the children-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




The　Children

by　Alice　Meynell





Contents

Fellow　Travellers　with　a　Bird；　I。
Fellow　Travellers　with　a　Bird；　II。
Children　in　Midwinter
That　Pretty　Person
Out　of　Town
Expression
Under　the　Early　Stars
The　Man　with　Two　Heads
Children　in　Burlesque
Authorship
Letters
The　Fields
The　Barren　Shore
The　Boy
Illness
The　Young　Children
Fair　and　Brown
Real　Childhood



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。　　〃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　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。〃



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　reported　them。　　They　do　not；　for　example；　say　〃me　is；〃　their
natural　reply　to　〃are　you？〃　is　〃I　are。〃　　One　child；　pronouncing
sweetly　and　neatly；　will　have　nothing　but　the　nominative　pronoun。
〃Lift　I　up　and　let　I　see　it　raining；〃　she　bids；　and　told　that　it
does　not　rain；　resumes；　〃Lift　I　up　and　let　I　see　it　not　raining。〃

An　elder　child　had　a　rooted　dislike　to　a　brown　corduroy　suit　ordered
for　her　by　maternal　authority。　　She　wore　the　garments　under　protest；
and　with　some　resentment。　　At　the　same　time　it　was　evident　that　she
took　no　pleasure　in　hearing　her　praises　sweetly　sung　by　a　poet；　her
friend。　　He　had　imagined　the　making　of　this　child　in　the　counsels　of
Heaven；　and　the　decreeing　of　her　soft　skin；　of　her　brilliant　eyes；
and　of　her　hair〃a　brown　tress。〃　　She　had　gravely　heard　the　words
as　〃a　brown　dress；〃　and　she　silently　bore　the　poet　a　grudge　for
having　been　the　accessory　of　Providence　in　the　mandate　that　she
should　wear　the　loathed　corduroy。　　The　unpractised　ear　played
another　little　girl　a　like　turn。　　She　had　a　phrase　for　snubbing　any
anecdote　that　sounded　improbable。　　〃That；〃　she　said　more　or　less
after　Sterne；　〃is　a　cotton…wool　story。〃

The　learning　of　words　is；　needless　to　say；　continued　long　after　the
years　of　mere　learning　to　speak。　　The　young　child　now　takes　a
current　word　into　use；　a　little　at　random；　and　now　makes　a　new　one；
so　as　to　save　the　interruption　of　a　pause　for　search。　　I　have
certainly　detected；　in　children　old　enough　to　show　their　motives；　a
conviction　that　a　word　of　their　own　making　is　as　good　a
communication　as　another；　and　as　intelligible。　　There　is　even　a
general　implicit　conviction　among　them　that　the　grown…up　people；
too；　make　words　by　the　wayside　as　occasion　befalls。　　How　otherwise
should　words　be　so　numerous　that　every　day　brings　forward　some
hitherto　unheard？　　The　child　would　be　surprised　to　know　how
irritably　poets　are　refused　the　faculty　and　authority　which　he
thinks　to　belong　to　the　common　world。

There　is　something　very　cheerful　and　courageous　in　the　setting…out
of　a　child　on　a　journey　of　speech　with　so　small　baggage　and　with　so
much　confidence　in　the　chances　of　the　hedge。　　He　goes　free；　a　simple
adventurer。　　Nor　does　he　make　any　officious　effort　to　invent
anything　strange　or　particularly　expressive　or　descriptive。　　The
child　trusts　genially　to　his　hearer。　　A　very　young　boy；　excited　by
his　first　sight　of　sunflowers；　was　eager　to　describe　them；　and
called　them；　without　allowing　himself　to　be　checked　for　the　trifle
of　a　name；　〃summersets。〃　　This　was　simple　and　unexpected；　so　was　the
comment　of　a　sister　a　very　little　older。