The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-11-13
AMERICAN CHILDREN.
observations on their Manners, By
David haerae, q ScOtchman-Th
Philosophy Cf their PrecOcity'

American childreu are undoubtedly
precocious. I think this PECULIARLY,
though partly owing to the quicken
ing effect of climate, is due to some
extent to the American practice of
bringing children 70 the table from
their Infancy. A New England lady,
who boosted of eleven children, Ia
very rare thing in New England, }
told me that every one of them had
been brought to the table at seven
months, aud at thirteen months could
handle their forks as neatly as she
could Brought to the table so soon,
and hearing all that goes Oh, they
begin at a preternaturally early age to
take an interest In general affairs. and
to acquire the ideas and language OF
grown people. An old doctor OF
divinity in Canada said that, calling
one day at friends house, little
girl was sent IN to amuse him till her
mamma was ready. The child told
him, among other things, that she had
been writing a parody on Kingsley s
song of the Three Fishers" but,
when drying it at the open. fire, 1t
dropped from her hand and was
burned. " Barned!" exclaimed the
doctor; IF / had been the fire |
should have stopped till you had got
it out again ~
aOh, no, doctor, said the child
gravely, you couldn't have done
that. Nature, you know, is nature
and her laws are inviolableH1 /
nearly knocked the doctor off his
chair s..
/ remember one day at dinner-this
was In the State of New York--being
amused at the exquisite combination
of epicurianism aud forethought on
the part Of u little boy of mine.
Mother" said he, give me only a
little piece of mince pie, as / shall
want 10 taste the pudding"
The children remarks on political
subjects tickled me the most, for the
reason, perhaps, tina: [ Lave so rarely
heard anything of the sort from chill
dren at home. A small boy of eight
will stand up to you and say, What
do you think, sir, OF the state of oui
cOuntry2"
/ remember being amused beyond
expression at one little boy in Brook
lyn, who, during the impeachment
trial, began, one evening at supper, TO
upbraid his father for having sup
ported Andrew johnson.
In one of my former papers / spoke
Z OF little Canadian girl, who, In the
midst of conversation on politics,
threw in her opinion that Canada
/. should have had Maine and part of
New Hampshire. A case suggested
by It's similarity occurred In Boston,
where a little girl no Emuch higher
than my knee. with whom | was play
ing a game on the carpet, asked me,
with a serious eounteHance, what Ell
feet thought the acquisition of Rus
sian America would have on Great
Britain. | laughed. the question was
so odd; but on seeing the little eyes
looking up into my face in mute sur.
as possible, and endeavored to put
matters to right by saying that the
thing might possibly lead to some snow
baiiing between the two nations But
the little politician in petticoats evil
IDENTIFY thought this was triffiing with
a grave subject, and said no more.
There is one unpleasant feature oil
American precocity-it tends much
more frequently than here to pertness
and utter want of reverence for pa
IEHA. dpda 0Ou D6 IOO1Sus L
heard enc little girl say, when her
father was attempting to describe to
me now some comcal Frenchman had
spoken at a public meeting You
viii so1 etimes hear a child say TO its
parent, " You get awayl" or DONE
trouble me just now" The parent
never seemed to me to feel this as a
Scotch parent would.
bav IN IudnlOank Faith
bringing In bunch of grapes for his
little boy Come, you are a good
fellow after all, said the child, cheer.
fully. The parent seemed to me
rather gratifed at so kind a recogni
ion on the part of his son.
/ remember another brave little
fellow OF four years old. who sat near
me ak dinner on small, slim nursery
chair, wiplng his mouth after the first
course, and saying: Give me some
Of that tart, mamma, and ring the
bell for Emma; | want some fresl
water"
This IS only one case out of man,
that help to explain what a New Eng
land lady meant when she said, -"
am learning to be a docile parent
g Parents obey your children In al
things" is the new idea. 1t is not
after all. SO great a stretch to antici
pate. as somebody suggests, that W
shall by-;Ind-ny see on the signboarC
of some American store" JOIN
Smith AMI Father"
Another incident occurs to me i
connection with the same little fellow
who directed his mother to ring tn
bell One day, when dinner was Over
his mother said to him, Wipe you
mouth, darling" Say please.
Well. darling, please" Preoocit
wiped MS lips solemnly, as if an I'm
portaut moral lesson had been giveI
aud requested to be lifted from hi
chair. go
There is much less of this in tn
South, where subprdination is NOR
recognized. and where the modes Q
thought and feeling are more like on
own. But this is the growing idea i
the Northumberland reciprocity
the sinking of old and even naturi
distinctions IN democratic equalit.
Do to me whatever you would expec
me to do to you.
Let it not be supposed, however, tina
American children are rude, or ii
behaved. On the contrary, the
struck me as polite, more considerat'
more orderly, as a general rule, tina
our own; but they need to be dea
with in a different way. You mu:
appeal to their reason and good sens
ii you appeal entirely to your ow
authority, you are apt to get a pc
answer.
Remember who you are talkiu
ia. SIR" said an indignant parent to