the children(孩子们)-第1章
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THE CHILDREN
THE CHILDREN
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THE CHILDREN
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。
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THE CHILDREN
〃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
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THE CHILDREN
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。〃
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THE CHILDREN
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
