The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-01-11
Childron,s SAVINGS.

Children say many quaint things.
Sometimes, too, there Is q sort of wit IN
the piercing dlreotnesS with which they
go to the heart Of question MIR.
Howard Paul, in collection which he
has just published of "Cleyer Things
Said by Children" makes them too
clever by hale.
The story of the board school stu
dent who could not be made to under
stand the nature OF o miracle, and who,
instead OF giving the answer expected
from him, declared that If he saw tho
moon shining in the daytime he should
say 1T was the sun, and that if his master
assured him 1t was not the sun he should
say his master was drunk, appeared
originally in an official report. The
mingled dullness and ingenuity with
which children will sometimes throw
new light on question by their mode
of answering 1t, is often very amusing.
Ggible manner the necessity OF regula-
boy what, when o watch sometimes
goes too fast, sometimes too slow. the
owner ought to do with it. "Sell it."
replies the boy. The reputation for
veracity enjoyed by GeorgeSW ashington
in America has been made by his ad-
m'ring ellow-countrymon the subject
of innumerable jests; and it appears
that some lecturer on moral philosophy,
having questioned pupil as to WHY
Washington's birthday was celebrated
more than the lecturers own birthday.
received the prompt answer: because
he never told lie"
There can be no doubt as to the
sharpness (or as to the insolence) of
the boy who, as he was removing the
outer part of piece of cheese, and was
told by his father in q tone of remon-
STRANGE that he ate tho rind, answered:
Is am cutting this Off for YOU" Many
OF the sayings ascribed to innocent lit
tie children are at least as rude as they
are witty. What else can be said of the
daring reparteo uttered by the boy who
wished first to know whether his
grandpapa had been with Noah in the
ark, and, being answered curtly in the
negative, inquired of the old man how
1t was that he escaped drowningi
There is deep pathos, on tho Other
hand, in the tale of child who, hay
ing been presented with half-crown
and assured moreover that it Was {
good one, expressed his regret, saying
Chat IL II had been bad he might have
kept 1t. but that as it was good his pa
rents would take it from him. Thorc
iS drollery sometimes in the navete
with which child will state the char
acter of an action. A young man, for
instance. coming homo from q party so
late that he thought it desirable to take
of his boots before walking upstairs,
b was told by his infant brother in n COM
manding position on the staircase that
no need not bo afraid of waking the
family, since they were "all UP. ~
To stories of the "enfam terriblen
l;ind there Is roally no end; for the terri
bio child Is always among us, andneve
ceases saying the wrong thing ut the
wrong moment. 1t was one of Gavarni's
own "cnfdntS terrt6les' who, when o
visitor showed the child packet of
bon-bon and said he should give them
TO him upon going away, called upon
the gentleman to depart at once. Some
OF Gavarni's ''enfdms terrible" were
almost too terrible to be funny. They
let out the most compromising things
about their parents. In English stories
OF the same type, the cnfdtn terrible"
confines himself to identifying n casual
acquaintance as the man who kissed his
sister on the night of the party. There
was not much in the indiscrotion com.
mittod by child who had boen warned
not TO make any personal remarks to a
gentleman who had recently lost his
arm in battle. "She obeyed orders
implicitly until she went to kiss
him Goodnight she exclaimed:
adding. Il haven't said anything about
your poor arm have I?" Heroes do not
as rule resent illusions to wounds
honorably gained. The case may here
be mentioned of a boy who in n large
assembly caused general feeling of
consternation by claiming pocuniary
reward for exceptional m crit Just dis
played. He had been cautioned not
to laugh during the singing of q lady
who could not sing without making
grimacos, and ho was promised six,
pence if he succeeded in complying
with the injunction given to him. Il
want my sixpencO, ma" he cried out
at the end of q more than usually SNOWY
eavp:ina; al didn't laugh once" Soma
OF Mr.. Howard Pauls best stories of
clever sayings by children present as
before observed, tho effect of endowing
the little ones with wit beyond their
years. The explanation, however, ia
good whether "a little grip gave it or
not of "bearing false Witness against
your neighbor." to tho effect that ut
was when nobody did nothing and some
body went aad told of Il, ~ -