Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-14
TIMIDITx OF CEILDREN.


/ eIlul BECAUSE krOundleSS. nile JDe Olu
tales OF bOgles and witches, of haunted
houses and ghostly apparitions, may
have had some foundation in natural phe-
nomena, uncomprehended then and per-
| haps tneXplicable even now, childish
minds are often swayed by similar breads
/ for which the wisest and tenderest pa
\ rents can ind no remedy. Stronger still,
! most grown people will own to having
! possessed some hidden terrOrs in youth
whose origin they cannot remember, only
telling positive that they were the crea-
| ton OF their own fancies and not the
! fruits OF some bugabOo story rc+Eted by a
| JhOughtless nurse or sensational play
mate. IL perfect candor were displayed
by those who confess TO having been the
| prey to such weakness in earlier years,
| 1t might perhaps be shown that in the
mind of the mature mau or woman the
lurking dread is rarely entirely eradi-
cated-that whether acknowledged or
not, the juvenile horror still preserves
portion of its power.
A grown woman Of strong nerves and
| robust health, in the course of a CONVEX
sation on the subject of childish terrors
declared that although she never remem-
hered hearing tales OF horror in her youth,
she yet had mad confirmed dread of the
dark In which she vaguely imagined people
with unseen malicious creatures. When
child, if she were sent upstairs to do an
errand IN an unlighted room she executed
1t with the utmost dispatch and flew down
TO the lighted regions again with firm
conviction that something was lying in
walt for her under the bed, watching an
opportunity TO clutch her ankles if she
came near enough, On this creature she
bestowed the title of ''the Demon" with
out having the slightest idea of what the
TfaRhu gVak
OF some supernatural being. $40 this
day." she added 81 never cross the room
In the dark to get into bed without re-
vival of the old unreasoning terror. l am
very brave so long as there is a gllmmer
OF light visible, but / can understand per-
tectly the meaning of the phrase, "A hor-
ror of great darkness"
Encouraged by the confession younger
sister of the narrator owned to having
passed through precisely the same eXpe-
rience, and also to still suffering from
similar terrors when alone in the dark.
The mother Of the two had absolutely no
superstitious breads, and their father did
not know the meaning OF the word fear In
any such connection as this. The chill
dren had always been in perfect health
and the parents had no suspicion of the
mental fortunes the poor little ones I'M
derwent from their belief in ''the demon"
Another wOman-a wife and mother
said she had never been able to overcome
her dread of looking into mirror at
night. Argue the fancy down as she
might, she could never free herself from
the expectation of seeing face looking
at her over her shoulder. The impression
was 50 strong that if she passed a looking
glass in the dark she always either closed
her eyes or turned her head away to avoid
the cnance of sight of the possible appa-
ritiOn. she added that she never dared
read ghost stories, for she was haunted
by them for days and nights afterwards.
Her nerves were sound, her physical con-
ditiOn perfect, but these terrors were
dark blot on an otherwise happy life.
While anti-natal Influences may some
times prove responsible for such IdiOsyn-
crasies, the latter cannot always be ex-
planned so readily. We cease to wonder
at the terror felt for sword by James |.
| of England and vi. OF Scotland, when we
| read the account OF RiggiO's murder in
| Queen Mary's presence a few months be-
| fore the chlld's birth. But what is appa-
rently unborn coWardice exists in the
cases of many children whose parents
| have been entirely free from such prOpens-
| ties. Another summary method Of dispOs-
| ing OF similar instances is by the general
! statement that the children must have
! overheard some servant stories. This
! doubtless explains many apparently mys-
| FERROUS fears. The quick Imagination of
the little one magnities a careless word or
expression, causing the small beginning
| to expand until, like Prince Ahmed's pa
| viliOn, 1t can shelter a countless host.
! The intense secretiVeness OF childhood
renders the treatment of this disposition
a difficult task. JudiciOus parents and
| guardians may prohibit the telling OF
ghosty tales and may for some time sue
coed in SURPRISING such variations, but
sooner or later the revelation is almost
sure to come. When il does, the child
| for some reason he cannot himself grasp.
locks the terror in his own breast and
| res0lutely refuses 10 divulge the cause oil
his apparently grOundless alarms. One
little boy who had had an irrational dread
OF even the most jOviaL and comic masks
when a man said that he still felt an in.
tense repugnance to them from an awful
suspicion that they concealed something
terrible behind them. AS a child he was
unable to explain this impression, but
the very impOssibIlity OF expressing
himself freely on the matter added to his
terrOrS.
There can hardly be deserved too severe
n punishment Tor nurses who use super.
natural fears as a weapon with which u
COW children into obedience. In their de.
tense il may be SAID that they seldom com.
prehend with what delicate materials
the wide-eyed fright with which the
5-year-Old who has been checked in his
naughtlness by the threats OF the "spool'
or the "black man" lies trembling for
long alter he has been placed in his crib,
nor the permanent effect wrought upon
his sensitive nerves by the mental strain.
Refuge is sometimes sought under the
bed clothes, but even then there is only q
sense OF comparative safety, conscious
ness that blankets and sheets would in
terpOse but inadequate protection, should
the dreadful thing really determine u
seize him.
To some children the assurance of the
presence OF guardian angels acts with
soothing power. A sensitive child wae
found one night in agonies of sobbng.
aud the reason was finally cOaXed from
him. A thOughtless maid detecting him
in a piece of mischief had told him that
the good spirits would not take care OF
such bad little boy at night, but would
leave him TO look after himself. To some
youngsters, though, the idea is the re.
verse OF tranquiliZing, as with the little
girl who responded to an endeaYOr 10
quiet her by assurances OF white-rObed
watchers with screaming insistance that
the windows should be opened and the
angels brushed out, as mamma did the
flies. Or the other child, presumably a
resident Of New Jersey, who replied pite-
ously to "a similar promise of protection
by the winged messengers: "But, nurse,
A.. liz