the children-第6章

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legend　was　fresh。　　The　nurse　knows　nothing　more　sleepy　than　the　tune
and　the　verse　that　she　herself　slept　to　when　a　child。　　The　gaiety　of
the　thirteenth　century；　in　Le　Pont　a'　Avignon；　is　put　mysteriously
to　sleep；　away　in　the　tete　a　tete　of　child　and　nurse；　in　a　thousand
little　sequestered　rooms　at　night。　　Malbrook　would　be　comparatively
modern；　were　not　all　things　that　are　sung　to　a　drowsing　child　as
distant　as　the　day　of　Abraham。

If　English　children　are　not　rocked　to　many　such　aged　lullabies；　some
of　them　are　put　to　sleep　to　strange　cradle…songs。　　The　affectionate
races　that　are　brought　into　subjection　sing　the　primitive　lullaby　to
the　white　child。　　Asiatic　voices　and　African　persuade　him　to　sleep
in　the　tropical　night。　　His　closing　eyes　are　filled　with　alien
images。



THE　MAN　WITH　TWO　HEADS



It　is　generally　understood　in　the　family　that　the　nurse　who　menaces
a　child；　whether　with　the　supernatural　or　with　simple　sweeps；　lions；
or　tigersgoes。　　The　rule　is　a　right　one；　for　the　appeal　to　fear
may　possibly　hurt　a　child；　nevertheless；　it　oftener　fails　to　hurt
him。　　If　he　is　prone　to　fears；　he　will　be　helpless　under　their
grasp；　without　the　help　of　human　tales。　　The　night　will　threaten
him；　the　shadow　will　pursue；　the　dream　will　catch　him；　terror　itself
have　him　by　the　heart。　　And　terror；　having　made　his　pulses　leap；
knows　how　to　use　any　thought；　any　shape；　any　image；　to　account　to
the　child's　mind　for　the　flight　and　tempest　of　his　blood。　　〃The
child　shall　not　be　frightened；〃　decrees　ineffectual　love；　but　though
no　man　make　him　afraid；　he　is　frightened。　　Fear　knows　him　well　and
finds　him　alone。

Such　a　child　is　hardly　at　the　mercy　of　any　human　rashness　and
impatience；　nor　is　the　child　whose　pulses　go　steadily；　and　whose
brows　are　fresh　and　cool；　at　their　mercy。　　This　is　one　of　the　points
upon　which　a　healthy　child　resembles　the　Japanese。　　Whatever　that
extreme　Oriental　may　be　in　war　and　diplomacy；　whatever　he　may　be　at
London　University；　or　whatever　his　plans　of　Empire；　in　relation　to
the　unseen　world　he　is　a　child　at　play。　　He　hides　himself；　he　hides
his　eyes　and　pretends　to　believe　that　he　is　hiding；　he　runs　from　the
supernatural　and　laughs　for　the　fun　of　running。

So　did　a　child；　threatened　for　his　unruliness　with　the　revelation　of
the　man　with　two　heads。　　The　nurse　must　have　had　recourse　to　this
man　under　acute　provocation。　　The　boy；　who　had　profited　well　by
every　one　of　his　four　long　years；　and　was　radiant　with　the　light　and
colour　of　health；　refused　to　be　left　to　compose　himself　to　sleep。
That　act　is　an　adult　act；　learnt　in　the　self…conscious　and
deliberate　years　of　later　life；　when　man　goes　on　a　mental　journey　in
search　of　rest；　aware　of　setting　forth。　　But　the　child　is　pursued
and　overtaken　by　sleep；　caught；　surprised；　and　overcome。　　He　goes　no
more　to　sleep；　than　he　takes　a　〃constitutional〃　with　his　hoop　and
hoopstick。　　The　child　amuses　himself　up　to　the　last　of　his　waking
moments。　　Happily；　in　the　search　for　amusement；　he　is　apt　to　learn
some　habit　or　to　cherish　some　toy；　either　of　which　may　betray　him
and　deliver　him　up　to　sleep；　the　enemy。　　What　wonder；　then；　if　a
child　who　knows　that　everyone　in　the　world　desires　his　peace　and
pleasure；　should　clamour　for　companionship　in　the　first　reluctant
minutes　of　bed？　　This　child；　being　happy；　did　not　weep　for　what　he
wanted；　he　shouted　for　it　in　the　rousing　tones　of　his　strength。
After　many　evenings　of　this　he　was　told　that　this　was　precisely　the
vociferous　kind　of　wakefulness　that　might　cause　the　man　with　two
heads　to　show　himself。

Unable　to　explain　that　no　child　ever　goes　to　sleep；　but　that　sleep；
on　the　contrary；　〃goes〃　for　a　child；　the　little　boy　yet　accepted　the
penalty；　believed　in　the　man；　and　kept　quiet　for　a　time。

There　was　indignation　in　the　mother's　heart　when　the　child
instructed　her　as　to　what　might　be　looked　for　at　his　bedside；　she
used　all　her　emphasis　in　assuring　him　that　no　man　with　two　heads
would　ever　trouble　those　innocent　eyes；　for　there　was　no　such
portent　anywhere　on　earth。　　There　is　no　such　heart…oppressing　task
as　the　making　of　these　assurances　to　a　child；　for　whom　who　knows
what　portents　are　actually　in　wait！　　She　found　him；　however；
cowering　with　laughter；　not　with　dread；　lest　the　man　with　two　heads
should　see　or　overhear。　　The　man　with　two　heads　had　become　his　play；
and　so　was　perhaps　bringing　about　his　sleep　by　gentler　means　than
the　nurse　had　intended。　　The　man　was　employing　the　vacant　minutes　of
the　little　creature's　flight　from　sleep；　called　〃going　to　sleep〃　in
the　inexact　language　of　the　old。

Nor　would　the　boy　give　up　his　faith　with　its　tremor　and　private
laughter。　　Because　a　child　has　a　place　for　everything；　this　boy　had
placed　the　monstrous　man　in　the　ceiling；　in　a　corner　of　the　room
that　might　be　kept　out　of　sight　by　the　bed　curtain。　　If　that　corner
were　left　uncovered；　the　fear　would　grow　stronger　than　the　fun；　〃the
man　would　see　me；〃　said　the　little　boy。　　But　let　the　curtain　be　in
position；　and　the　child　lay　alone；　hugging　the　dear　belief　that　the
monster　was　near。

He　was　earnest　in　controversy　with　his　mother　as　to　the　existence　of
his　man。　　The　man　was　there；　for　he　had　been　told　so；　and　he　was
there　to　wait　for　〃naughty　boys；〃　said　the　child；　with　cheerful
self…condemnation。　　The　little　boy's　voice　was　somewhat　hushed；
because　of　the　four　ears　of　the　listener；　but　it　did　not　falter；
except　when　his　mother's　arguments　against　the　existence　of　the　man
seemed　to　him　cogent　and　likely　to　gain　the　day。　　Then　for　the　first
time　the　boy　was　a　little　downcast；　and　the　light　of　mystery　became
dimmer　in　his　gay　eyes。



CHILDREN　IN　BURLESQUE



Derision；　which　is　so　great　a　part　of　human　comedy；　has　not　spared
the　humours　of　children。　　Yet　they　are　fitter　subjects　for　any　other
kind　of　jesting。　　In　the　first　place　they　are　quite　defenceless；　but
besides　and　before　this；　it　might　have　been　supposed　that　nothing　in
a　child　could　provoke　the　equal　passion　of　scorn。　　Between　confessed
unequals　scorn　is　not　even　suggested。　　Its　derisive　proclamation　of
inequality　has　no　sting　and　no　meaning　where　inequality　is　natural
and　manifest。

Children　rouse　the　laughter　of　men　and　women；　but　in　all　that
laughter　the　tone　of　derision　is　more　strange　a　discord　than　the
tone　of　anger　would　be；　or　the　tone　of　theological　anger　and　menace。
These；　little　children　have　had　to　bear　in　their　day；　but　in　the
grim　and　serious　moodsnot　in　the　playof　their　elders。　　The
wonder　is　that　children　should　ever　have　been　burlesqued；　or　held　to
be　fit　subjects　for　irony。

Whether　the　thing　has　been　done　anywhere　out　of　England；　in　any
form；　might　be　a　point　for　enquiry。　　It　would　seem；　at　a　glance；
that　English　art　and　literature　are　quite　alone　in　this　incredible
manner　of　sport。

And　even　here；　too；　the　thing　that　is　laughed　at　in　a　child　is
probably　always　a　mere　reflection　of　the　parents'　vulgarity。　　None
the　less　it　is　an　unintelligible　thing　that　even　the　rankest
vulgarity　of　father　or　mother　should　be　resented；　in　the　child；　with
the　implacable　resentment　of　derision。

John　Leech　used　the　caricature　of　a　baby　for　the　purposes　of　a　scorn
that　was　not　angry；　but　familiar。　　It　is　true　that　the　poor　child
had　first　been　burlesqued　by　the　unchildish　aspect　imposed　upon　him
by　his　dress；　which　presented　him；　without　the　beauties　of　art　or
nature；　to　all　the　unnatural　ironies。　　Leech　did　but　finish　him　in
the　same　spirit；　with　dots　for　the　childish　eyes；　and　a　certain　form
of　face　which　is　best　described　as　a　fat　square　containing　two
circlesthe　inordinate　cheeks　of　that　ignominious　baby。　　That　is
the　child　as　Punch　in　Leech's　day　preserved　him；　the　latest　figure
of　the　then　prevailing　domestic　raillery　of　the　domestic。

In　like　manner　did　Thackeray　and　Dickens；　despite　all　their
sentiment。　　Children　were　made　to　serve　both　the　sentiment　and　the
irony　between　which　those　two　writers；　alike　in　this；　stood　double…
minded。　　Thackeray；　writing　of　his　snobs；　wreaks　himself　upon　a
child；　there　is　no　worse　snob　than　his　snob…child。　　There　are　snob…
children　not　only　in　the　book　dedicated　to　their　parents；　but　in
nearly　all　his　novels。