The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20
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IMMORTALITY OF CHILDHOOD.
Why the Shadow of "Mother Goose,
VIII Never Grow Less.
From the Kansas City Star.


From the Kansas City Star.
Some of the papers express regret that
mothers convention held in Chicago
lately took occasion to set the seal of
condemnation on Mother Goose" and
similar nursery rhymes. Other Journals
endeavor to break the force of this ac-
ton by explaining that the convention
was not really a mothers convention, but
was made up principally of men and of
young unmarried women, and was not
qualified or authorized to speak in the
premises. But really, there is no occasion
to worry about the convention or any of
Its opinions or actions since children are
children, always have been, and always
will be, and Mother Goose has come to
stay whoever "resolutes' or protests or
opposes.
People who know all about the monu-
ments and remains of ancient Egypt and
who can read Egyptian straight off as
easily as we can English say that the chill
dren as pictured in the hard stone by
Egyptian carvers thousands on thousands
of years ago, were exactly the same sort
or children as those who play on the
banks not of the Nile only, but of every
other river that flows through an inhabi-
ted country on this very day, Childhood
same. The little Hebrews and the little
Egyptians who played with little Moses
after he came ashore from his ark in the
bnlrushes, are depicted on those old mon
uments as playing the same games as
those which prevail in the land of Egypt
and all the other lands now among the
youth of their age, and we may be sure
that these little folks had some equivalent
for Mother Goose"
Mother Goose" is said by some author.
tiles to have been a real person, the moth
er-in-law of Thomas Fleet, who printed In
Boston in 1913, Songs for the Nursery ar
Mother Goose's Melodies for Children ["
But 1t is known that there were stories in
french IN 1877. The Stories Of My Mother
Goose" and the name was heard in
France century before that, and the SEQ
ond day OF the year has been kent in
France time out of mind as the festival
OF queen Goosefoot or Bertha with the
goose foot. Mother Goose" is but the EN-,
bodiment of the childish faculty of rhvno
ing; the childish gifts of making rhymes
about things and persons real and fan,iad
which AFFECT them through their imagina,
lions. MA
Shlldren by nature sing, dance. march
IN order "two-by-two" and in single fiie
ana also make rhymes. What the moth'
ers convention at Chicago is accused ~
DONG is resolving against a natural fac.
~, " ZIG sli4ulsn soul and gift of God
Inc young Pharaohs and the crowd thev
played with. and whoever were obildras
peIore them, made verses, some Of whtch
are uoubtless still repeated by childran
nIolner Goose Is whoever from time ~
ailiie mas gathered up these child-mads
rhymes ana Mother Goose" win cnyea
am aht,a eoihe IN an ages and countries while
Mother Goose" taking IL 10 nnean To-
Boston collection of 1913 is. of conrsa '''e
lrasment OF the great mass OF rhvroas
with winch childhood has amused soianaS
ana instructed itself from the beginnt,'ss
put u serves TO illustrate what NAV hs
eailed the unchangeableness Of childhood
NOT only 90 the children of 1895 reneat ~
rhymes OF l7ls, but they had been renast-
ing them FOR an indefinite period hecoro
mat publication. The children are vo,,r
real conservatives. Mother Gooseu ~.
peared IN the good old colony davs u,,d,,
we lived under the king" as we haG 80
long time before, and all the rhvrnos ~
ehildren utter are OF kings ana onee,,s
hhefe Is nothing as yet OF Presidenta ana
congresses. The soldiers. also n u,ri ~
observed are grenadiers and the names
tries. "Oi eouh-
Having IT'S roots ana beginnings 40 far
back ~ time and history, we NAV SAL,
conclude that Mother Goose" Al not ~
ne zone away BY the action OF anv "motb.
cry convention" or other DELHI ratiye ho9y
whatsoever. The rhymes are muoh oidor
nan we arr Of printing ana would be con.
'Huso u 'hat art were entirely suppress.