Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-08
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THE GRAMMAR OF BABIES,
They Make Some Of Their Own In Spite
of All Precautions.

Tney MAKO Some OF Vncir OWN In Spite
of All Precautions.
A month after our first baby was
born we resolved to settle by expert
ment a question which we had dis
cussed for months, namely, whether a
child's tendency to violate the rules OF
grammar is innate or is acquired
through the sense of hearing.
My wife declared that all children,
no matter what their surroundings,
will say: me wants sugar." until they
are taught that it is proper to say: Il
want sugar." while contended that a
child would speak dramatically from
the beginning if it were not permitted
to hear any ungrammatical talk.
We had little difficulty in making the
experiment thorough. We were living
in little cottage three miles from the
nearest village. We had but one serv-
ant, an old negro, who did outdoor
work exclusively and slept in an out
house. Our only regular visitors were
the doctor and the minister, both we'll
educated men; and we resolved that
our boy should not be within carshot
when anyone called whose ability to
speak pure English could be disputed.
OF course we set good example our.
selves. We refrained from baby talk;
used only the most polished language
in the presence of our boy, and took
particular pains to repeat before him in
grammatical style those expressions
which are usually the first in child's
vocabulary.
For instance, when he was less than
q year old, he would sit in his mothers
lap. staring at us, while remarked Sc
riously and with great distinctness: Il
want no water;" and my wife would
say in an equally impressive manner:
mo, do not want any,"
Then when we thought that the little
fellow must have gained some idea of
the proper use of negatives, my wife
would offer suggestion of this sort:
William, the cups arc empty" and
l would proclaim that my hands are
cold"
We knew it would be useless at that
time to try to teach him anything, but
cherished an abiding faith that the
memory of our polished conversation
would remain with him. My wife had
no such faith, but she adhered legally
to her agreement to make the expert
ment as thorough as possible.
When our boy had passed his fif-
tecnth month we began to look for
ward anxiously to the result of the
experiment. We were sure that never
in his brief life had he heard an I'M
grammatical sentence, and we agreed
that his first expression would for
ever settle the question involved.
When he was sixteen months old he
began to name articles of food with
some distinctness. A month later he
could couple two words. Then came
the climax. He was just eighteen
| months and twelve days old when he
| launched his first sentence, and, may
add, knocked my pet theory into a
cooked hat.
1t happened at the breakfast table.
My wife was telling me that little
| WHY'S appetite seemed to be failing
lately, and was trying to tempt him
with % spoonful of jam, when he leaned
back in his high chair, made wry
face and said with terrible distinct
ness: Me don't want no damn
| My wife was generous. She did not
laugh aloud. She did not say: 81 told
you So" But she was right. Tho ten
dency to violate the rules of grammar
is born in man, as the tendency to
commit sin is born in him.-Youth's
| Communion.