the children(孩子们)-第9章
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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
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THE CHILDREN
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。
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THE CHILDREN
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。
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THE CHILDREN
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。
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THE CHILDREN
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 the labours of men and women； neither
in mere play nor in the earnest of the hop…field for the sake of his little
gains。 On the steep farm lands of the Canton de Vaud； where maize and
grapes are carried in the botte； so usually are children expected in the field
that bottes are made to the shape of a back and arms of five years old。
Some； made for harvesters of those years； can hold no more than a single
yellow ear of maize or two handfuls of beans。 You may meet the same
little boy with the repetitions of this load a score of times in the morning。
Moreover the Swiss mother has always a fit sense of what is due to that
labourer。 When the plums are gathered； for instance； she bakes in the
general village oven certain round open tarts across which her arm can
hardly reach。 No plum tarts elsewhere are anything but dull in
