New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
STUDIES OF CHILDHOOD.
CONFUSION IN YOUNG MINDS REGARDING
TRUTH AND UNTRUTH.

Truth and Untruh' s the subject OF one OF
Professor Scully's Studies OF Childhood in the
Popular Science Monthly" Professor Sculy be-
lieves that Imaginative children. who are some
times reprimandel for telling fasehoods. have no
intention OF deceving but cannot distinguish Clearly
between realities and the visions OF their fancy.
Instances OF this inability have under the OBJ
scrvatlon 81 the writer.
Day after day a little girl interested herself by
watching an ant hill \ companion asked her what
she had here. She answered. zone day saw
an an; visiting n friend They went down the In
side Of tho hill n sand staircase. and in the parlor
were sand chairs, and sofas and all sorts OF fur
niture. and there lots OF ttle rooms and long
halls and the took her friend all over her new
house" How can you tel such fbs?" asked her
practical companion "You couldn't put your eye
20 the hole in the an, hill and peep down. for II
you dll the ants would creep into It," 1T doesn't
matte how It," replied the accused girl with
an air az conviction. FOR I did. did It: and
It's true" Years afierward the child testified that
she had believed the tale she told. She had amused
herself imagining until her hctons had become I'M
pressed On her mind truths. She Is now poet
ana n musician
Il wish mamma would come home" sobbed a
little boy who hal been LEFT In charge OF nurse.
because nurse makes papa believe that tell Hes.
AMI he Furnishes me. but mamma knows that what
! say Is true" The untruth for which he had just
been punished was an account 81 an adventure he
Ind had with VIII Indians. AZ "A time when he de-
cl1rel he had spcni some days In the tent or
friendly Indian His mother was an invalid. and
the prococious child had had access to many DOCKS
~ adventure. He sometimes read aloud. or acted
the scenes from the books, impersonatlng dinerent
/ characters He had acted his Indian adventures
until ho had come believe them. When his
mother was made aware OF the facts. she directed
hls rea ling into more wholesome channels.
a few weeks ago. Il boy OF six years heard o, the
sudden death Of his dearcs, friend. For time he
was lnconsolable but before many DAYS had passed
he seer,ed 20 regain his cheeriness and his friends
said The young forget" They did not know
that H. had shu, himself in his room and had
written a long letter In his round. childish hand
lie had addressed II to Johnnie s. in Heaven"
ana had nclosel It in a large envelope addressed
| TO Dr r. the clergyman OF his church. with a
request that he would sent it to Johnnie. No an
swer came and a, last he confded to a schoolmate
that he had written to Johnnie. and would have
letter from him before long. The other boy. less
Imaginative sconel the hope and In repeating
the tale to his mother said. Harry tells stories
Iie said Dr H. had sent letter for him to Johnnie
s. In Heaven. and that's an awful story isn't H.
mamma
Many children repea, statements enormously be-
cause they do not understand that words may nave
more than one meaning.
A wide-awake lltt.e miss OF three years heard a
discussion on the new woman wherein she an
nounced. my auntie says she Is n new woman
She had asked. Are you an ola woman, auhtle'
Receiving negative reply she had commented
Then YOU "A woman
A child was rcproved for falsehood because she
had asserted that her mother had told her that a
Mrs h. had made a certain statement with "hcr own
vulgar tongue" ON investigation. II was learned
that the mothers words were that she had heard
+, from Mrs. BIS own lips The child had lately
attended the baptism OF baby brother. ana had
heard the exhorta,ion to the sponsors that he
should learn the Greed. the Lords Prayer and the
Ten Comma ndments IN the vulgar tongue; there
fore she believed that she had used IA correct ex-
preston. .
A Sunday school pupil said she had been taught
that two men possessed with devils came out OF
the prison She thought the reference was TO the
Tombs the city prison In Centre-st New-York
An intention to deceive IL sometimes evident.
though the child does not clearly understand the sin
OF the deception. Two little boys had heard that
money could be made by selling frogs for the
market As they had not succeeded In catching
any they retired a corner OF the garden. and
/ prayed that the Lord would send down n shower
OF frogs 4 schOomaster In the adjoining garden
heard the prayer, and asked II they thought God
would send down the poor frogs solely that they
might catch and Kill them. 'Oh. maybe He doesn't
know why we want them" replied the younger boy.
I'VE were careful not mention IT.
Tender conscience and clear perception OF truth
are sometimes found In very young children A
little lad had taken cut glass bottle to play WITH
and a companion had carried II away. He denied
that he had 1t: but a short time afterward he