Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-18
The Lies Told 10 Children.

| Alexander Dumas has been coming out in the
character Of censor morum. aud the theme
chosen in the paper which he has contributed to
the periodical rejoicing In the title of No,tredu
! Ne Is the familiar one of the neglect shown by
parents In the training of their children. espe-
caly In very early years. The grand offense
OF parents lies in Sinking the difficulties pre-
| sented by the curiosity of children The first
beginnings of that inquisitiveness are to be
seen, according to NJ. Dumas in actions not
| generally attributed to any such cause "When
you see child spoil and destroy immedi-
ately and deliberately the playthlngs that have
neeh gwen TO 1t pull of the petals Of the flowers
| IL mas gathered, and even the wings of insects
! which 1T has caught. you say: Children are
destructive; childhood Is merclless' 1t is a mis-
take. The child is not destructive; it is not
cruet 1t is curious 1t does not want to
Destroy 1t wants to know" But with the very
with the first utterance Of the often embar-
RAISING, but lneXorcisable question ''how?"
and 'whys" the gravest responsibilities tall
upon the parent, and these responsible
ties ne either shirks or seeks to delegate to
others. NJ. Dumas description Of the latter
process Is very forcible. The mother. who has
married not knowing why, and brought forth a
child not knowing how, makes haste to hand
over the care OF 1t to Others. The wet-nurse
| and nurse to provide for the body; the bonnie.
the governess, and the convent, or, In the case
OF boys, the tutor and the school, to train the
mind; the minister, the priest, or the rabbi to
look after the sOul-each teaching something
whch the other calls false, and all equally con-
demned by nature, history and science these
are all instances Of that delegation of parental
duty against which NJ. Dumas inveighs "And all
this because the man and woman want to have
all the pleasures. all the rights, all the recon.
penses. OF paternity and maternity, while trans
ferring as far as ever they its duties and re-
sponsfbiitties TO Others" As the children grow
up til delegation of parental duties Ia followed
In the case Of the boys at least, by their abso-
lutte neglect. The young mans desire to know
the world Is allowed to lead him into all sorts Of
excuses, at which the parents wink. IN faut
que jeunesse So passe," and 1t is only when the
Vlgor and the freshness of youth have both
passed away that the parents intervene to In
duce him to settle in lite, In order that they
may enjoy the luxury Of being surrounded with
grandchildren.
AS for the girl, she is kept as carefully away
from all experience as the young man is reck-
lessly exposed to all. and is allowed to grow up
amid her dreams and those Of her equally lgno-
rant companions, until one day she meets or
Is made to meet, man more or less young more
or less Intelligent. more or less rich more or
less disfllusiOned, whose character, antecedents.
morals, relations and health are all imperfectly
known, and whom she marries because she is
OF the age to marry. II, after this highly intel
ligent preparation of the young man or woman
to meet the difficulties and temptations of life,
these difficulties and temptations prove too
much for them, there is great cry of injured
surprise. "HOw does this come about? Ihaye
given him Cor herr so much. The child was well
sucked by the nurse, well cared for by servants,
well taught by masters, well grounded in NOR
ality by the priest. l cannot understand it at
ALL"
The difficulty remains that. as has been well
said. the stupidest child can ask more questions
In five minutes than the wisest man can answer
In life time. The lesson of life II it has lesson
cannot be impaired. Each human being must |
learn 1t by his own experience. The problem In |
code to guide 1t while the experience is being |
gained. and to save 1t from losing all that makes
life worth having in the process of learning to |
live. And to the solution of that problem NJ. |
Dumas contributes very little. But there is one |
point on which he dwells which moralists do |
well to insist upon. It s the Nervousness of the
time honored practice Of lying to children. That
practice has indeed as we all know, the highest /
philosophic authority. But the lies that Plato /
recommsnded were intended to embody the
truth. The lies that most men tell to escape the
perplextty occasioned by children's questions |
are lies that not only do not embody the truth,
but render true and healthy attitude Of mind |
on certain subjects forever impossible. We are /
but OF plain physical facts, of the habit Of exct.
Ing an unnatural curiosity In children by evad-
Ing their natural questions, Of investing with q /
halo OF unwholesome mystery matters that both /
cdn ahu OusnC 70 De kept IN the clear daylight OF
science. The excuse Tor such lying always
Is that the children are not old enough
to understand. But, says NJ. Dumas, and
he says well, 'L'enfant q toujours TAge des ques-
tons quiz fait." 'There may" he continues
"be children who. owing to physical causes are
lmbecile. But there Is no such thing as stupid |
child. child may have more or less prompt
Intelligence. 1t may develop special aptitudes
or antipathes. But you will never hear it saw q
silly thing (dire besise) as long as you have
not deceived it, as long as you have not told It
q lie" There can be no doubt that OF all the
humbug practiced in the world there is none
which on the whole is attended with more
ruinous consequences than the deception to
which parents constantly have recourse, and
that with perfectly easy conscience, to evade
the troublesome curiosity Of children. ~ am
convinced" says M. Dumas, 'that the greatest
in the world Of ideas, those who
have most Mortified mankind, who have caused
the shedding of the most blood and the most
tears, have been children to whose first ques-
lions men have not replied as they ought to
have replied"
A horse thiefin an Arkansas prison objects to
having Presbyterian chaplain in the institu-
ton. He says he has been brought up q
Methodist, and wishes to remain firm In the
faith of his fathers.