the children-第9节

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Not　that　illness　is　to　be　trusted　to　work　so。　　There　is　another
child　who　in　his　brief　indispositions　becomes　invincible；　armed
against　medicine　finally。　　The　last　appeal　to　force；　as　his
distracted　elders　find；　is　all　but　an　impossibility；　but　in　any　case
it　would　be　a　failure。　　You　can　bring　the　spoon　to　the　child；　but
three　nurses　cannot　make　him　drink。　　This；　then；　is　the　occasion　of
the　ultimate　resistance。　　He　raises　the　standard　of　revolution；　and
casts　every　tradition　and　every　precept　to　the　wind　on　which　it
flies。　　He　has　his　elders　at　a　disadvantage；　for　if　they　pursue　him
with　a　grotesque　spoon　their　maxims　and　commands　are；　at　the　moment；
still　more　grotesque。　　He　is　committed　to　the　wild　novelty　of
absolute　refusal。　　He　not　only　refuses；　moreover；　he　disbelieves；　he
throws　everything　over。　　Told　that　the　medicine　is　not　so　bad；　this
nihilist　laughs。

Medicine　apart；　a　minor　ailment　is　an　interest　and　a　joy。　　〃Am　I
unwell　to…day；　mother？〃　asks　a　child　with　all　his　faith　and
confidence　at　the　highest　point。



THE　YOUNG　CHILD



The　infant　of　literature　〃wails〃　and　wails　feebly；　with　the
invariability　of　a　thing　unproved　and　taken　for　granted。　　Nothing；
nevertheless；　could　be　more　unlike　a　wail　than　the　most　distinctive
cry　whereon　the　child　of　man　catches　his　first　breath。　　It　is　a
hasty；　huddled　outcry；　sharp　and　brief；　rather　deep　than　shrill　in
tone。　　With　all　deference　to　old　moralities；　man　does　not　weep　at
beginning　this　world；　he　simply　lifts　up　his　new　voice　much　as　do
the　birds　in　the　Zoological　Gardens；　and　with　much　the　same　tone　as
some　of　the　duck　kind　there。　　He　does　not　weep　for　some　months　to
come。　　His　outcry　soon　becomes　the　human　cry　that　is　better　known
than　loved；　but　tears　belong　to　later　infancy。　　And　if　the　infant　of
days　neither　wails　nor　weeps；　the　infant　of　months　is　still　too
young　to　be　gay。　　A　child's　mirth；　when　at　last　it　begins；　is　his
first　secret；　you　understand　little　of　it。　　The　first　smile　（for　the
convulsive　movement　in　sleep　that　is　popularly　adorned　by　that　name
is　not　a　smile）　is　an　uncertain　sketch　of　a　smile；　unpractised　but
unmistakable。　　It　is　accompanied　by　a　single　sounda　sound　that
would　be　a　monosyllable　if　it　were　articulatewhich　is　the
utterance；　though　hardly　the　communication；　of　a　private　jollity。
That　and　that　alone　is　the　real　beginning　of　human　laughter。

From　the　end　of　the　first　fortnight　in　life；　when　it　appears　for　the
first　time；　and　as　it　were　flickeringly；　the　child's　smile　begins　to
grow　definite　and；　gradually；　more　frequent。　　By　very　slow　degrees
the　secrecy　passes　away；　and　the　dryness　becomes　more　genial。　　The
child　now　smiles　more　openly；　but　he　is　still　very　unlike　the
laughing　creature　of　so　much　prose　and　verse。　　His　laughter　takes　a
long　time　to　form。　　The　monosyllable　grows　louder；　and　then　comes　to
be　repeated　with　little　catches　of　the　breath。　　The　humour　upon
which　he　learns　to　laugh　is　that　of　something　which　approaches　him
quickly　and　then　withdraws。　　This　is　the　first　intelligible　jest　of
jesting　man。

An　infant　never　meets　your　eyes；　he　evidently　does　not　remark　the
features　of　faces　near　him。　　Whether　because　of　the　greater
conspicuousness　of　dark　hair　or　dark　hat；　or　for　some　like　reason；
he　addresses　his　looks；　his　laughs；　and　apparently　his　criticism；　to
the　heads；　not　the　faces；　of　his　friends。　　These　are　the　ways　of　all
infants；　various　in　character；　parentage；　race；　and　colour；　they　do
the　same　things。　　There　are　turns　in　a　kitten's　playarched
leapings　and　sidelong　jumps；　graceful　rearings　and　grotesque　dances…
…which　the　sacred　kittens　of　Egypt　used　in　their　time。　　But　not　more
alike　are　these　repetitions　than　the　impulses　of　all　young　children
learning　to　laugh。

In　regard　to　the　child　of　a　somewhat　later　growth；　we　are　told　much
of　his　effect　upon　the　world；　not　much　of　the　effect　of　the　world
upon　him。　　Yet　he　is　compelled　to　endure　the　reflex　results；　at
least；　of　all　that　pleases；　distresses；　or　oppresses　the　world。
That　he　should　be　obliged　to　suffer　the　moods　of　men　is　a　more
important　thing　than　that　men　should　be　amused　by　his　moods。　　If　he
is　saddened；　that　is　certainly　much　more　than　that　his　elders　should
be　gladdened。　　It　is　doubtless　hardly　possible　that　children　should
go　altogether　free　of　human　affairs。　　They　might；　in　mere　justice；
be　spared　the　burden　they　bear　ignorantly　and　simply　when　it　is　laid
upon　them；　of　such　events　and　ill　fortunes　as　may　trouble　our　peace；
but　they　cannot　easily　be　spared　the　hearing　of　a　disturbed　voice　or
the　sight　of　an　altered　face。　　Alas！　they　are　made　to　feel　money…
matters；　and　even　this　is　not　the　worst。　　There　are　unconfessed
worldliness；　piques；　and　rivalries；　of　which　they　do　not　know　the
names；　but　which　change　the　faces　where　they　look　for　smiles。　　To
such　alterations　children　are　sensitive　even　when　they　seem　least
accessible　to　the　commands；　the　warnings；　the　threats；　or　the
counsels　of　elders。　　Of　all　these　they　may　be　gaily　independent；　and
yet　may　droop　when　their　defied　tyrants　are　dejected。

For　though　the　natural　spirit　of　children　is　happy；　the　happiness　is
a　mere　impulse　and　is　easily　disconcerted。　　They　are　gay　without
knowing　any　very　sufficient　reason　for　being　so；　and　when　sadness
is；　as　it　were；　proposed　to　them；　things　fall　away　from　under　their
feet；　they　are　helpless　and　find　no　stay。　　For　this　reason　the
merriest　of　all　children　are　those；　much　pitied；　who　are　brought　up
neither　in　a　family　nor　in　a　public　home　by　paid　guardians；　but　in　a
place　of　charity；　rightly　named；　where　impartial；　unalterable；　and
impersonal　devotion　has　them　in　hand。　　They　endure　an　immeasurable
loss；　and　are　orphans；　but　they　gain　in　perpetual　gaiety；　they　live
in　an　unchanging　temperature。　　The　separate　nest　is　nature's；　and
the　best；　but　it　might　be　wished　that　the　separate　nest　were　less
subject　to　moods。　　The　nurse　has　her　private　business；　and　when　it
does　not　prosper；　and　when　the　remote　affairs　of　the　governess　go
wrong；　the　child　receives　the　ultimate　vibration　of　the　mishap。

The　uniformity　of　infancy　passes　away　long　before　the　age　when
children　have　this　indefinite　suffering　inflicted　upon　them；　and
they　have　become　infinitely　various；　and　feel　the　consequences　of
the　cares　of　their　elders　in　unnumbered　degrees。　　The　most　charming
children　feel　them　the　most　sensibly；　and　not　with　resentment　but
with　sympathy。　　It　is　assuredly　in　the　absence　of　resentment　that
consists　the　virtue　of　childhood。　　What　other　thing　are　we　to　learn
of　them？　　Not　simplicity；　for　they　are　intricate　enough。　　Not
gratitude；　for　their　usual　sincere　thanklessness　makes　half　the
pleasure　of　doing　them　good。　　Not　obedience；　for　the　child　is　born
with　the　love　of　liberty。　　And　as　for　humility；　the　boast　of　a　child
is　the　frankest　thing　in　the　world。　　A　child's　natural　vanity　is　not
merely　the　delight　in　his　own　possessions；　but　the　triumph　over
others　less　fortunate。　　If　this　emotion　were　not　so　young　it　would
be　exceedingly　unamiable。　　But　the　truth　must　be　confessed　that
having　very　quickly　learnt　the　value　of　comparison　and　relation；　a
child　rejoices　in　the　perception　that　what　he　has　is　better　than
what　his　brother　has；　this　comparison　is　a　means　of　judging　his
fortune；　after　all。　　It　is　true　that　if　his　brother　showed　distress；
he　might　make　haste　to　offer　an　exchange。　　But　the　impulse　of　joy　is
candidly　egotistic。

It　is　the　sweet　and　entire　forgiveness　of　children；　who　ask　pity　for
their　sorrows　from　those　who　have　caused　them；　who　do　not　perceive
that　they　are　wronged；　who　never　dream　that　they　are　forgiving；　and
who　make　no　bargain　for　apologiesit　is　this　that　men　and　women　are
urged　to　learn　of　a　child。　　Graces　more　confessedly　childlike　they
make　shift　to　teach　themselves。



FAIR　AND　BROWN



George　Eliot；　in　one　of　her　novels；　has　a　good…natured　mother；　who
confesses　that　when　she　administers　justice　she　is　obliged　to　spare
the　offenders　who　have　fair　hair；　because　they　look　so　much　more
innocent　than　the　rest。　　And　if　this　is　the　state　of　maternal
feelings　where　all　are　more　or　less　fair；　what　must　be　the
miscarriage　of　justice　in　countries　where　a　BLOND　angel　makes　his
infrequent　visit　within　the　family　circle？

In　England　he　is　the　rule；　and　supreme　as　a　matter　of　course。　　He　is
〃English；〃　and　best；　as　is　the　early　asparagus　and　the　young　potato；
according　to　the　happy　conviction　of　the　shops。　　To　say　〃child〃　in
England　is　to　say　〃fair…haired　child；〃　even　as　in　Tuscany　to　say
〃young　man〃　is　to　say　〃tenor。〃　　〃I　have　a　little　party　to…night；
eight　or　ten　tenors；　from　neighbouring　palazzi；　to　meet　my　English
friends。〃

But　France　is　a　greater　enthusiast　than　our　now　country。　　The
fairness　and　the　golden　hair　are　here　so　much　a　matter　of　orthodoxy；
that　they　are　not　always　mentioned；　they　are　frequently　taken　for
granted。　　Not　so　in　France；　the　French　go　out　of　their　way　to　make
the　exceptional　fairness　of　their　children　the　rule　of　their
literature。　　No　French　child　dare　show　his　face　in　a　bookprose　or
poetrywithout　blue　eyes　and　fair　hair。　　It　is　a　thing　about　which
the　French　child　of　real　life　can　hardly　escape　a　certain
sens