The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-28
When We Were Children.

"Once upon a time, when / was a
child" The dear, old, welcome phrase,
does it not bring with it recollections of
many times, when, child yourself,
you sat with folded hands and open eyes
and ears, waiting for 4 story? If the
tale that was unfolded for your pleasure
only began with that time-worn string
of words, it was all that was needed to
secure your interest and attention.
50 always, from childhood up, we in
yariably acknowledge the peculiar
charm which lies in any aIlusiOn to the
time when we were children. Ii carries
us back to the enchanted land, the Won
derful Aladdin's Paradise, where moth
ing was too miraculous to occur, where
genii might appear at any moment and
present Us with vases of diamonds, or
the ground sink with us to the palace of
the gnonIes, who would capture us to be
their servants for the next hundred
years. 1t was land of Hpure delight"
was it not? But we have stepped over
the borders of Child-country and trav-
eled far away from that charming place
with its frolics and tancies the "rising
generation have taken possession of it
and there is no room for us. We must
/ bid farewell TO the land in which we
have now 10 part or lot, keeping always
the blithe spirit of its little Inhabitants
to help US along the highways through
which we must walk alone.
Do you remember what we used to
think about when we lived in Child
country? We dreamed of the stars that
laughed at US by night, and the trees
that whispered US stories all day long; of
/ the brooks that ran so fast we could never
keep up with them, and the corn that
! rustled as we frOlicked through it, What
wonderful things the story-bOOks told us
/ too, all about GOldilocks and Cinderella;
Siubad the Sailor and NOsey the Dwarf;
I GTaciosa and Percinet and Prince Riquet
/ with the Tuft. Hans Christian Ander-
/ son filled our little heads with his quaint
| fances about stOrlls and flowers and
| Nickings' beautiful daughters We
I loved them all SO WELL All the "Wee
folk" were our sworn friends; we knew
them under all shapes and names and
met them everywhere; kObOlds and elves
and brOnnies in the woods and kelpies
in the water. Other people declared
they were nothing but leaves and stones,
but they must have been blind, l think.
One night we saw real pixies. under a
currant bush; we certainly did. Some
body was foolish enough to say it was
thistle-dOwn, but we knew better. We
were all philosophers then. Nature told
us her most precious secrets and we
kept them faithfully; she smiled be-
nignly upon us and we loved her with
untiring ardor. Life seemed one long,
sweet song in those gay times ''When
we were children"
You will find it so, the world over,
that this part of creation is the most
perfectly happy at all times and in all
nations, from the contented little Teuton
with his whale-bone head-piece, to the
greasy Esquimaux, done up in fur, with
heavenly piece of blubber in his little
round fist. Nothing troubles them and
they can be happy anywhere Go to
Castle Garden and see the emigrant
children, round and dirty, and as Jolly
after long voyage as If they had never
heard of it. The total Inconsistencies
of all care or trouble to come lends an
indescribable charm to the graces Of all
the little folks. Let us try to keep them
always so, they take so naturally to
happiness and sunshine, that they miss
it a great deal more than grown people
do.
When we think of 1t all, of the bonny,
bOnny childhood that we have left be-
hind, We want to go back again aud be
children and we cry out
vision of childhood! Stay, o stay!
Ye were 50 sweet and mild ,"
at cannot be- They pass away.
Other themes demand Thy lay,
Thou art no more = child 4"
No more children, but lcOmejl, full
grown and ready for the life about
which we have dreamed so long. 1t Is
coming now on swift wings and we
have but to wait for the "lOng years to
bring It; such as we wish it be"
In this pause in our lives while we
are waiting, and mutely listening, We
will hear a voice saying