before a blooming parterre of
confectionery hard by the abode of her man of letters； 〃that； I
suppose； is where he buys his sugar pigs。〃
In all her excursions into streets new to her； this same child is
intent upon a certain questthe quest of a genuine collector。 We
have all heard of collecting butterflies； of collecting china…dogs；
of collecting cocked hats； and so forth； but her pursuit gives her a
joy that costs her nothing except a sharp look…out upon the proper
names over all shop…windows。 No hoard was ever lighter than hers。
〃I began three weeks ago next Monday； mother；〃 she says with
precision； 〃and I have got thirty…nine。〃 〃Thirty…nine what？〃
〃Smiths。〃
FELLOW TRAVELLERS WITH A BIRD。 II。
The mere gathering of children's language would be much like
collecting together a handful of flowers that should be all unique；
single of their kind。 In one thing； however； do children agree； and
that is the rejection of most of the conventions of the authors who
have reported them。 They do not； for example； say 〃me is；〃 their
natural reply to 〃are you？〃 is 〃I are。〃 One child； pronouncing
sweetly and neatly； will have nothing but the nominative pronoun。
〃Lift I up and let I see it raining；〃 she bids； and told that it
does not rain； resumes； 〃Lift I up and let I see it not raining。〃
An elder child had a rooted dislike to a brown corduroy suit ordered
for her by maternal authority。 She wore the garments under protest；
and with some resentment。 At the same time it was evident that she
took no pleasure in hearing her praises sweetly sung by a poet； her
friend。 He had imagined the making of this child in the counsels of
Heaven； and the decreeing of her soft skin； of her brilliant eyes；
and of her hair〃a brown tress。〃 She had gravely heard the words
as 〃a brown dress；〃 and she silently bore the poet a grudge for
having been the accessory of Providence in the mandate that she
should wear the loathed corduroy。 The unpractised ear played
another little girl a like turn。 She had a phrase for snubbing any
anecdote that sounded improbable。 〃That；〃 she said more or less
after Sterne； 〃is a cotton…wool story。〃
The learning of words is； needless to say； continued long after the
years of mere learning to speak。 The young child now takes a
current word into use； a little at random； and now makes a new one；
so as to save the interruption of a pause for search。 I have
certainly detected； in children old enough to show their motives； a
conviction that a word of their own making is as good a
communication as another； and as intelligible。 Th
