The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-10-20
DAILY PRESS.
MD.
Thursday Morning, October 20, 1870

PORTLAND

One can't help asking this question any
day and every day, as one meets the small
gentlemen and ladies whose ages used to
guarantee their childhood. Yes, where are
the children? Where is the old fashioned ei,
OF whom Alcolt tells, who is simple, and a
little shy. and respectful to these Older thar
herself? On the street We see little creatures
with high heeed boots, and over-skirts
bunched and bowed and Iuffled hair crept,
hats loaded with wings and breasts and lealh
els, and tiny hands cased in kid gloves and
carrying fancy parasols. Even the school
costume is not much less ornate. Clothing
that would have been tasteful and costly
enough for holiday occasions, a few years
AGO, is now the ordinary school wear. But
the manners do not seem to grow finer with
the dress. Under these bewinged and breast
ed hats one sees eyes already claiming
conscious smrkng little faces
with s,lf satisfied expression wherein all
the childhood is lost; one hears, too, smar'
and sharp dialogues, gossip and slang, aud
fashion, and talk about beaux-no shy men
tiOn of some boy-favorite, but cool, unblush
ing discussion of the varied merits and de-
merits OF the youthful mascullnes, Ii any
one doubts this, let him or her walk leisurey
behind two or three small demoiselles Oh thei.
way to school some day, or listen in horse
cars to their chatter sometimes. There are
blessed breaks. thank Heaven in this tax,
where dolls and tea sets, and fairy tales, have
legitimate sway Tor awhile. But even here,
French dolls, who carry parasols, and
wear corsets, and sport chignons and the
whole array OF feminine finery, insinuate
to be the envy and desire of the
Oung hearts. And if we meet all this on the
street, look in at the paries-and they are
legion in every cty-parties where the tiny
dlesses are oicostIiest silk and lace and velvet
and where the little puppets under their loads
OF hnery dance ana fit and mince in theii
nigh heeled distortions OF boOlS with all the
dpt,nab OF their elders. 1t is releftU set
these miniature men and women tall oul
with each other now and then, and on the
common ground OF cOmparatveneSs, forgei
tueir fine clothes and artificial manners. Even
this degenerate exhibition OF human nature
is better than the entire lack OF nature
But these natural exhibitions are pun
ished as deadly sins, while the unnatural ex
h'bitiOns, the smart talk, the airs and flippan.
ways, are smiled upon with very little secresy,
and repeated with an enjoym mt which ls
Then to finish up these juvenile
routs and revels, we have supper at hour
when every small creature Of them ought to
be between their crib rib-sheets,-suppers of ices
and cakes aud candies, and other CONNECTION
cry cruelties, wherein lie the sure seeds OF dis
ease and perhaps death. The smart talk, the
airs and fippant way do not stop with the
parties, and with the companions OF these par
lies. All the gIa,es OF childish respect and
reverence 60 down before these new tricks
and manners" Maude not only "speaks up
to May with that airy audacity, but the head
of the house take their share, and no guest
even is safe from the little pert tongues.
''UhildreE OF the present day not only have
the top seat of the coach, but they hold the
reins," said an appalling observer of these
"tricks and maLners." No doubt the oil
long-ago system OF repressing children Oh
every occasion, was perncous one, but it il
to be doubted, also, whether it was as PERM
cious as the present system. Children now
a-1ays,with all their liberties and indulgences.
are certainly no happier than the children uD-
der the Old system. 1t is question whether
they are as happy. If we are to judge by the
results that we see, the question is settled be-
yond appeal.-resul.s of surfeit physical and
mental, of enuui, and trettul dlsconfent. Ball.
and paities, aud masquerades, and private
theatricals; French lois with Partisan ward
robes. and Paris playhouses, leave no room
for The exercise OF the imagination, and tha
activity and ingenuity which is SO necessar
to mental health and happiness 10 this world.
Long Branch sends US record this sum
mer OF, little misses in mauve a ID blue silk
with valencennes over. dresses, who can't &c
down to the beach because the Gainpness
fl.x,o t,.....
crOquet, because the grass makes ugly stains
on their delicate colored bools." The recuro
tells of diamond earrings, also. in the sman
ears as rule. and not an exception, and says
that young America, too, considers his case
a nard One-if is he denied a gold huntingcase
watch and chain, and diamond ring set il
b ack enamel" hlt the boys are not SO bad
y off as the 2lrls, because they have no coun
less ruffies, and lace and embroideries to keel
them from the beach and croquet. Cold
huntine-case watches ard DIAMOND rings. sill
ly and affected aud unnatural as they are ioi
these small gentlemeh, will not keep one O
the small gentlemen from ball or marbles oil
croquet. Though they nuIate the bad hab
its o their seniors, and Iall sick o suIreptitiou,
cigars, and many another idiocy, vet nature
has a hold "n them she will 40 easily rorego
Somebody lately writes sensIbIy on self
reliance in chidren,-th. cultivation of self
lel'ance by teaching the little folks to depend
upon themselves as early as possible, in dress
ing and the care of their persons and thriI
rooms, 10 learn in tact to be independent ana
in helping Others to help ths mselves. This /,
an old fashioned notion and as old fashions
come round again after an interval OF years
perhaps we may look for this fashion When
the pl esent state of things has reigned Ion.
enough tor the natural reaction to set in
no Ar
rtgme as this will be entirely incompatiblt
and impossible with the presen, dissipation.
Little Miss will not then be SO prv cOciOus il,
her knO Wedge that she will be as shatp a.
her elders, perhaps sharper, in the matter OF
fine clothes. She will not be likely to draw
the worldly conclusions that come so ca =,
to her now, to decide upon the relative style
OF this one or that one of her companions
And dprOpOS of this keen knowledge and OBJ
servaEce OF worldly matters is the following
very funny tact: A small girl of our acQuain
lance recently came in from her street Obser
walton of funeral in a neighboripg house,
with this comment-"Oh, mother, Twas
splendid fnneral-there wasn't any poor folks
thereT'
What comment this is upon the spirit OF
the times. And what an unconscious satirisi
the small girl was in her comment. Yet fun
ny as it is, how painful is it, too, that children
should be subjected to social atmosphere
which can make such comments from theil
young lips possible. Splendid parties withou,
any poor Iolks; why not splendid funerals, is
the natural conclusion of the child's unrea-
soning mind, fed and stimulated as it is upon
constant display. And what is the next
thing, we may well ask. The reaction of all
this is not to be mmediatr-not in this day
and generation. And so comes the question
of the next Thing. The child is father OF the
man-or woman. Then what may we nat
urally expect the men and women of this gen
GRAFTON OF childien 10 be? or this generation
OF snail people, for the natural child has van
ished, and in our melancholy search We are
constantly asking, Where are the children p
Providence Journal.
A NOVEL EvENT-FIFTY ONE INDIANS