the children-第4章
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upon their hopes。 And yet it is our own modern age that is charged
with haste！
It would seem rather as though the world； whatever it shall unlearn；
must rightly learn to confess the passing and irrevocable hour； not
slighting it； or bidding it hasten its work； nor yet hailing it；
with Faust； 〃Stay； thou art so fair！〃 Childhood is but change made
gay and visible； and the world has lately been converted to change。
Our fathers valued change for the sake of its results； we value it
in the act。 To us the change is revealed as perpetual； every
passage is a goal； and every goal a passage。 The hours are equal；
but some of them wear apparent wings。
Tout passe。 Is the fruit for the flower； or the flower for the
fruit； or the fruit for the seeds which it is formed to shelter and
contain？ It seems as though our forefathers had answered this
question most arbitrarily as to the life of man。
All their literature dealing with children is bent upon this haste；
this suppression of the approach to what seemed then the only time
of fulfilment。 The way was without rest to them。 And this because
they had the illusion of a rest to be gained at some later point of
this unpausing life。
Evelyn and his contemporaries dropped the very word child as soon as
might be； if not sooner。 When a poor little boy came to be eight
years old they called him a youth。 The diarist himself had no cause
to be proud of his own early years； for he was so far indulged in
idleness by an 〃honoured grandmother〃 that he was 〃not initiated
into any rudiments〃 till he was four years of age。 He seems even to
have been a youth of eight before Latin was seriously begun； but
this fact he is evidently； in after years； with a total lack of a
sense of humour； rather ashamed of； and hardly acknowledges。 It is
difficult to imagine what childhood must have been when nobody；
looking on； saw any fun in it； when everything that was proper to
five years old was defect。 A strange good conceit of themselves and
of their own ages had those fathers。
They took their children seriously； without relief。 Evelyn has
nothing to say about his little ones that has a sign of a smile in
it。 Twice are children； not his own； mentioned in his diary。 Once
he goes to the wedding of a maid of five years olda curious thing；
but not； evidently； an occasion of sensibility。 Another time he
stands by； in a French hospital； while a youth of less than nine
years of age undergoes a frightful surgical operation 〃with
extraordinary patience。〃 〃The use I made of it was to give Almighty
God hearty thanks that I had not been subject to this deplorable
infirmitie。〃 This is what he says。
See； moreover； how the fashion of hurrying childhood prevailed in
literature； and how it abolished little girls。 It may be that there
were in all ageseven thosecertain few boys who insisted upon
being children； whereas the girls were docile to the adult ideal。
Art； for example； had no little girls。 There was always Cupid； and
there were the prosperous urchin…angels of the painters； the one who
is hauling up his little brother by the hand in the 〃Last Communion
of St。 Jerome〃 might be called Tommy。 But there were no 〃little
radiant girls。〃 Now and then an 〃Education of the Virgin〃 is the
exception； and then it is always a matter of sewing and reading。 As
for the little girl saints； even when they were so young that their
hands； like those of St。 Agnes； slipped through their fetters； they
are always recorded as refusing importunate suitors； which seems
necessary to make them interesting to the mediaeval mind； but mars
them for ours。
So does the hurrying and ignoring of little…girl…childhood somewhat
hamper the delight with which readers of John Evelyn admire his most
admirable Mrs。 Godolphin。 She was Maid of Honour to the Queen in
the Court of Charles II。 She was； as he prettily says； an Arethusa
〃who passed through all those turbulent waters without so much as
the least stain or tincture in her christall。〃 She held her state
with men and maids for her servants； guided herself by most exact
rules； such as that of never speaking to the King； gave an excellent
example and instruction to the other maids of honour； was 〃severely
careful how she might give the least countenance to that liberty
which the gallants there did usually assume；〃 refused the addresses
of the 〃greatest persons；〃 and was as famous for her beauty as for
her wit。 One would like to forget the age at which she did these
things。 When she began her service she was eleven。 When she was
making her rule never to speak to the King she was not thirteen。
Marriage was the business of daughters of fourteen and fifteen； and
heroines； therefore； were of those ages。 The poets turned April
into May； and seemed to think that they lent a grace to the year if
they shortened and abridged the spring of their many songs。 The
particular year they sang of was to be a particularly fine year； as
who should say a fine child and forward； with congruous syntax at
two years old； and ellipses； figures； and tropes。 Even as late as
Keats a poet would not have patience with the process of the
seasons； but boasted of untimely flowers。 The 〃musk…rose〃 is never
in fact the child of mid…May； as he has it。
The young women of Addison are nearly fourteen years old。 His fear
of losing the idea of the bloom of their youth makes him so tamper
with the bloom of their childhood。 The young heiress of seventeen
in the Spectator has looked upon herself as marriageable 〃for the
last six years。〃 The famous letter describing the figure； the
dance； the wit； the stockings of the charming Mr。 Shapely is
supposed to be written by a girl of thirteen； 〃willing to settle in
the world as soon as she can。〃 She adds； 〃I have a good portion
which they cannot hinder me of。〃 This correspondent is one of 〃the
women who seldom ask advice before they have bought their wedding
clothes。〃 There was no sense of childhood in an age that could
think this an opportune pleasantry。
But impatience of the way and the wayfaring was to disappear from a
later centuryan age that has found all things to be on a journey；
and all things complete in their day because it is their day； and
has its appointed end。 It is the tardy conviction of this； rather
than a sentiment ready made； that has caused the childhood of
children to seem； at last； something else than a defect。
OUT OF TOWN
To be on a villeggiatura with the children is to surprise them in
ways and words not always evident in the London house。 The narrow
lodgings cause you to hear and overhear。 Nothing is more curious to
listen to than a young child's dramatic voice。 The child； being a
boy； assumes a deep； strong； and ultra…masculine note； and a swagger
in his walk； and gives himself the name of the tallest of his
father's friends。 The tone is not only manly； it is a tone of
affairs； and withal careless； it is intended to suggest business；
and also the possession of a top…hat and a pipe； and is known in the
family of the child as his 〃official voice。〃 One day it became more
official than ever； and really more masculine than life； and it
alternated with his own tones of three years old。 In these； he
asked with humility； 〃Will you let me go to heaven if I'm naughty？
Will you？〃 Then he gave the reply in the tone of affairs； the
official voice at its very best： 〃No； little boy； I won't！〃 It was
evident that the infant was not assuming the character of his
father's tallest friend this time； but had taken a role more
exalted。 His little sister of a year older seemed thoroughly to
enjoy the humour of the situation。 〃Listen to him； mother。 He's
trying to talk like God。 He often does。〃
Bulls are made by a less imaginative child who likes to find some
reason for thingsa girl。 Out at the work of picking blackberries；
she explains； 〃Those rather good ones were all bad； mother； so I ate
them。〃 Being afraid of dogs； this little girl of four years old has
all kinds of dodges to disguise her fear； which she has evidently
resolved to keep to herself。 She will set up a sudden song to
distract attention from the fact t
