Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-29
Gail HamiIton on Children.

In the December Atlantic Gail Hamil-
ton has quaint article about children
little boys particularly-under the very de-
ceptive title king james the First" in
the course of which occurs this sketch:
THE helplessness of infancy appeals to
all that is chivalric and Christian in our
hearts; but to dignity it is pre-eminently
stranger. a charming and popular
writer on the whole, | am not sure that
it was not my own self once affirmed that
baby is beast, and gave great offence
thereby; yet it seems to me that no un-
preiudiced person can observe an infant of
tender weeks sprawling and squirming in
the bath-tub. and not contest that it looks
more like little pink frog than anything
else. And here is Jamie, not only weeks,
but months and years old, setting his
Young affections on candy and dinner, and
eating in general, with an appalling inten-
sity. 1t is humilitating to see how easily
he is moved by an appeal 10 his appetite.
[ blush for my race, remembering the
sparkle of his eyes over dainty dish, and
the abandonment of his devotion to 1.-THE
enthusiasm with which his feet spring,
and his voice rings through the house to
announce the fact, 'Dinnah mo weh-wyl
dinnah mo-weh-wyp To the naked eye
he appears to think as much of eating as
cat, or chicken or a dog. Reasons and
rights he is slow to comprehend; but his
conscience is always open to conviction,
and his will pliable to higher law, when
stick of candy is in the case. His bread
and butter is to him what science was to
Newton and he has been known to re-
ply abstractedly to question put to him
in the height Of his enjoyment, "Don talk
to me now. This is not dignity, surely.
Is it total depravity? What is it that
makes his feet so swift to do mischief
He sweeps the floor with the table brush,
comes stumbling over the carpet almost
chin-deep in a pair of muddy rubber
boots, catches up the birds seed-cup,
and darts away, spilling it at every step;
and the louder l call the faster he runs,
half frightened, half rOugueish, till an un-
mistakabl9 sharpness pierces him, makes
him throw down cup and seed together,
and fling himself full length on the floor,
mis- little heart all broken. Indeed he can
bear anything but displeasure. He tum-
bles down twenty times day, over the
crickets, off the chairs, under the table,
head first, head last, bump, bump, and
never a tear sheds he, though his stern
self control is sometimes quite pitiful to
see. But little slap on his cheek, which
is his standing punishment-not blow,
but tiny tap that must derive all its
efficacy from its moral foree-oh, it stabs
him to the heartS He has no power to
bear up against it, and goes away by him
self and cries bitterly, sonorOusly, and,
towards the last, 1 suspect rather osten-
tatiously Then he spoils it all by com
ing out radient, and boasting that he has
make tear, as if that were an unparal-
lelled feat If you attempt to chide him
he puts up his plump hand with a repel-
ing gesture, turns away his head in dis
gust, and CALCULATES Vehemently, Don't
talk t mel After all, however, l do not
perceive that he is any more sensitive to
reproof than an intelligent and petted
dog"