the children-第6部分

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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　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　comparison　with　these。　　There　is；　besides；　the　first　loaf　from
the　new　flour；　brown　from　the　maize　and　white　from　the　wheat。　　Nor
can　a　day　of　potato…gathering　be　more　appropriately　ended　than　with
a　little　fire　built　afield　and　the　baking　of　some　of　the　harvest
under　the　wood　ashes。　　Vintaging　needs　no　praises；　nor　does　apple…
gathering；　even　when　the　apples　are　for　cider；　they　are　never　acrid
enough　to　baffle　a　child's　tooth。

Yet　even　those　children　who　are　so　unlucky　as　never　to　have　worked
in　a　real　field；　but　have　been　compelled　to　vary　their　education
with　nothing　but　play；　are　able　to　comfort　themselves　with　the
irregular　harvest　of　the　hedges。　　They　have　no　little　hand　in　the
realities　of　cultivation；　but　wild　growths　give　them　blackberries。
Pale　are　the　joys　of　nutting　beside　those　of　haymaking；　but　at　least
they　are　something。

Harvests　apart；　Spring；　not　Autumn；　should　make　a　childhood　of
memories　for　the　future。　　In　later　Autumn；　life　is　speeding　away；
ebbing；　taking　flight；　a　fugitive；　taking　disguises；　hiding　in　the
dry　seed；　retreating　into　the　dark。　　The　daily　progress　of　things　in
Spring　is　for　children；　who　look　close。　　They　know　the　way　of　moss
and　the　roots　of　ivy；　they　breathe　the　breath　of　earth　immediately；
direct。　　They　have　a　sense　of　place；　of　persons；　and　of　the　past
that　may　be　remembered　but　cannot　be　recaptured。　　Adult　accustomed
eyes　cannot　see　what　a　child's　eye　sees　of　the　personality　of　a
person；　to　the　child　the　accidents　of　voice　and　look　are　charged
with　separate　and　unique　character。　　Such　a　sense　of　place　as　he　got
in　a　day　within　some　forest；　or　in　a　week　by　some　lake；　so　that　a
sound　or　odour　can　bring　it　back　in　after　days；　with　a　shockeven
such　a　sense　of　single　personality　does　a　little　watchful　girl　get
from　the　accents；　the　turns　of　the　head；　the　habits　of　the　hands；
the　presence　of　a　woman。　　Not　all　places；　nor　all　persons；　are　so
quick　with　the　expression　of　themselves；　the　child　knows　the
difference。　　As　for　places　that　are　so　loaded；　and　that　breathe　so；
the　child　discerns　them　passionately。

A　travelled　child　multiplies　these　memories　and　has　them　in　their
variety。　　His　heart　has　room　for　many　places　that　have　the　spirit　of
place。　　The　glacier　may　be　forgotten；　but　some　little　tract　of
pasture　that　has　taken　wing　to　the　head　of　a　mountain　valley；　a
field　that　has　soared　up　a　pass　unnamed；　will　become　a　memory；　in
time；　sixty　years　old。　　That　is　a　fortunate　child　who　has　tasted
country　life　in　places　far　apart；　who　has　helped；　followed　the　wheat
to　the　threshing…floor　of　a　Swiss　village；　stumbled　after　a　plough
of　Virgil's　shape　in　remoter　Tuscan　hills；　and　gleaned　after　a
vintage。　　You　cannot　suggest　pleasanter　memories　than　those　of　the
vintage；　for　the　day　when　the　wine　will　be　old。



THE　BARREN　SHORE



It　may　be　a　disappointment　to　the　children　each　year　at　play　upon　so
many　beacheseven　if　they　are　but　dimly　aware　of　their　lackto
find　their　annual　plaything　to　be　not　a　real　annual；　an　annual
thing；　indeed；　to　them；　for　the　arbitrary　reason　that　they　go　down
to　it　once　a　year；　but　not　annual　in　the　vital　and　natural　sense　of
the　seasons；　not　waxing　and　waning；　not　bearing；　not　turning　that