the children(孩子们)-第10章
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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。
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THE CHILDREN
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
sensitiveness。 What； he may ask； is the use of being a dark…haired child
of fact； when all the emotion； all the innocence； all the romance； are
absorbed by the flaxen…haired child of fiction？ How deplorable that our
mothers； the French infants may say； should have their unattained ideals in
the nurseries of the imagination； how dismal that they should be
perpetually disillusioned in the nurseries of fact！ Is there then no
sentiment for us？ they may ask。 Will not convention； which has been
forced to restore the advantage to truth on so many other points； be
compelled to yield on this point also； and reconcile our aunts to the family
colouring？
All the schools of literature are in a tale。 The classic masters；
needless to say； do not stoop to the colouring of boys and girls； but as soon
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THE CHILDREN
as the Romantiques arise； the cradle is there； and no soft hair ever in it that
is not of some tone of gold； no eyes that are not blue； and no cheek that is
not white and pink as milk and roses。 Victor Hugo； who discovered the
child of modern poetry； never omits the touch of description； the word
BLOND is as inevitable as any epithet marshalled to attend its noun in a
last… century poet's dictionary。 One would not have it away； one can hear
the caress with which the master pronounces it； 〃making his mouth；〃 as
Swift did for his 〃little language。〃 Nor does the customary adjective fail
in later literature。 It was dear to the Realist； and it is dear to the
Symbolist。 The only difference is that in the French of the Symbolist it
precedes the noun。
And yet it is time that the sweetness of the dark child should have its
day。 He is really no less childlike than the other。 There is a pretty
antithesis between the strong effect of his colouring and the softness of his
years and of his months。 The blond human being man； woman or
childhas the beauty of harmony； the hair plays off from the tones of the
flesh； only a few degrees brighter or a few degrees darker。 Contrast of
colour there is； in the blue of the eyes； and in the red of cheek and lip； but
there is no contrast of tone。 The whole effect is that of much various
colour and of equal tone。 In the dark face there is hardly any colour and
an almost complete opposition of tone。 The complete opposition； of
course； would be black and white； and a beautiful dark child comes near to
this； but for the lovely modifications； the warmth of his white； and of his
black alike； so that the one tone； as well as the other； is softened towards
brown。 It is the beauty of contrast； with a suggestion of harmonyas it
were a beginning of harmonywhich is infinitely lovely。
Nor is the dark child lacking in variety。 His radiant eyes range from a
brown so bright that it looks golden in the light； to a brown so dark that it
barely defines the pupil。 So is his hair various； answering the sun with
unsuspected touches； not of gold but of bronze。 And his cheek is not
invariably pale。 A dusky rose sometimes lurks there with such an effect
of vitality as you will hardly get from the shallower pink of the flaxened
haired。 And the suggestion is that of late summer； the colour of wheat
almost ready for the harvest； and darker； redder flowerspoppies and
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THE CHILDREN
others than come in Spring。
The dark eyes； besides； are generally brighterthey shelter a more
liquid light than the blue or grey。 Southern eyes have generally most
beautiful whites。 And as to the charm of the childish figure； there is
usually an infantine slenderness in the little Southener that is at least as
young and sweet as the round form of the blond child。 And yet the
painters of Italy would have none of it。 They rejected the dusky brilliant
pale little Italians all about them； they would have none but flaxen…haired
children； and they would have nothing that was slim； nothing that was thin；
nothing that was shadowy。 They rejoiced in much fair flesh； and in all
possible freshness。 So it was in fair Flanders as well as in dark Italy。 But
so it was not in Spain。 The Pyrenees seemed to interrupt the tradition。
And as Murillo saw the charm of dark heads； and the innocence of dark
eyes； so did one English painter。 Reynolds painted young dark hair as
tenderly as the youngest gold。
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THE CHILDREN
REAL CHILDHOOD
The world is old because its history is made up of successive
childhoods and of their impressions。 Your hours when you were six were
the enormous hours of the mind that has little experience and constant and
quick forgetfulness。 Therefore when your mother's visitor held you so
long at his knee； while he talked to her the excited gibberish of the grown…
up； he little thought what he forced upon you； what the things he called
minutes really were； measured by a mind unused； what passive and then
what desperate weariness he held you to by his slightly gesticulating hands
that pressed some absent…minded caress； rated by you at its right value； in
the pauses of his anecdotes。 You； meanwhile； were infinitely tired of
watching the play of his conversing moustache。
Indeed； the contrast of the length of contemporary time （this pleonasm
is inevitable） is no small mystery； and the world has never had the wit
fully to confess it。
You remembered poignantly the special and singular duration of some
such space as your elders； perhaps； called half…an…hourso poignantly that
you spoke of it to your sister； not exactly with emotion； but still as a
dreadful fact of life。 You had better instinct than to complain of it to the
talkative； easy…living； occupied people； who had the management of the
world in their hands… …your seniors。 You remembered the duration of
some such separate half…hour so well that you have in fact remembered it
until now； and so now； of course； will never forget it。
As to the length of Beethoven； experienced by you on duty in the
drawing room； it would be curious to know whether it was really
something greater than Beethoven had any idea of。 You sat and listened；
and tried to fix a passage in your mind as a kind of half… way mark； with
the deliberate provident intention of helping yoursel
