the children(孩子们)-第7章
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！
… Page 30…
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。
30
… Page 31…
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。
31
… Page 32…
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
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。
32
… Page 33…
THE CHILDREN
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。
33
… Page 34…
THE CHILDREN
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 circle of the seasons whereof no one knows
which is the highest point and the secret and the ultimate purpose； not
recreated； not new； and not yielding to the child anything raw and irregular
to eat。
Sand castles are well enough； and they are the very commonplace of
the recollections of elders； of their rhetoric； and of what they think
appropriate for their young ones。 Shingle and sand are good playthings；
but absolute play is not necessarily the ideal of a child； he would rather
have a frolic of work。 Of all the early autumn things to be done in
holiday time； that game with the beach and the wave is the least good for
holiday…time。
Not that the shore is everywhere so barren。 The coast of the
Londonersall round the southern and eastern borders of Englandis
indeed the dullest of all sea…margins。 But
