the children-第7章
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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。 There is a female snob…child in 〃Lovel the
Widower；〃 who may be taken as a type； and there are snob…children at
frequent intervals in 〃Philip。〃 It is not certain that Thackeray
intended the children of Pendennis himself to be innocent and
exempt。
In one of Dickens's early sketches there is a plot amongst the
humorous dramatis personae； to avenge themselves on a little boy for
the lack of tact whereby his parents have brought him with them to a
party on the river。 The principal humorist frightens the child into
convulsions。 The incident is the success of the day； and is
obviously intended to have some kind of reflex action in amusing the
reader。 In Dickens's maturer books the burlesque little girl
imitates her mother's illusory fainting…fits。
Our glimpses of children in the fugitive pages of that day are
grotesque。 A little girl in Punch improves on the talk of her dowdy
mother with the maids。 An inordinate baby stares； a little boy
flies； hideous； from some hideous terror。
AUTHORSHIP
Authorship prevails in nurseriesat least in some nurseries。 In
many it is probably a fitful game； and since the days of the Brontes
there has not been a large family without its magazine。 The weak
point of all this literature is its commonplace。 The child's effort
is to write something as much like as possible to the tedious books
that are read to him； he is apt to be fluent and foolish。 If a
child simple enough to imitate were also simple enough not to
imitate he might write nursery magazines that would not bore us。
As it is； there is sometimes nothing but the fresh and courageous
spelling to make his stories go。 〃He；〃 however； is hardly the
pronoun。 The girls are the more active authors； and the more
prosaic。 What they would write had they never read things written
for them by the dull； it is not possible to know。 What they do
write is thisto take a passage： 〃Poor Mrs。 Bald （that was her
name） thought she would never get to the wood where her aunt lived；
she got down and pulled the donky on by the bridal 。 。 。 Alas！ her
troubles were not over yet； the donky would not go where she wanted
it； instead of turning down Rose Lane it went down another； which
although Mrs。 Bald did not know it led to a very deep and dangerous
pond。 The donky ran into the pond and Mrs。 Bald was dround。〃
To give a prosperous look to the magazine containing the serial
story just quoted； a few pages of mixed advertisements are
laboriously written out： 〃The Imatation of Christ is the best book
in all the world。〃 〃Read Thompson's poetry and you are in a world
of delight。〃 〃Barrat's ginger beer is the only ginger beer to
drink。〃 〃The place for a ice。〃 Under the indefinite heading 〃A
Article；〃 readers are told 〃that they are liable to read the paper
for nothing。〃
A still younger hand contributes a short story in which the hero
returns to his home after a report of his death had been believed by
his wife and family。 The last sentence is worth quoting： 〃We will
now；〃 says the author； 〃leave Mrs。 White and her two children to
enjoy the sudden appearance of Mr。 White。〃
Here is an editorial announcement： 〃Ladies and gentlemen； every
week at the end of the paper there will be a little article on the
habits of the paper。〃
On the whole； authorship does not seem to foster the quality of
imagination。 Convention； during certain early years； may be a very
strong motivenot so much with children brought up strictly within
its limits； perhaps； as with those who have had an exceptional
freedom。 Against this； as a kind of childish bohemianism； there is；
in one phase of childhood； a strong reaction。 To one child； brought
up internationally； and with somewhat too much liberty amongst
peasant play…mates and their games； in many dialects； eagerness to
become like 〃other people；〃 and even like the other people of quite
inferior fiction； grew to be almost a passion。 The desire was in
time out…grown； but it cost the girl some years of her simplicity。
The style is not always the child。
LETTERS
The letter exacted from a child is usually a letter of thanks；
somebody has sent him a box of chocolates。 The thanks tend to
stiffen a child's style； but in any case a letter is the occasion of
a sudden self…consciousness； newer to a child than his elders know。
They speak prose and know it。 But a young child possesses his words
by a different tenure； he is not aware of the spelt and written
aspect of the things he says every day； he does not dwell upon the
sound of them。 He is so little taken by the kind and character of
any word that he catches the first that comes at random。 A little
child to whom a peach was first revealed； whispered to his mother；
〃I like that kind of turnip。〃 Compelled to write a letter； the
child finds the word of daily life suddenly a stranger。
The fresher the mind the duller the sentence； and the younger the
fingers the older； more wrinkled； and more sidling the handwriting。
Dickens； who used his eyes； remarked the contrast。 The hand of a
child and his face are full of rounds； but his written O is
tottering and haggard。
His phrases are ceremonious without the dignity of ceremony。 The
child chatters because he wants his companion to hear； but there is
no inspiration in the act of writing to a distant aunt about whom he
probably has some grotesque impression because he cannot think of
anyone； however vague and forgotten； without a mental image。 As
like as not he pictures all his relatives at a distance with their
eyes shut。 No boy wants to write familiar things to a forgotten
aunt with her eyes shut。 His thoughtless elders require him not
only to write to her under these discouragements； but to write to
her in an artless and childlike fashion。
The child is unwieldy of thought； besides。 He cannot send the
conventional messages but he loses his way among the few pronouns：
〃I send them their love；〃 〃They sent me my love；〃 〃I kissed their
hand to me。〃 If he is stopped and told to get the words right； he
has to make a long effort。 His precedent might be cited to excuse
every politician who cannot remember whether he began his sentence
with 〃people〃 in the singular or the plural； and who finishes it
otherwise than as he began it。 Points of grammar that are purely
points of logic baffle a child completely。 He is as unready in the
thought needed for these as he is in the use of his senses。
It is not truethough it is generally saidthat a young child's
senses are quick。 This is one of the unverified ideas that commend
themselves； one knows not why。 We have had experiments to compare
the relative quickness of perception proved by men and women。 The
same experiments with children would give curious results； but they
can hardly； perhaps； be made； because the children would be not only
slow to perceive but slow to announce the perception； so the moment
would go by； and the game be lost。 Not even amateur conjuring does
so baffle the slow turning of a child's mind as does a little
intricacy of grammar。
THE FIELDS
The pride of rustic life is the child's form of caste…feeling。 The
country child is the aristocrat； he has des relations suivies with
game…keepers； nay； with the most interesting mole…catchers。 He has
a perfectly self…conscious joy that he is not in a square or a
suburb。 No essayist has so much feeling against terraces and
villas。
As for imitation countrythe further suburbit is worse than town；
it is a place to walk in； and the tedium of a walk to a child's mind
is hardly measurable by a man； who walks voluntarily； with his
affairs to think about； and his eyes released； by age； from the
custom of perpetual observation。 The child； compelled to walk； is
the only unresting observer of the asphalt； the pavement； the garden
gates and railings； and the tedious people。 He is bored as he will
never be bored when a man。
He is at his best where； under the welcome stress and pressure of
abundant crops； he is admitted to
